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.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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.
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 7th 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.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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.
gabe's essay
Gabriel Campbell
Mr. Salsich
English B
5/13/09
Life itself is filled with pros and cons. Something could transform to better the world or simply make it worse. Life can even relate to a garden stone. Overall, the ambiguous (fast) passages by Rainer Maria Rilke can relate to the garden stone in our classroom and my own life.
One passage in the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke that stood out to me was “good is transformation and […] [it] is bad as well.” This quote could mean that with all bad things, good follows. For example, if a close one was dying of an illness, their death would be the good that follows because they would be out of their misery. While it may be depressing, it is comforting to know they aren’t in pain. Similarly, this quote could mean that while transforming is wonderful, bad can come out of it. For example, some one could “transforms” into a hard working person whose work brings them wealth. The bad about this transformation could be that with this new-found wealth, the person could become more selfish and greedy. Overall, the passage “good is transformation and […] [it] is bad as well” was one of many ambiguous passages that caught my attention while reading the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke.
While reading the passages by Rilke, it occurred to me that the line “the world happened […] within […] his center” could relate to the garden stone in our classroom. For starters, this garden stone has experienced all of the natural elements. It has experienced rain, snow, hail, and wind (tetracolan climax). Essentially, the garden stone has experienced the ways of earth. Similarly, while it cannot hear, see, or feel (appositive), it has endured (fast) the weight of us. It has stood firm day after day, tolerating us walking back and forth (participle). In essence, we are the world, and the stone has experienced us. To summarize, the passage “the world happened […] within […] his center” can be easily related to the garden stone in our classroom.
The quote “good is transformation and […] [it] is bad as well” from the Rilke passage can be related to my life. In my life, there have been transformations that have turned out well. For example, me becoming more responsible with my work. Instead of going home and procrastinating until late hours, I have gotten my homework out of the way immediately. Unfortunately, there have not-so-good transformations. With my growing age, I have become more disagreeable with my parents. I dearly love my parents, but I often get into pointless arguments with them. To summarize, the quote “good is transformation and […] [it] is bad as well” is an example of my transformation during life.
My whole life has consisted of transforming. The smallest changes have had an important impact (antithesis), for example growing older and maturing. Some things could have also been overlooked, like a garden stone. Similarly, the passages by Rainer Maria Rilke could be applied to my life as well as the garden stone in our classroom.
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Self Assessment:
I have been working on making my concluding sentences better. I am also trying to use apt transitions. Some strong points I see in this essay are my use of the special tools. I thought i used them correctly and they enhanced the writing. Some weak points I see are definitely my concluding sentences. Some are good but others are boring. I would give myself an 82-84 on this essay because I feel I met the requirements of the essay.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Wendell's Essay
Wendell Frink
Mr. Salsich
9-English
11 May 2009
Parting Ways:
An Essay on Two Poems and a Movie
We experience the act of parting, or goodbyes, everyday. It’s as though saying goodbye is like tying your shoes- an essential part of your day and routine. When we say goodbye, we know that we will see that person again, like how we know that when we tie our shoes, they will come undone again. We notice parting in the poem “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye, a poem by Emily Dickinson, and in the movie “Armageddon.”
In the movie, “Armageddon,” directed by Michael Bay, the main character Harry Stamper experiences many instances of parting with things and people he loves. First, he has to part with the place that he loves the most-Earth. His mission, along with several others, is to fly to an asteroid, drill 800ft. into it, insert a nuclear warhead, and destroy it [Loose Sentence]. To do this, they must leave Earth and meet with the asteroid in space. In addition, each person on the mission parts with something in their life. The things left behind include a loved one, family members, a favorite thing, or in some cases, their life. Each person may or may not “disappear.” Everyone that leaves the earth must say “adios to you[r]” to everything and everyone.
In the poem “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the entire poem is about parting, not just a part of it. In the poem, Ms. Nye tries to explain why you must say “adios.” You can’t explain why you are leaving, for “the word explains itself.” Remember that everyone always parts with someone (it happens everyday), and is never explained. Also, when you say “adios,” let “everything, easily go.” Keep yourself free from everything, let things “disappear” within you. Instead of getting caught up in it, “think of what you love best” and build on that, make it a part of you and hold on for dear life. Whenever we sever [FAST] the ties with something, or say “adios,” let yourself be free.
Emily Dickinson’s idea of parting, saying goodbye, leaving, and sometimes never seeing again is very different from Ms. Nye’s [Periodic Sentence]. To Dickinson, parting is “so huge, so hopeless to conceive.” It seems as though she is saying that you can part with someone, but only for a moment. Never can you permanently be away from someone close to you. In addition, Dickinson says that parting is like a “hell” on earth. It seems as though it troubles her when she says goodbye, like there is some part that is missing. She believes goodbyes can last forever. Lastly, it seems like Dickinson has “died” twice- “my life closed twice.” Some small part of her passed on when she lost a loved one. Some small, vital part. Overall, Dickinson expressed vast [FAST] amounts of parting, of inconceivable hopes, and death.
Through every moment of our lives, through every blip in our lives, we say goodbye. We say goodbye to everything when we put our heads on the pillows at night, when our shoes come off and are untied. We know that tomorrow, our shoes will say hello to the ground we walk on once again. We know that tomorrow, we will be able to see the people who we have parted ways with in past days.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Rashad's Post
Rashad Young
Mr. Salsich
English 9
May 11, 2009
Saying Goodbye:
An Essay about two Poems and my Life
What would you do if you lost someone who you were very close to? Would you think about them constantly? Or would you happily say adios? Parting happens everywhere but in instances from Emily Dickinson, Naomi Shihab Nye and myself we speak about we speak about parting in our own lives and even in literature.
Emily Dickinson's poem that is mysteriously unnamed is connected to parting in multiple ideas. First, when Ms. Dickinson uses discovers that "parting is all we know of heaven" she comes to a reality that parting may not be as bad as we conceive (FAST) it to be. Going away can mean that you are bringing forth new challenges and obstacles that will eventually be tackled. When tackling these hardships you will come to a new point of revelation. Therefore Ms. Dickinson had revealed that even though you must part to go to heaven, it is "all we need [to continue on to] [...] hell. As parting can usually be good, most believe it to be a sign of bad luck or even hell itself. Some believe when you do something particularly cruel in the world, when you part from here you will not go to the most happy place you thought of. Depending on the situation parting can be a particularly happy or a not so happy thought but Emily Dickinson seems to blend in the two within one poem.
Naomi Shihab Nye also blends some the word adios with marriage and love. Ms. Nye wants you to “Marry it” because adios has one meaning but multiple interpretations. To wed with “goodbye” could also mean to embrace your parting and accept the fact that you will be leaving. You can become a better person by marrying someone and you can also improve yourself by leaving and saying adios to someone significant (FAST) to you. Naomi Shihab Nye then continues on to say “Lessons Following Lessons, like silence following sound.” This passage is very important because before you part with someone there is noise in your life and much emotion. Though when you finally do part with the person the noise is instantly shattered into a cloud of overbearing silence.
I have had many moments in my life when I have parted with someone and have almost been completely shattered from the experience. The first was when I lived at a cousin’s house for the summer. I stayed at her house for about three and a half weeks in July and August, but the only thing is she lives in Florida. While staying here I developed a stronger relationship not only with my cousin but also with the state. Therefore, parting with the two of them was not the easiest thing in the world. Upon leaving I had proposed that I come back next summer because I had not had enough of the beautiful state. Another thing that was hard for me to part with was my pet turtle, Cup. About eight years ago my dad found a painted turtle in our pool, while swimming, diving and floating. (Loose Sentence) Instead of letting him go to be eaten he bought a tank and filter for our new pet. Up until not even two years ago he had lived peacefully but he had receive a rare bone disease that caused him to die within two weeks of his diagnosis. All of these moments had been difficult for me to handle but upon coming through them I have become stronger even while saying adios.
Parting is something that we all will experience in our lifetimes. How you handle them will determine whether you can overcome this time of sorrow? You could also look at parting in a good way such as Naomi Shihab Nye did while saying “adios” and also did Ms. Dickenson in her poem about parting from this world. Leaving, Parting, Dying, Falling, no matter what situation you are in don’t forget to shout ADIOS at the top of your lungs. (Suspentence)
gabe's essay
Gabriel Campbell
Mr. Salsich
English B
May 4th, 2009
The Road to New Beginnings:
An Essay on Parting
There is some form of parting in our lives everyday. We all have experienced this, whether it was losing a family member or a best friend (loose sentence). Parting is even in the poems we read. Overall, “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye, “My Life Closed Twice”, and my life can be related to the theme of parting.
There were three prominent (FAST) ways that the poem “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye can relate to the theme of parting. Firstly, the word “adios” means goodbye in Spanish. A goodbye symbolizes parting. In a sense, this poem is coated in the theme parting before the poem even starts. In addition, Ms. Nye wrote “ letting everything, easily, go” to indicate parting. She is saying that once you come to peace, departing becomes easier. For example, when we all became close to the French kids, it was easier to see them leave because we knew we would see them again. Overall, from the title to the last sentence of the poem “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the theme parting is very conspicuous (FAST).
In the poem “My Life Closed Twice” by Emily Dickenson, the theme of parting is subtly mentioned in the lines “Parting is all we know of heaven, and all that we need of hell”. Firstly, the lines “parting is all we know of heaven” means that all we associate with heaven is dying. It is impossible for some one to come back from the dead to tell us what they’ve seen. Therefore, Ms. Dickinson is stating that the only information we have about heaven is the departure to this godly place. Similarly, when we depart from earth we leave everything behind. When Ms. Dickinson says “all we need of hell”, she is almost implying that life on earth is hell. This being said, when we die, we are leaving the “hell” that is earth behind. Overall, while the poem might only be eight lines long, the theme of “parting” is everlasting (FAST) in the sentences “Parting is all we know of heaven, and all that we need of hell”.
Through my life, I have experienced parting in three ways. The first was when I moved to Rhode Island. I had to part with my school, my friends, and the place I grew up. In the end, while it did take some time, I was able to “let[…] everything, easily, go.” The other time I experienced parting was when my grandfather died. It was difficult for me because I never got to know him personally. This was similar to the quote “all we know of heaven” because him dying is all that I have known of heaven. Finally, I am about to experience parting. Once this year is over, we will all go to our respective schools. Even though we might all keep in touch, it will be difficult not spending nearly everyday with the same 21 people I have been with for five years. Overall, even though my life is only 15 years in I have experienced parting in three substantial ways.
While the clocks keep on ticking, the days keep on passing, and the future keeps approaching, we continually part (periodic sentence). We have each experienced this, and will continue to experience parting for the rest of our lives. Right now, we are experiencing parting through the themes of two poems. Overall “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye, “My Life Closed Twice”, and my life can all be connected to the theme of parting.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wendell's Post
Wendell Frink
Mr. Salsich
9English
27 April 2009
Kindness in Our Lives:
An Essay on a Poem, a Short Story, and My Own Life
1. What types of kindness are there? 2. Do they vary in size and shape? 3. Do they play a large part in society or are they transient [FAST]? 4. In the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and in my own life, kindness is ever present as a throbbing source of wonder.
T.S. First off, the title of the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye indicates that we will be divulging in kindness. After reading, we are enlightened with several ways in which to become kind. S.D. First, we need to “lose things” that cause us to be distracted. C.M. Let go of the pressing work you need to do, let go of the crises in your life, everything bothering you, let go of all that is not needed at the moment [Tetracolon climax]. C.M. Make yourself a “desolate” island among a stormy sea. S.D. Secondly, “you must see [...] travel” far and wide. C.M. Seeing “the Indian in a white poncho, lie[ing] dead by the side of the road” causes you to feel pity and sorrow in your heart. C.M. Remember, that “he too was someone;” he had a family, friends, and a life, all of which was taken away on the side of the road. S.D. Lastly, you must find deep sorrow. C.M. “You must know sorrow as the [...] deepest thing,” compared to kindness. C.M. Without first feeling sorrowful, you wouldn’t be able to act on your emotions. You would just be sympathizing with someone rather than empathizing. C.S. Sorrow is the key to the door of kindness.
T.S. How can someone with such a hard life become kind? S.D. In the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter Green, the willing worker who encounters prosperity [FAST], the dreamy lover, and the entrepreneur, becomes kind in his heart [Loose sentence]. C.M. The love of his life, “Judy Jones,” forces him to take “a new direction in life.” C.M. The couple “start right,” and tell each other about themselves as they get to know each other. S.D. Also, when told of the terrible news concerning Judy, he was kind with his responses to Devlin, the bearer of the bad news. C.M. He didn’t go off on a rage, he was kind to keep his mean thoughts about Devlin, “some private malice” that Devlin might have against Dexter. C.M. But these thoughts are swept away with an explanation as to why Devlin had visited Dexter with the news. C.S. Even a story with a character that shows no initial kindness, we are able to discover some end result of good moral.
T.S. Lastly, kindness is an ever present force in my life, especially from my parents and friends. S.D. First of all, my parents are the kindest people in my life. C.M. They are always there to lead me in the right direction when I get off track. They help me when I need advice, and even bring me places so I can spend time with my friends. C.M. All these actions require them to have kindness in their hearts. S.D. Secondly, my exemplary [FAST] friends, a small but loud group are kind, but in a different way than my parents [Appositive]. C.M. They are kind in ways that no one will ever be able to replicate. C.M. They are my brothers and sisters, people who make my day better, everyday. C.S. Overall, my Parents and friends have impacted my life with kindness to the extent that words can’t even describe.
1. The act of kindness is ever present. 2. In a foreign country, in a story that shows no kindness, and in my own life, it’s significance is revealed. 3. Each in is its own distinct way, but all relating. 4. Try and discover your own kindness, through helping people, being there for someone, or for just listening to what someone has to say.
Self Assessment:
I am continuing to work on making my writing make sense. I am trying to have the reader understand it better. Some strong points I see are my special tools. I think I did well using them in my essay. Some weak points I see is my concluding paragraph. I think I could have done a little bit better on it. I would give my self an 80.
Mr. Salsich
9English
27 April 2009
Kindness in Our Lives:
An Essay on a Poem, a Short Story, and My Own Life
1. What types of kindness are there? 2. Do they vary in size and shape? 3. Do they play a large part in society or are they transient [FAST]? 4. In the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and in my own life, kindness is ever present as a throbbing source of wonder.
T.S. First off, the title of the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye indicates that we will be divulging in kindness. After reading, we are enlightened with several ways in which to become kind. S.D. First, we need to “lose things” that cause us to be distracted. C.M. Let go of the pressing work you need to do, let go of the crises in your life, everything bothering you, let go of all that is not needed at the moment [Tetracolon climax]. C.M. Make yourself a “desolate” island among a stormy sea. S.D. Secondly, “you must see [...] travel” far and wide. C.M. Seeing “the Indian in a white poncho, lie[ing] dead by the side of the road” causes you to feel pity and sorrow in your heart. C.M. Remember, that “he too was someone;” he had a family, friends, and a life, all of which was taken away on the side of the road. S.D. Lastly, you must find deep sorrow. C.M. “You must know sorrow as the [...] deepest thing,” compared to kindness. C.M. Without first feeling sorrowful, you wouldn’t be able to act on your emotions. You would just be sympathizing with someone rather than empathizing. C.S. Sorrow is the key to the door of kindness.
T.S. How can someone with such a hard life become kind? S.D. In the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter Green, the willing worker who encounters prosperity [FAST], the dreamy lover, and the entrepreneur, becomes kind in his heart [Loose sentence]. C.M. The love of his life, “Judy Jones,” forces him to take “a new direction in life.” C.M. The couple “start right,” and tell each other about themselves as they get to know each other. S.D. Also, when told of the terrible news concerning Judy, he was kind with his responses to Devlin, the bearer of the bad news. C.M. He didn’t go off on a rage, he was kind to keep his mean thoughts about Devlin, “some private malice” that Devlin might have against Dexter. C.M. But these thoughts are swept away with an explanation as to why Devlin had visited Dexter with the news. C.S. Even a story with a character that shows no initial kindness, we are able to discover some end result of good moral.
T.S. Lastly, kindness is an ever present force in my life, especially from my parents and friends. S.D. First of all, my parents are the kindest people in my life. C.M. They are always there to lead me in the right direction when I get off track. They help me when I need advice, and even bring me places so I can spend time with my friends. C.M. All these actions require them to have kindness in their hearts. S.D. Secondly, my exemplary [FAST] friends, a small but loud group are kind, but in a different way than my parents [Appositive]. C.M. They are kind in ways that no one will ever be able to replicate. C.M. They are my brothers and sisters, people who make my day better, everyday. C.S. Overall, my Parents and friends have impacted my life with kindness to the extent that words can’t even describe.
1. The act of kindness is ever present. 2. In a foreign country, in a story that shows no kindness, and in my own life, it’s significance is revealed. 3. Each in is its own distinct way, but all relating. 4. Try and discover your own kindness, through helping people, being there for someone, or for just listening to what someone has to say.
Self Assessment:
I am continuing to work on making my writing make sense. I am trying to have the reader understand it better. Some strong points I see are my special tools. I think I did well using them in my essay. Some weak points I see is my concluding paragraph. I think I could have done a little bit better on it. I would give my self an 80.
Shad's Essay
Rashad Young
English 9
Mr. Salsich
29 April 2009
Kindness:
An Essay about a Poem, Story and My Life
1 It is lingering around every corner waiting to infect someone. 2 Kindness is like a virus spreading jubilation (SAT) from person to person and injecting happiness into their lives. 3 There are many moments of happiness in these exceptional pieces of literature: Winter’s Dreams, Kindness and even my own life. 4 Kindness can take any shape or malformation and when you finally meet it, it’s a smack in the face.
TS There are many moments in my life when I have experienced kindness. SD These moments have not lasted forever but were very worthwhile and had me wanting more. CM These moments are -like Tim from FCD told us- a natural high for me and make me feel like I'm on top of the world (Appositive). CM These short periods of time are like comic strips, short but sweet. SD I, while around friends, continue to feel kindness. (Loose Sentence) CM Even when something has gone horribly wrong their kindness kicks in and brightens up my whole day. CM Whenever I am not feeling happy my friends are there to help make me smile and look for a way to brighten things up. CS Kindness is like a virus constantly infecting different people as it passes through on its ongoing voyage.
TS The kindness has passed by many including even Naomi Shihab Nye. SD In the poem "Kindness" Mrs. Nye states that,"[It is] only kindness that ties your shoes. CM "Tying your shoes is one of the simplest acts that people do in everyday life and by implementing kindness into this means that it could accumulate into more serious decisions in life. CM She could also mean that using kindness could help someone else get up and tie his or her own shoes. SD "How desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness. CM "When we are not showing our kindness towards it is also lacking the happiness that comes from kindness and therefore brings out the emptiness of our lives. CM Without kindness the world would be empty, it would be barren, it would be boring and it would be grey. CS Kindness drives people to commit into other wonderful things in life as Mrs. Nye has stated.
SD In the book "The Garden Party" there are a few signs of kindness, which are mainly shown in Dexter. CM Dexter says, "There was something in me," here he seems to be talking about the kindness that was once part of his everyday life but was now gone since he had become mature. CM He had now lost the kindness that he had shown to not only Judy but also even shown Irene. SD Though he never says it out loud Dexter also empathized (SAT) his kindness towards Irene when describing her. CM "Irene was long haired, sweet and honorable." CM Though he may not have noticed it at the time he was in love with this woman and would say all of the kind words to her that she wanted to hear. CS Though Dexter lost this sense of feeling he seems to have maybe even a tiny bit of it in the end of the book; therefore showing that kindness can come and go.
1 Kindness is as contagious as the common cold but it can also be spread through things such as books and even poems. 2 Naomi Shihab Nye and F. Scott Fitzgerald show this as they pass on their own kindness with their own words. 3 As this virus travels around it can leave a permanent effect on people that causes them to spread it even after it leaves. 4 The kindness in Dexter’s heart continues, the kindness in Mrs. Nye’s Heart continues, the kindness in my heart continues and the kindness in your heart should continue. (Tetracolon Climax)
Self-Assessment
Something that I am continuing to work on is removing unnecessary words. I have improved on this by taking some words out when writing and also while reading my friends’ essays. Some strong points I see in this essay are the general flow of it. It flows together nicely and also my opening and closing paragraphs all point back to each other. One thing I could have spent a little more time on is my special tools. Instead of adding them during the polishing night, I could have had my friends comment on them. I think my grade would be around a b-.
gabe's post
Gabriel Campbell
Mr. Salsich
English B
April 27, 2009
(1) Kindness lurks everywhere. (2) It can be discovered in books or it can be in one’s life. (3) It is a universal emotion, considering the majority of the population has done something kind to another (loose sentence). Overall, kindness is apparent in the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, in “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and in my own life.
(TS) In the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the theme of kindness is depicted as a subtle emotion to discover. (SD) Firstly, Ms. Nye wrote “but kindness is the deepest thing inside” to state that kindness is a hidden emotion inside us all. (CM) It is deeply embedded inside us all and will require effort to have. (CM) For example, when you see a person begging for change on the side of a road, it takes the kindness that is so far down to take a step out of your busy life to help some one else. (SD) Similarly, you have to experience kindness to truly posses it. (CM) When Ms. Nye wrote “kindness that ties your shoes”, she was implying that once you first encounter kindness, it becomes evident in you. (CM) You know the euphoric feeling of being helped and how much joy it could potentially bring and now are willing to help bestow this feeling upon others. (TS) When reading between the lines, the true meaning of kindness unravels in the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye.
(TS) In “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, kindness is found in a less conventional way. (SD) Firstly, Dexter Green had essentially been robbed of his kindness. (CM) When Fitzgerald wrote, “long ago there was something in me, but now that thing is gone. […] I cannot care” to state that Dexter Green, an assiduous (SAT) hard working man (appositive), could no longer feel compassion. (SAT) (CM) One of the main components to kindness is sympathy and when this is absent so is kindness. (SD) Finally, he tries to show Judy Jones kindness. (CM) Dexter always had strong feelings for Judy and was willing to drop his engagement to Irene to be with her. While this might not be kind to Irene, it was Dexter’s way of showing that he cared immensely for her. (CS) Overall, while Dexter Green didn’t escape the inevitable (SAT) fate of having his kindness robbed by Judy Jones, there were a few examples of benevolence towards her.
(TS) In nearly 15 years, I have experienced both giving and receiving kindness. (SD) My parents are some of the kindest people I know. (CM) They have surprised me with no reason or warning on many occasions with things they knew I would enjoy, whether it may be a home cooked meal or a new iPod. (loose sentence) (CM) They have taught, showed, helped, and ushered (tetracolon climax) me through finding the kindness in my heart with their own kindness. (SD) These teachings have led to me volunteering at the W.A.R.M. Shelter in Westerly. (CM) I have come in early on weekend mornings or late on weekday nights to help serve food to the homeless. (CM) This is an example of the having kindness shown to you to be able to posses it because if it wasn’t for my parents, I probably wouldn’t have volunteered in the first place. (CS) Overall, kindness has been shown to me many ways and has in turn helped me become a caring person.
(1) Kindness is a universal emotion. (2) You could experience it, have it given to you, or have it stolen from you. (3) We will all encounter kindness. (4) Similarly, kindness has continually been present in “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, in “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and in my own life.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Shad's Essay
Rashad Young
English 9
Mr. Salsich
21 April 2009
Using Your Heart:
Three pieces of literature and one word
When making decisions do you use your mind or your heart? When using sentiment people are usually very carful and sometimes they are not. In these short pieces of literature – “The Garden Party,” “I’m Nobody,” and “The Traveling Onion” – there are examples of people using sentiment carefully. All three of the passages express feeling that could only come from the heart.
Using words with meaning only expressed from the heart is something that us humans do in everyday life. In “The Traveling Onion” by Emily Dickenson, she expresses her feelings of “somebody’s and “nobody’s”. To be a “somebody” means that you have many people who admire you. When it comes down to it everyone is the same on the inside and should not be treated differently because of what they can do or what they look like. It is the sentimental value that gives the people their sense of publicity. Therefore people use their mind to express the status of an individual. Emily Dickenson is trying to say that you should look past the value of what we think and focus on what we feel.
Fame and admiration do not matter when someone has sentiment for someone. “There lay a young man, fast asleep – sleeping so soundly, so deeply, that he was far, far away from them both;” even though this man was deceased, he still had some sort of value that Laura – a stranger to him – could feel. Laura even thought he was “[…] wonderful, beautiful,” though they could not speak to each other he felt for her and she did the same for him. Laura could feel many different emotions, from being content to crying all at once. As Laura met her brother later, she began to realize another sense of sentimental value. She said to Laurie, “Isn’t life-.“ Though she did not complete her thoughts Laurie immediately felt what she was going to say, Laurie replied, “Isn’t it, darling?” The two of them were almost in sync during this moment and it was because they felt for one-another. Both Laura and her brother showed sentiment, from watching a man in a deep sleep to having an emotional conversation.
Depending how you look at it, having sentiment for an object can be similar or even identical to having feeling for a living thing. Naomi Shihab Nye uses her heart when talking about onions. She states, “I could kneel and praise all small forgotten miracles” the feeling here is her praise. The onion has been around for so long it has almost been forgotten as a whole but, Mrs. Nye remembers and expresses the importance of the layered wonder. She later continues, “And I would never scold the onion for causing tears.” Here she states that thought the onion may cause tears, it deserves the privilege because of all the years it has been scolded. She feels for the onion here because it has done so much for us, been in stews, fried into crunchy rings, and even thrown at actors in resentment. Though the onion has been abused all of these years it still honors us with its taste that will satisfy many.
From status, to each other, and even onions, sentiment has been a large part of human life and will continue to be. Though it may not be good to over use your heart, as you can see it benefits in certain situations. Living things, other people and objects of affection are all things that these three passages talk about, and they have all showed much heart and sentiment. Using your heart or your mind are decisions we face in everyday life, it is just a matter of what you choose which will determine your outcome.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Wendell's Post
The definition of sentiment is described by one dictionary as “an attitude toward something; a mental feeling; emotion.” We experience these exact feelings toward something numerous times a day. However, we need to remember that sentimentality is a two-way definition; it can be viewed as a negative or a positive. We notice these opposing views when comparing the “Garden Party” by Katharine Mansfield, in Emily Dickinson's poem “I’m Nobody” and in Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “The Traveling Onion.”
The short story “Garden Party” by Katharine Mansfield has abundant sentimentality. First of all, Laura, a kind girl [APPOSITIVE], is sentiment in two ways. After hearing the tragic news about the “workman,” she becomes increasingly convinced that “the band would sound poor to that poor woman (his wife).” She wanted to stop the whole party, just because a man died near their house. Secondly, she’s sentiment at the dead man’s house. She feels increasingly sentiment as she moves closer to “[the] young man, fast asleep.” She becomes choked up with the many emotions rushing through her body and starts to cry. Lastly, her sister had no sentimentality. She felt bad for the family, but to her, it was no big deal. She even went on to scrutinize [SAT] and say to Laura “You’ll lead a very strenuous life” if you “stop a band playing every time someone has an accident.” Leading a rich life is tough, especially when there are the poorest of the poor at your back doorstop. These people have affected Laura’s sentimentality.
Unlike Laura in the “Garden Party,” Emily Dickinson’s idea of sentimentality is the opposite. She sees the “somebody’[s]” as being “dreary” and superficial [SAT] She is willing to be a “nobody” just because she doesn’t want to be “public like a frog.” For Dickinson, not being public is just as great as being the scum, the low, the “nobodies.” Knowing that there are two “nobodies” is a nice feeling for Dickinson. Walking along the streets, she doesn’t have worry about being “advertis[ed]” for becoming friends with another person [PARTICIPLE]. There aren’t any gossip hounds worrying about her every move and no one staring at her as she walked the streets. Different people, from different parts of society, have different ideas.
The poet Naomi Shihab Nye expresses sentimentality in the poem “The Traveling Onion.” The first type of sentiment is toward the onion. She feels compassion for the onion, “or causing tears” to fall from “something small and forgotten.” Also, never is the onion commented on for its “transulcenc[y],” for our mouths taste only the “texture of the meat or [the] herbal aroma.” On the other hand, there is sentimentality on the negative side. She reveals the “history” of the sacred onion, but then likes “the way [a] knife enters [the] onion.” Cutting up the onion, slicing through its core [APPOSITIVE], seems to be enjoyable to her. Also, to see the “history,” the “pearly layers,” the “crackly paper” is too. The pain is deep to Ms. Nye; the onion makes her cry, for she has sentiment for the onion.
Sentimentality, whether it’s negative or positive, is everywhere. From the innocent words of kindness spoken by a child, to the “smallness” of a person, and the significance and insignificance of an onion. Each sentimental thing, maybe negative, holds some value. They are opposites, they are the same.
The short story “Garden Party” by Katharine Mansfield has abundant sentimentality. First of all, Laura, a kind girl [APPOSITIVE], is sentiment in two ways. After hearing the tragic news about the “workman,” she becomes increasingly convinced that “the band would sound poor to that poor woman (his wife).” She wanted to stop the whole party, just because a man died near their house. Secondly, she’s sentiment at the dead man’s house. She feels increasingly sentiment as she moves closer to “[the] young man, fast asleep.” She becomes choked up with the many emotions rushing through her body and starts to cry. Lastly, her sister had no sentimentality. She felt bad for the family, but to her, it was no big deal. She even went on to scrutinize [SAT] and say to Laura “You’ll lead a very strenuous life” if you “stop a band playing every time someone has an accident.” Leading a rich life is tough, especially when there are the poorest of the poor at your back doorstop. These people have affected Laura’s sentimentality.
Unlike Laura in the “Garden Party,” Emily Dickinson’s idea of sentimentality is the opposite. She sees the “somebody’[s]” as being “dreary” and superficial [SAT] She is willing to be a “nobody” just because she doesn’t want to be “public like a frog.” For Dickinson, not being public is just as great as being the scum, the low, the “nobodies.” Knowing that there are two “nobodies” is a nice feeling for Dickinson. Walking along the streets, she doesn’t have worry about being “advertis[ed]” for becoming friends with another person [PARTICIPLE]. There aren’t any gossip hounds worrying about her every move and no one staring at her as she walked the streets. Different people, from different parts of society, have different ideas.
The poet Naomi Shihab Nye expresses sentimentality in the poem “The Traveling Onion.” The first type of sentiment is toward the onion. She feels compassion for the onion, “or causing tears” to fall from “something small and forgotten.” Also, never is the onion commented on for its “transulcenc[y],” for our mouths taste only the “texture of the meat or [the] herbal aroma.” On the other hand, there is sentimentality on the negative side. She reveals the “history” of the sacred onion, but then likes “the way [a] knife enters [the] onion.” Cutting up the onion, slicing through its core [APPOSITIVE], seems to be enjoyable to her. Also, to see the “history,” the “pearly layers,” the “crackly paper” is too. The pain is deep to Ms. Nye; the onion makes her cry, for she has sentiment for the onion.
Sentimentality, whether it’s negative or positive, is everywhere. From the innocent words of kindness spoken by a child, to the “smallness” of a person, and the significance and insignificance of an onion. Each sentimental thing, maybe negative, holds some value. They are opposites, they are the same.
gabe's essay
Gabriel Campbell
Mr. Salsich
English B
April 20, 2009
Sentimental Value:
A Comparison of Poems
Sentimental is defined as “resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought”. This definition can be proved true if compared to almost anything. One of these places is in poems. In conclusion, the poems “the Traveling Onion” by Naomi Shihab Nye, “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickenson, and the story “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield can be related to the definition of “sentimental”.
In the poem “the Traveling Onion”, Naomi Shihab Nye can be described as sentimental. First, she is praising this onion. She feels sentiment from her heart as opposed to her mind. She appreciates the onion nourishing her. In addition, she appreciates the onion’s complex design - many paper-thin layers all condensed into one big plant (appositive). The fact that something so complicated could be so easily penetrated by a knife intrigues her. Once again, this feeling of sentiment is resulting from her thoughts about the onion. Overall, while the poem may be short there were plenty examples of sentimental feelings in the poem “the Traveling Onion” by Naomi Shihab Nye.
In the poem “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickinson, sentiment seems to blanket her writing. Firstly, Ms. Dickinson feels sentimental because she is prompted by the fact that she is “nobody”. Instead of being provoked (FAST) by feelings of sadness, she is ecstatic (FAST) about this. She feels that being well known would make you “public like a frog”. Similarly, the idea of being well known produces sentiment, but in this case disgust induces it. She would rather be meek (SAT) than being a haughty hedonist (x2 SAT and alliteration) who draws attention to themselves. She feels that if you were “public” you would be stuck in the same place, or a “bog”, as opposed to being free to wander if you’re nobody. Overall, the feeling of sentiment recurs frequently in the eight-line poem “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickinson.
In the short story “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield, sentiment seems to set the tone. Trying to organize the perfect party (participle), Laura’s mother Jose felt sentiment. She had ideas, or emotional idealism, of the perfect party. She was bent on making this become reality. In addition, this meant not stopping for anything. She was so focused on this happening that she had the party continue even though on of the servant’s husband just died. She had such a perfect picture in her mind of what this party would be like that she carried on anyways, not caring how anyone felt (participle). Overall, the story “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield displayed sentiment not in the way that we would expect.
Sentiment can be interpreted different ways. The definitions range from “marked or governed from feeling rather than thought” to “emotional idealism”. These definitions can be found anywhere – each one different with the same meaning (appositive). In conclusion, while the poems “the Traveling Onion” by Naomi Shihab Nye, “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickenson, and the story “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield are each individual, they are connected through the feeling of sentiment.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Shad's Essay
Rashad Young
Mr. Salsich
English 9
4.15.2009
Naomi Shihab Nye uses different examples of figurative language to express her feelings about her brother. Nye wrote, “You're Wall Street and I'm the local fruit market"which implies that she is simple and her brother is complicated. Her brother could have become a business leader or even moved to Wall Street. Meanwhile, she is just a fruit market on the street corner. Ms. Nye was feeling in need of her little brother so she confessed to him, “ I’ll take differences over things that match.” She is referring to having things being unique rather than having everything identical (FAST). She needs the differences of her brother to return. Finally, Ms. Nye uses figurative language in the last stanza,” Trying to put them back in some kind of shape so you’ll be able to find everything later.” Here she is referring to all the good times she has had with her brother. Ms. Nye hopes he remembers them.
The passages in “Sonny’s Blues” have relationships with this poem. When Baldwin wrote, “we would certainly have called the doctor, but the fever dropped, she seemed to be all right.”, i was reminded of a passage by Ms. Shihab Nye. When she wrote “ [you] disappeared […] and I realized you’d been serious” she faced similar circumstances as the narrator because she was unaware of his brothers pain. They were in-obvious conflicts at first, but eventually developed into larger ones. Nye’s brother ended up leaving and little Grace ended up dying from polio. The next passage relates to Nye’s brother acting “Small[er], [and] younger.” In “Sonny’s Blues” Sonny was thinking of “only Mama and Daddy.” Sonny was performing his music during this situation and he had only been focused on his music. Therefore when Mrs. Nye was talking to her brother he was focused on the question he had asked her.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wendell's Essay
Love towards a brother is that one feeling that will never leave your body. You can sometimes not be happy with your brother, but you will still love, cherish, hold [asyndeton] them close to you. The love is undying towards him. In “The Little Brother Poem” by Naomi Shihab Nye and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, love is shown to their brothers like a shining light.
In “The Little Brother Poem,” figurative language is used to show Ms. Nyes love towards her brother. In the first stanza she writes “I keep seeing your car in the streets, but it never turns at our corner.” Its as if she knows he is out there, waiting for her to find him, but he won’t come back to them. They haven’t spoken for a year, but too her it seems like forever. Secondly, she uses figurative speech to show she regrets being terrible to him. He has “some strange bruise that [he] still carried under the skin,” a bruise that she possibly gave to him, from all the years of being mean. Lastly, she uses figurative language to show how they are different, for “[he is] Wall Street and [she’s] the local fruit market.” She doesn’t care that they are different though, she will “take differences over things that match.” He is a worker, she is like a mother “answering the mail.” In conclusion, Ms. Nye uses a vast [FAST] amount of figurative language to make her point.
There are several ways that Ms. Nye’s poem can be related to “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. The first reason is that they both lost a family member, even if one ended more tragically [FAST] than the other. For Sonny, “little Grace died in the fall,” and “she suffered” from fever and then polio. But for Ms. Nye, her brother just “disappeared into the streets of Dallas.” The second reason they can be related is their relationships with their siblings. Ms. Nyes relationship was troubled by years of meanness and hatefulness. On the other hand, Sonny and his brother finally made up for Sonny “looked at [him], and nodded” as if it was a quick “I love you.” Lastly, both Ms. Nye and Sonny contained the realization of life. Sonny thought about past lives, “the moonlit rode where [his] father’s brother died” and his precious daughter Grace. Indifferently, Ms. Nye is worried about her brothers for “[he] is on the edge of [his] today.” To summarize, both Ms. Nye and Sonny have faced many terrible and lovely events that can be related to each other.
Why we get angry at our siblings is a mystery to me. Yes they can annoy and berate [FAST] us, but life is too short for petty remarks thrown from each person’s mouth. As you can see in these two works, things happen that can effect your live in seconds. Both Ms. Nye and Sonny now see that your family is the most important aspect of your life.
In “The Little Brother Poem,” figurative language is used to show Ms. Nyes love towards her brother. In the first stanza she writes “I keep seeing your car in the streets, but it never turns at our corner.” Its as if she knows he is out there, waiting for her to find him, but he won’t come back to them. They haven’t spoken for a year, but too her it seems like forever. Secondly, she uses figurative speech to show she regrets being terrible to him. He has “some strange bruise that [he] still carried under the skin,” a bruise that she possibly gave to him, from all the years of being mean. Lastly, she uses figurative language to show how they are different, for “[he is] Wall Street and [she’s] the local fruit market.” She doesn’t care that they are different though, she will “take differences over things that match.” He is a worker, she is like a mother “answering the mail.” In conclusion, Ms. Nye uses a vast [FAST] amount of figurative language to make her point.
There are several ways that Ms. Nye’s poem can be related to “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. The first reason is that they both lost a family member, even if one ended more tragically [FAST] than the other. For Sonny, “little Grace died in the fall,” and “she suffered” from fever and then polio. But for Ms. Nye, her brother just “disappeared into the streets of Dallas.” The second reason they can be related is their relationships with their siblings. Ms. Nyes relationship was troubled by years of meanness and hatefulness. On the other hand, Sonny and his brother finally made up for Sonny “looked at [him], and nodded” as if it was a quick “I love you.” Lastly, both Ms. Nye and Sonny contained the realization of life. Sonny thought about past lives, “the moonlit rode where [his] father’s brother died” and his precious daughter Grace. Indifferently, Ms. Nye is worried about her brothers for “[he] is on the edge of [his] today.” To summarize, both Ms. Nye and Sonny have faced many terrible and lovely events that can be related to each other.
Why we get angry at our siblings is a mystery to me. Yes they can annoy and berate [FAST] us, but life is too short for petty remarks thrown from each person’s mouth. As you can see in these two works, things happen that can effect your live in seconds. Both Ms. Nye and Sonny now see that your family is the most important aspect of your life.
Gabe's Essay
Gabriel Campbell
Mr. Salsich
English B
April 14, 2009
There are certain people that we love no matter what. We love them whether we’re mad, depressed, happy, excited (asyndeton). Regardless, there is just an undying love for them. Naomi Shihab Nye and the narrator from “Sonny’s Blues” have this kind of love for their brother.
In “the Little Brother” poem, Naomi Shihab Nye uses figurative language to express the main theme that she loves, misses, and seeks forgiveness from her brother. Firstly, she uses imagery to describe the items that were particular to her brother. When she wrote, “I keep finding little pieces of old junk you saved, an old packing box, a white rag” she the imagery to state possession. If she had said “an old box” or “a rag”, the reader would not comprehend (FAST) that those were the only part of her brother that she has let. In addition, she used imagery when talking about how she didn’t mind that they were different. She wrote, “You’re Pierre Cardin and I’m a used bandana. That’s fine, I’ll take differences over things that match” to say that she cared about him so much that she couldn’t care less that they were different. She loved him no matter what. Finally, she used imagery to seek forgiveness from her brother. When she wrote “fingering receipts and stubs, trying to put them back into some kind of shape” to say that she is trying to piece their relationship back together. She was proving to him that she would do anything, no matter how tedious (FAST) it may be, to get their relationship back on track. Overall, Naomi Shihab Nye articulates figurative language in her poem to stress loving, missing, and wanting to be forgiven by her brother.
There were a few ways that the story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin related to “the Little Brother Poem”. First of all, when the narrator wrote “My trouble made his real”, he was finally realizing the problems his brother had. Once he finally experienced sorrow, the sorrow of his brother had become clear. This was like when Naomi Shihab Nye realized her brother’s problems when he “Disappeared into the streets of Dallas”. In addition, the phrase, “that life contained so many others” related to the poem. The life of Ms. Shihab Nye’s brother holds a part Ms. Shihab Nye’s life because he holds the memories of everything she has done to him. Similarly, Sonny’s life contains that of the people who have hurt him. Finally, the two poems relate because the poets love their brothers dearly. They have done nearly everything to try and help them out. They were also willing to do anything to repair broken relationships. Overall, the story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “the Little Brother” poem by Naomi Shihab Nye are very similar in relationships.
Siblings can have a certain impact on us, getting us out of trouble, teaching us life lessons, and loving us (participle phrase). No matter how annoying or bothersome they can be, we will love them no matter what (periodic sentence). After all, they are our siblings. Overall, this can be applied to the story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “the Little Brother” poem by Naomi Shihab Nye.
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