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)