Shad's Exam Essay

Rashad Young
Mr. Salsich
English 9
4 June, 2009
Brick Walls and the Way Around Them:
An Essay about a Poem and Two Characters
What do you do when you come to a time when you no longer know what to do? Do you panic, or do you just let things ride out? Ebenezer Scrooge and Dexter Green both did not know what to do at some point in their lives. Scrooge scrambled to do something to change his life while Dexter observed everything around him and made wise decisions.
Dexter Green, a character in the book “Winter Dreams”, has been through a lot throughout his life, and he seems to have come to a point in his life where “[He] no longer know[s] which way to go.” Therefore, the poem, “The Real Work” by Wendell Berry, would be a delight (FAST) for him to read. From going to Judy Jones, to Irene and back to Judy, he may “no longer know which way to go” in his life. Though at the end of the book Dexter was young and running his own business, he seemed to start to come to his “real work”. On his previous journey Dexter had multiple jobs one of which being a golf caddy. He could have continued being a caddy for his entire life but Dexter’s “mind […] [was] not baffled, [so] […] he [was] not employed. Dexter, young, willing, and inspired, started up his own Laundromat industry and became the rich man that he is. (Tricolon) Dexter may not be at the end of his life but his first voyage has ended and he has come to his true “journey”.

In the book “A Christmas Carol” one of the characters had realized that he could not continue living his life the same old stuck up way forever. Ebenezer Scrooge for a while “no longer knew what to do” he was going to the same job for years on end, being picky about his money and giving almost nothing to his co-workers. For Scrooge, business always came first even before family. Continuing this trend he was going nowhere, he would die a “cold hearted” man. Scrooge soon, with a little help from three ghosts, came to a revelation (FAST). He realized that doing good and caring for someone was not quite as “humbug” as he had previously thought. Scrooge therefore had found his own “Real work”. Scrooge had turned his life around and started flowing again, just like the “stream that sings”.
Both of the characters in this essay had to overcome some sort of obstacle that was obstructing their vista (FAST) of life. These two men went through everything from women, to work. Though they had different ways of approaching these challenges they both ended up defeating them. The two of them “impeded their way of life and came out victorious.

Shad's Exam Essay

Rashad Young
Mr. Salsich
English 9
4 June, 2009
Brick Walls and the Way Around Them:
An Essay about a Poem and Two Characters
What do you do when you come to a time when you no longer know what to do? Do you panic, or do you just let things ride out? Ebenezer Scrooge and Dexter Green both did not know what to do at some point in their lives. Scrooge scrambled to do something to change his life while Dexter observed everything around him and made wise decisions.
Dexter Green, a character in the book “Winter Dreams”, has been through a lot throughout his life, and he seems to have come to a point in his life where “[He] no longer know[s] which way to go.” Therefore, the poem, “The Real Work” by Wendell Berry, would be a delight (FAST) for him to read. From going to Judy Jones, to Irene and back to Judy, he may “no longer know which way to go” in his life. Though at the end of the book Dexter was young and running his own business, he seemed to start to come to his “real work”. On his previous journey Dexter had multiple jobs one of which being a golf caddy. He could have continued being a caddy for his entire life but Dexter’s “mind […] [was] not baffled, [so] […] he [was] not employed. Dexter, young, willing, and inspired, started up his own Laundromat industry and became the rich man that he is. (Tricolon) Dexter may not be at the end of his life but his first voyage has ended and he has come to his true “journey”.

In the book “A Christmas Carol” one of the characters had realized that he could not continue living his life the same old stuck up way forever. Ebenezer Scrooge for a while “no longer knew what to do” he was going to the same job for years on end, being picky about his money and giving almost nothing to his co-workers. For Scrooge, business always came first even before family. Continuing this trend he was going nowhere, he would die a “cold hearted” man. Scrooge soon, with a little help from three ghosts, came to a revelation (FAST). He realized that doing good and caring for someone was not quite as “humbug” as he had previously thought. Scrooge therefore had found his own “Real work”. Scrooge had turned his life around and started flowing again, just like the “stream that sings”.
Both of the characters in this essay had to overcome some sort of obstacle that was obstructing their vista (FAST) of life. These two men went through everything from women, to work. Though they had different ways of approaching these challenges they both ended up defeating them. The two of them “impeded their way of life and came out victorious.

Wendell's final essay of the year

Wendell Frink

Mr. Salsich

9-English

26 May 2009

Looking Through the Looking-glass:

An Essay on Two Poems and My Life

How we view things is important. When looking around this world, we need to notice the good things in life, and notice the bad things too. When we view our past, we need to not dwell on it, look toward the past and present. We view the theme of viewing in William Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey,” my return to Pinepoint in five years, and in Richard Wilbur’s poem “The Writer.”

Throughout the lines of “Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth I noticed the theme of viewing. First of all, Wordsworth is viewing Tintern Abbey for the first time in five years. He’s noticing the new ‘look’ of the church-desolate, destroyed ruined, gone [tetracolon climax]. The abbey holds a “somewhat of a said perplexity,” with its overgrown walls and courtyards and is “laid asleep.” Also, Wordsworth is able to view his past life at the abbey. He sees in his mind when he was a kid, what the abbey was like, what life was like, and how it has changed [parallelism]. Unfortunately, these visions are “dim and faint” and “half-extinguished,” like a small fire-that fire being Tintern Abbey. Viewing the Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth reflects upon the new and old church.

Upon my return to Pinepoint in five years, I’ll be viewing all of the changes the school has undergone. I’ll be viewing new faces at the school. Teachers and students and parents [polysyndeton] change throughout the years. Some of the same teachers probably won’t be teaching in five years, some of the students will be different in five years, and some of the parents will be different in five years [parallelism]. In addition, the structure of the school will change. In the near future, a wind turbine will be built and there will be additions to the buildings. Seeing this in five years is possible. As I step through the doors to Pinepoint in five years, I will view many new changes.

In the “The Writer” by Richard Wilbur, viewing is also a prominent theme. First, throughout the poem the father views many scenes. He has seen many things, from a “dazed starling” to his “daughter writing a story” to “life and death.” These scenes are a portion [FAST] of regular life. Also, he views his daughter as a ship. His daughter’s life is a “great cargo” and sometimes this cargo can be “heavy.” She carries the memory of the “dazed starling [...] humped and bloody” with her, too. Yet even with this heavy weight, she trudges on with her story, plunking away at the “type-writer keys.”

Viewing scenes occurs all the time. At the moment, reader, you are viewing my essay. Around you people are viewing other scenes, other actions made by people, and other events taking place [parallelism]. View life the same way you view scenes, as an excellent thing.

Shad's Final Essay of the Year

"Acts of Kindness" are completed by almost everyone in the world. William Wordsworth and myself are both contributers to this kindness. In "Tintern Abbey" Wordsworth talks about the kindness that has shaped the Abbey into the "beauteous form" that it is today. The kindness that has inspired Wordsworth has also inspired me to perform the acts of kindness in my life also.

With all the themes in "Tintern Abbey" there were only a few that stuck out to me. The one that stuck out the most was the "acts of kindness". Everyone, I don't care who you are, performs acts of kindness. Whether its holding the door for someone or making them a card on their birthday. Theses acts can be life lifting, depending on the mood of a person these acts of kindness can uplift the spirits of a depressed person. The acts of kindness can bring a sense of love and tranquility. This is exactly the reason why William Wordsworth used these very words in his poem. He was at a moment of peace and felt happy when the words flowed onto his paper. Each act that we do can change a life, bring someone at peace with their self or simply brighten up some ones day.

There have been countless moments in my life when an "act of kindness" from me has brightened someone's day. The first, when I was last year, in eighth grade there were many moments when accidents happened in the English classroom but today someone had spilled water all over the desk. This person seemed melancholy about this so I quickly got up and helped them with the mess, after this the person kindly thanked me and we continued on with our class. One of my best friends at Pine Point, Gabe Campbell, once asked me to help him move some soccer goals during the off-season. This was completely voluntary and was not something that he was forcing me to do. Being myself I kindly told Gabe that I would help him out, therefore lightening the load off his back. The kindness that I have shown in the English classroom and also with my friends has benefited no only me but also the people who I helped.

Kindness is something that we all encounter and interact with. William Wordsworth has has seen and experienced kindness in his life as have I. We contribute to the kindness everyday by performing small acts that help move people on from their downsides. Where will you decide to use your kindness to brighten someone's day?

gabe's final essay of the year

Gabriel Campbell

Mr. Salsich

English B

5/26/09

 

            Once the future has come, all we have left is the past, but people don’t realize how precious the past is. The past contains memories of everything that we won’t possess again. Memories of friends, memories of homes, and memories on how places used to be (parallelism). Overall, memories has persisted as a recurring theme in the poem Tintern Abbey and my own life.

            A persistent theme in the poem Tintern Abbey was memories. Upon his return to Tintern Abbey, he was flooded with images of how the church used to be. He remembered the “hedge-rows” and “pastoral farms [that were] green to the very door”. In essence, all he had left of the church was his memories. With the church being destroyed, everything he had known of the church was gone. It had been shrouded (fast) in “joyless daylight”. Now, all he had was his memories of the “beauteous forms” that gave him “tranquil restoration”. Without his memories, his Voyage to Tintern Abbey would have been pointless.

            Visiting Pine Point in five years will bring back memories similar to Wordsworth’s. Almost certainly, when I return changes will have been made to the school. There will be areas that have been renovated or destroyed in the past five years. All that will be left of those areas will be the memories I’ve kept. Similarly, walking the hallways of Pine Point will trigger some memories. Even today, I can walk down the hallways and remember jokes Parker and I made in 7^th grade on the way to French class. Walking down these hallways five years from now (participle), I am certain that memories will be present. Finally I frequently reminisce about my class. While we have yet parted, it is pleasant to look back on they five years they and I have spent together. People have matured, people have left, and people have grown closer (parallelism). When visiting Pine Point in five years, all the classes, lunches, tests, and jokes will persist in my mind (tetracolon climax).

            In the Writer by Richard Wilbur, Wilbur hopes his daughter’s dreams won’t die. While listening to his daughter type, he hears frequent stoppages due to frustration. He then states that “it is […] a matter of life or death” for his daughter. What this means is that if his daughter gives up, her dreams will die and become memories. Similarly, he compared his daughters dream to a bird trapped in a room. This bird was flustered and disoriented, and even though it was hurt severely, it kept getting up and attempting to escape. The comparison was that his daughter frequently struggled with her work, much like the bird struggled to escape. The bird never let its dream of escaping the tomb disappear and Wilbur hopes the same for his daughter. Overall, in the poem the Writer by Richard Wilbur, a story of struggles and dreams is present.

            Time passes faster than we think. Five years has passed for both William Wordsworth and myself and the outcome is shocking in some aspects. Cherishing those memories of past life is important. To summarize, the memories that William Wordsworth had of Tintern Abbey and the memories I have of my life have recurred frequently.

Shad's Post

Have you ever been transformed? If so, was it similar to that of a rock being cut into tiny stones to be placed into a garden? Rainer Maria Rilke speaks about undergoing (FAST) transformation in many different ways. My life, a simple stone, and the meaning of this passage are all parts of the different ways I have transformed.

In the first part of the passage Rilke talks about transformation, we transform our lives everyday when we make decisions that do not seem significant (FAST). Rilke seems to be talking about how in life everyone goes through changes so maybe life is just one large scale transformation. Though the little good things you do in your life everyday may not be very important they still change you. The bad things that you do everyday also change you. The more large scale mistakes and acts of kindness have transformed you in a bigger way than you could think of. You can and will become a different person if you continue to make these small decisions that shape our worlds. However, it is up to you how how they will be shaped, good, bad or neutral. It is your choice and your choice only.

Shaping your life is similar to shaping a rock. Old and grey, the garden stone in Mr. Salsich's room has been "transformed" throughout time.(Appositive Sentence Opener) Millions of years ago that rock could have been formed, it could have even been a boulder at one point. Who knows what could have happened to the stone: other rocks colliding with it, people sitting on it, moved in an ice age or even cut by a mason. Being shaped by a mason is very different than nature, in terms of tool. The transformation from a normal into a beautiful masterpiece is very complex, precision cutting, shaping, and piecing, and presenting the rocks together are all factors that affect the outcome of this rock.(Tetracolon Climax Verbial) Just like us the transformation can be a long and painful process but in the end we come out even more beautiful than before. No doubt the garden stone on Mr. Salsich's desk does not get the credit it deserves for all of the things its been through therefore we should recognize that the stone is no different than ourselves.

We transform almost exactly like the stone itself but, the only thing that is different is the tools that shape us. The first way I was transformed was when I was introduced to Pine Point School. Here at Pine Point I have been shaped by the wonderful teachers and core values that surround the school itself. From the first day I set foot in Pine Point I had felt that I was different, my mind being tethered to my now caring heart.(Participial Phrase Closer)Second, I have had to go through my parents separation for the past two years. It has been a hard road from switching back and forth to my dads house and my moms house. Although, it has made me a better person knowing that I survived something that can be one of the hardest challenges for a family. Just like the garden stone the transformation may become long and painful but the outcome is what is worth the strain.

We all go through our lives transforming frequently, from the cells in our bodies, to the people around us. If we do not have the correct appearance or skill for a particular task we can change ourselves to "fit the boot". Sometimes it can be hard for us to survive these transformations but they are usually worth the hardships and rejection.

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Self Assessment

Recently I have been trying to improve on making my opening and closing paragraphs more grabbing. Another thing I am trying to do is use my requirements in the correct locations. Some strong points in this essay is the umbrella that does not seem to stray too far off of the main point. I see some weak points with my second body paragraph and trying to get it to "flow" with the rest of the essay. I would probably give myself a C+/B- for this essay.

Wendell's Essay

Wendell Frink

Mr. Salsich

9-English

13 May 2009

What are Transformations For?

An Essay on a Rock, a Passage, and my Life

Are transformations good or bad? Do they help you in life or are they just an annoyance [FAST]? How you look at transformations depends on whether they will help you, if the transformation is good or bad. In a passage by Rainer Maria Rilke, a garden stone, and in my life we find transformations or changes.

The great poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s words are filled with power and wisdom. Firstly, he says that “all that is good is transformation and all that is bad as well.” Change in our lives, or “transformation[s]” are an everyday part of living. Without transformations, our lives would be dull and unlivable. In addition, to gain something or reveal it, we must “intensify” our actions. We must have full participation in our actions, so you can concentrate with your entire mind. When we show we are “avid[ly] interest[ed]” in something, we can reach the essence of that item. This wonderful thinking by a wonderful poet is filled with much meaning.

My life is also filled with many transformations. First, when I switched [FAST] schools for the 8th grade year, my life "transform[ed]" drastically. I had to find new friends, receive new teachers, a new locker, and a new life [parallelism]. My daily routine was altered drastically; instead of walking to the bus each morning, I was driven to school, instead of a 350 person class, it was downsized to only 27. Also, when we grow up, we change. I am not the same person I was last year. I am taller, my voice is deeper, and I have slowly become stronger [participial phrase]. Overall, changes in my life happen all the time.

Deep inside the earth, materials go under huge transformations that create rocks. A rock used in a garden is probably many thousands of years old. Before it was formed, the rock was just magma deep in the earth, but as time passed it was shaped into this garden stone. This process took time, and much energy. Also, this rock has probably been cut off of another rock. The larger rock was transformed into “something good.” Each little rock symbolizes what the larger rock one was, large, majestic, beautiful, and everlasting [tetracolon climax]. Each transformation of materials creates majestic works of nature-rocks.

In the context of these three items, transformations are good. Without transformations we wouldn’t have the stone to walk on in the garden, without transformations our lives would be dull, and without transformations we wouldn’t meet new people and see new places [parallelism]. These transformations help you in life, and you can help transformations [antithesis]. Without transformations, what would we do?

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Self Assessment:

Recently, I have been making sure my FAST words are apt. I have been going to my parents and asking them if each FAST word works with what I am saying. My sentences and paragraphs have started to flow better, but a weak point I see is that I sometimes include sentences that aren't necessary to what I am saying. I would give myself a B for this essay.