Timmy's Essay 18

Timmy O’Brien
Mr. Salsich
English 9
27 April 2009

The Preemptive Strike:

An Essay on a Poem, a Short Story and my Life

1. Kindness is an idyllic thing in life; with it almost anything is possible because of the people by your side [loose sentence]. 2. Although, in order to obtain this blissful state, you must face a different type of occurrence. 3. This tends to be of a different status – one of pain and despair. 4. The poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and my life all compare to this in some way.

TS In Nye’s poem, many insights on kindness are revealed. SD She says that people cannot truly understand kindness until they “lost things” and they won’t comprehend sorrow until their “future dissolve[s] in a moment.” CM She says that, unless people “travel to where the Indian in a white poncho lies dead by the side of the road,” people will never understand the “tender gravity of kindness.” CM This all means that people must endure the hardships before they can be rewarded. SD Nye could have some advice for Dexter Green regarding this. CM At the beginning of the book, he has done nothing but prosper with his business and love life, so he fails and ends up unhappy in the end, but this is the best place to start. CM She would probably tell him to get back on his feet because when you have nothing to lose is the best time to start all over. CS Nye talks of starting with nothing and ending with many things, which can be applied to almost anything, including Dexter Green’s life.

TS In Fitzgerald’s short story, Dexter Green is a young man with a full life ahead of him. SD He starts out as a golf caddy where many of his co-workers are “poor as sin.” CM His father is quite rich from his grocery store, and Dexter caddies “only for pocket money.” CM He meets a girl named Judy Jones and falls into what he thinks is love, but it all ends in disaster – he becomes rich from a business but he loses Judy in the process, which ends in losing his happiness as well [loose sentence]. SD This contrasts with Nye’s poem perfectly. CM Nye realizes that you have to start low and end high, like selling stocks, but Fitzgerald brings Dexter in the opposite direction. CM As a result of not following the natural law of losing before gaining, Green is destroyed by his own regret. CS Green exclaims, “I cannot cry. I cannot care. That thing will come back no more.”

TS These two works connect to my life because I have to never give up – life gives you many things, and you should hold on to every one [appositive]. SD I must be wary [SAT word] of the bad things but accepting of the wise, purposeful, joyous, worthy things that life gives me [tetracolon climax]. CM As Nye says, “ you must lost things … before you know what kindness really is.” CM I have to deal with the deleterious [SAT word] “road blocks” before the good can come to me. SD For example, my team recently lost a lacrosse game. CM It was a big loss, by at least 8 goals. CM I have to use this advice and go to the next practice hoping for a win in the next game. CS The possibility of a “kindness” after the “future dissolve[s] in a moment” has to keep me going.

1. In the end, the act of adversity [SAT word] is more important than the kindness. 2. If one does not fall a little lower than normal, they will not fully understand and appreciate the seemingly meaningless act that can boost them up again. 3. One doesn’t understand the full happiness of life until they’ve experienced the full despair of it, and without the that, what are they left with? 4. A little excess happiness that has no real meaning to them?

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Self-Assessment

1. Q: What am I most proud of in this essay?

A: I am very happy with my use of quotes in this essay. I tried my best to be specific and avoid being vague as much as possible.

2. Q: What was the hardest part of this assignment for you?

A: I had a hard time finding the right places to put the special tools. Sometimes they are a bit bunched together, but I couldn't find any other openings for them.

Ceilie's Essay #18

Ceilie Moore

Mr. Salsich 

English 9 

April 30th, 2009

A Simple Act of Kindness:

 An Essay on a Poem, a Short Story and an Event in My Life

Kindness, an act of generosity or compassion (SAT Word), is more than than simply holding a door for a stranger, but something that can truly change someone’s life. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams,” the main character lives life according to the girl he loves’ feelings, rather than his own aspirations and is eventually left waiting for some form of kindness to save him from his misery. Not too long ago, I was faced with a situation that pained me so much, but simple gestures of kindness pulled me through and left me feeling thankful. In Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Kindness,” she defines what kindness really is and it has it’s own separate connections with a short story, “Winter Dreams” and an event from my life.


TS A poem about the simplicity of kindness and a short story about loss, hope and heartbreak wouldn’t seem to have much in common, but in fact they do. SD Although I don’t see any obvious connections between the two, I see hints of a relationship in short lines and certain phrases. CM For example, in the first two lines of “Kindness,” Nye says, “Before you know what kindness really is …/ you must lose things.” CM These wise words relate to Dexter Green because although the story ends on a sour, cliffhanging note, we know that Dexter has lost a lot, including opportunity to be successful, a fiancée and the love of his life, Judy Jones. CM3 We never find out whether or not Dexter receives an act of kindness after his losses, but we do know that because of what he has lost, he now has a greater knowledge of what kindness really is. (Loose Sentence) SD At the end of the first stanza, Nye says, “You ride and ride …/ thinking the bus will never stop.” CM This reminds me of “Winter Dreams” because for the first chapter of his life, Dexter is taken on an emotional roller coaster with Judy Jones, and her unpredictable lifestyle and emotions. CM Dexter often felt as though his “bus [ride with Judy] [would] never stop” and continue on in this dicey fashion. CS Even though the themes of these two pieces of literature show no clear relationship, within the stanzas and paragraphs, there are hidden lines that bond the two together, creating a connection.

TS There are both connections within the words, and outside the deeper meaning of the poem. SD This connection is between the two people that made these works happen-Naomi Shihab Nye and Dexter Green. CM It seems as though Nye vocalizes Dexter’s feelings about life, love, loss and learning through past mistakes (Tertracolon Climax) in a more poetic, symbolic way. CM Dexter felt his “future dissolve in a moment” and he “journeyed through the night with plans,” and it is clear in both these and other lines that Nye understands the life Dexter is living. SD If Nye were to ever give Dexter advice, she would advise him to be patient with life. CM She would remind him that with all the losses, come gains, which are even more beneficial than the things he lost. CM She would tell him that, “Before you know what kindness really is…/ you must lose things” and that once you are rewarded with that simple act of kindness, “[it] goes with you everywhere../ like a shadow or a friend.” CS There is not only a relationship between the themes of this story and this poem, but also between the main characters of the works, the author herself and the troubled soul being held back by his former love.

TS One distinct event in my life relates to both “Kindness” and “Winter Dreams. SD Two years ago, my grandfather passed away from cancer, and it put a lot of strain on my family. (Loose Sentence) CM While I lost someone who played such an important role in my life, I gained the knowledge of what it means to be genuinely kind. CM As I was going through this difficult time, people reached out to me and my family. CM3 They acted benevolent (SAT Word) towards us and tended to our emotional wounds, making the adjustment to not having my grandfather around much easier. SD This event also reminds me of the never-ending “ride” Dexter went on with Judy. CM For years, Dexter lived an inconsistent life, his emotions towards Judy changed erratically, and one moment they were in love, the next, they were both on separate paths with broken hearts. CM After my grandfather’s death, my feelings went on this roller coaster, unsteadily fluctuating. CM3 At first, I was torn inside, feeling mournful over my adversity (SAT Word). CM4 Soon, I learned to live without such sorrowful feelings about my grandfather, but once a memory of him popped into my mind, or an anniversary regarding his life showed up on the calendar, I fell back into the state of desolation. CS I haven’t experienced the pain of losing the love of my life, and on rare occasions am I graced with an act of kindness, and yet, a saddening incident in my life relates to both “Kindness” and “Winter Dreams.”

In the end, kindness is the ultimate gain from what one lost. It not only brings the person who lost something so special to them, a comforting feeling of happiness, but also something to look back on and realize how thankful they are. It is a simple act of kindness that can do something as special as brighten someone’s day, but it is also a simple act of kindness that can do something as great as get someone back on their feet after a terrible loss.

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Self Assessment

What Am I Most Proud Of In This Essay? 

I am proud of my use of the the writing tools. They were very difficult to blend into my sentences, but in the end, they are both used correctly and fit right in. 

What Was The Hardest Part About This Assignment?

The hardest part of this assignment was comparing the short story and the poem. The two works are nothing alike and it took me a while to really get into the deep meaning of each of them and yank out similarities between the two. 

Lydia's Essay 18

Lydia Schulz
Mr. H. Salsich
9 English
30 April 2009

A Kind Word:
An Essay on a Poem, a Short Story, and Kindness

        You don’t often hear the words sorrow and kindness in the same sentence. These words are almost always used separately as they mean such different things. But in Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem, “Kindness,” she talks about both of these words, conveying them as closely intertwined concepts that go hand in hand. Her ideas about these two words also relate to “Winter’s Dreams,” a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and to my own life.
        Despite the title, Naomi Shihab Nye talks more about sorrow than she does about kindness. She describes the fact that in order to know and appreciate kindness, you must first endure the barren wasteland of sorrow. This gives you perspective about your situation and teaches you to recognize the value of a compassionate(SAT word) action. When you know how bad things can be, you will appreciate a sympathetic gesture that much more. Another subject that Nye discusses is the relation between kindness and sorrow. She describes sorrow as “the other deepest thing” besides kindness, which more clearly defines the relation between the two, classifying them as opposites yet still showing their similarities(loose sentence). Nye thinks of these two polar opposites to be tightly linked in that sorrow often leads to kindness. Although not many other people would make these connections, Ms. Nye depicts them well in her poem, “Kindness.”
        I found many similarities between “Winter’s Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye. A line that caught my attention from the poem was when Nye said that to know kindness, you must lose things and “feel the future dissolve in a moment.” This must have been how Dexter felt when Judy left him. Dexter loved her and thought they had a future together, but when she left, it was as if he had “seen her fade away before his eyes,” leaving him with nothing (loose sentence). After Judy had gone, the memory of what could have been haunted Dexter throughout his mundane(SAT word) life. Nye writes that kindness “goes with you everywhere,” much like the memory of Judy did after she left Dexter. Dexter, now an empty, reclusive(SAT word) man(appositive), will always remember the woman with whom he came so close just to lose it all. Though Nye writes about kindness and Fitzgerald writes of a catastrophic love story, their ideas in these works of writing are very closely correlated.
        In my life, I see kindness every day. One occasion during which I was treated with kindness was last year, on a bus ride, when I was sitting with Wiley Markham. Wiley and I had always been friendly with each other, but had never talked one on one that often. However, on that bus ride, Wiley talked and laughed with me as if we were best friends, and I will always remember that as the moment I really became friends with him. Even small, kind acts like this one can be meaningful in someone’s life. Whenever I see someone hold a door or help someone carry something, I think about the fact that they did not have to help. No one asked them to lend a hand, but out of kindness, they realized that it was the right thing to do. We may not always realize the compassion people show when they perform these small deeds, but it can make a difference in someone’s day, week, even life.
        A kind act is not always recognized, appreciated, commended, or even noticed(tetracolon). And yet, this is what makes them so noble: the fact that even if no one thanks you, you can feel good about it. Silently leading your peers to be better people, you can take solace in the thought that you did something good today. If everyone did something kind every day, imagine what a better place the world would be.

Sarah Essay 18

Sarah Shourds
Hamilton Salsich
English 09
27 April 2009

Simple and Complex Kindness:
An Essay on One Poem, One Story, and My Personal Life

Do you know where your kindness came from? Do you think everything can obtain kindness, even in the simplest forms? Kindness is everywhere from telling the truth, to making a mistake. In the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and in my own life, kindness is found in simple and complex forms.


TS In the poem “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye, she conveys her own thoughts of the definition of kindness. SD “Before you know what kindness really is[,] you must lose things [.]” CM In this quote, Ms. Nye says that you must undergo sorrow to fully grasp the meaning of kindness. CM “Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.” CM You must know that in order to obtain kindness, you have to have basic background information on its opposite- sorrow. SD If Ms. Nye could give any advice to Dexter, she would tell him to let his sorrows go, because once he is free from that burden, he can get a hold of his kindness and happiness. CM She would tell him that the pain he’s suffered is good, and that it’s a good basis layer for his heart, because kindness won’t always be there to “tie[] your shoes,” or hold your head up high when you need it most. CM Kindness will find its way to you once you really know the true meaning. CS Perhaps Nye would applaud Dexter, for knowing “how desolate the regions of kindness” can be, and tell him that he will now have a better chance at finding “[someone he has] been looking for.”

TS In the poem “Kindness,” Ms. Nye speaks of “what kindness really is [and how] you must lose things” to get its full meaning. SD In “Winter Dreams,” Dexter is no stranger to losing things. CM He’s lost the love of his life, his courage and his self confidence. CM The sum of losing all of these things has not led him to happiness or kindness, but makes him think about what made him happy and kind. SD In the end of the story, Dexter was miserable [FAST] and didn’t know what to do with himself, but there was some candle that burned inside of him. CM One flickering light that still had some fluid in it- Judy. CM He remembers “her confidence,” her sweet voice, her eyes gazing into his and her smile [Tetracolon Climax]. CM It was Judy’s happiness and kindness that led Dexter to love her, and it was her happiness and kindness that led Dexter to his state of unhappiness now. CS Dexter’s life hasn’t ended just yet- he’s on a rollercoaster full of emotions that “will never stop,” “learn[ing] the tender gravity of kindness.”

TS My life relates to both “Kindness” and “Winter Dreams,” but in two different ways. SD In “Winter Dreams,” Dexter say’s this nurse that made me think of my life- "Oh, that's all right. I'll fix it up.” CM In many instances, people take risks and don’t think of the negative outcome. CM They think Oh, well my daddy’s rich and can fix any of my mistakes, but boy are they wrong. CM I admit that I’ve made mistakes, but I never pushed the consequences out of the picture- I knew I was going to get into trouble and I owned up to it. SD I have also gone through a lot of pain and found the better side of it, like Ms. Nye says in her poem “Kindness” [Loose Sentence]. CM Two years ago on May fourth, I received the most dreaded phone call of my life- a phone call from my grandmother telling me that my grandfather had passed away. CM At the moment, my mother and I were in line for my pageant, paying and getting registered- the news shook us up so much [Loose Sentence]. SD My mother had gone home to mourn with her brothers and sisters, but wanted me to stay in Cape Cod with my Aunt, and told me “to win the pageant for [my grandfather]!” CM I stayed for the rest of the weekend, and brought home over ten trophies, all in honor of my grandfather. CS It was hard for me to get up on stage pretending to be all happy when truly I was heartbroken, but going home and showing my mother my awards and seeing her swollen eyes fill with joy, it was worth it. CS “You must know sorrow as the other deepest thing,” in life, and learn how to deal with it- may it be a family death, or simply making a mistake.

Kindness is found in the smallest of things that you may not immediately see, but eventually you will. Ms. Nye says it’s “the deepest thing inside [a humans heart,]” Mr. Fitzgerald thinks it’s hidden among each and every one of us, and in my life, it is too found hidden in the smallest of things. It can be found in death, or found in the simplicity of telling the truth. Wherever kindness may be, hope that one day you will realize kindness is found everywhere.

Timmy's Essay 17

Timmy O’Brien
Mr. Salsich
English 9
20 April 20009

Sentiment or Lack Thereof:

An Essay Relating Two Poems and a Short Story to Sentimentality

1 Sentiment is found naturally in life. 2 You can see it in a person volunteering to help the community, a simple donation to a just cause, or a person crying over a loved one’s death, but what would happen if it all disappeared? 3 Things could change drastically, but it would bring about a new meaning to everything we do. 4 In “The Traveling Onion” by Naomi Shihab Nye, there is much sentiment to be found, whereas “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickinson has a distinct lack of sentiment and “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield has a strange mix of the two.

TS The whole of Nye’s poem is based on sentiment. SD Nye uses her emotion to think about the life of the onion that is about to “enter [her] stew today.” CM She knows not how far the onion has traveled, so she idealizes the fact and considers the unknown distance to be a very large one. CM She then uses her excess of emotion to feel compassion [SAT word] for the lonely onion she is about to eat. SD Furthermore, Nye pities the onion because it does not get its proper recognition. CM She sits at a table and “comment[s] on the texture of meat or herbal aroma, but never on the” onion’s great deeds. CM She sympathizes with the small vegetable and says “it is right that tears fall for something small and forgotten.” CS Ultimately, Nye feels bad for the anonymous [SAT word] glory that is an onion.

TS In Dickinson’s poem, there is more of a lack of sentiment. SD Dickinson, along with Nye, recognizes ignorance, but she sees a different side of it. CM Nye looks upon the onion’s lack of recognition with pity, but Dickinson wants to remain a “nobody.” CM She tells us not to “tell” because “they’d advertise – you know,” making it seems like she would rather stay hidden [participle phrase]. SD Also, one definition of sentimental is “having an excess of sentiment of sensibility,” but Dickinson seems to go in the exact opposite direction of that. CM She seems to spit out “how dreary” it would be to “be somebody.” CM Instead of sympathizing, she likens somebodies to “frogs” and tells how “public” it would be – public is regarded as a negative aspect of life [appositive]. CS Instead of trying to be sentimental towards people who are “somebody”, she would make fun of them in the shadows and remain a “nobody.”

TS Mansfield’s short story seems to be a mix of the two poems by and Nye and Dickinson respectively. SD When Laura hears about the man’s death, she feels compassion for his family. CM Contrarily, Jose thinks it should be let go and they should continue on with their party. CM This contrast of too much sentimentality and too little sentimentality rival throughout most of the book, but eventually Laura – the person with too much sentimentality – comes out on top [appositive]. SD She travels to the poor part of the village to pay her respects to the dead man. CM This little act of kindness lets her live happily for the time being. CM It even grants her a new look on life, which she can’t quite describe. CS This short story shows that even if you are overrun with sentiment, if it is all let out, you can be happy again.

1 Sentiment, or lack thereof, can be a powerful tool. 2 It can bring out a feeling of strange contentment or a dissimilar feeling of utter defiance. 3 Either way, it can have a huge impact on the lives of you and others, making feeling a powerful source [participle phrase]. 4 Sentimental people are sometimes ridiculed, but, in the end, are we not all emotional at some point or another?

Sarah Essay 17

Sarah Shourds

Hamilton Salsich

English 09

21 April 2009

Finding Sentiment:

An Essay on a Short Story, a Poem, and Sentiment

Most people think of onions as overpowering, bitter vegetables tand don't admire its past, but not Naomi Shihab Nye. Most people think a dead, poor, grimy [FAST] old man should be left in his dirty little town, but not Laura. Most people think that being a “nobody” is terrible and unsocial, but not Emily Dickinson [Purposeful Repetition]. Naomi Shihab Nye, Katherine Mansfield, and Emily Dickinson all inscribe the word “sentiment” into each of their writings in different ways, yet none of them have the same opinions.


TS In “The Garden Party,” Laura, the protagonist, is a very sentimental girl, and has different opinions than the rest of her family [Appositive]. SD Just down the street from Laura’s bustling [FAST] party-house, a man past away. CM No one else in Laura’s family cared because they were so preoccupied with the party, but Laura knew she needed to do something about it. CM Laura’s mother claimed to be ever so “sorry about it as [she was],” but still went on planning her huge party. SD In the mix of her mother’s words and the garden party, Laura still had the dead man on her mind. CM She knew the best thing to do was to visit the family and pay her respects, despite what her mother told her. CM The dead man’s wife guided Laura to the body, where she saw him “sleeping so soundly” and peacefully, that “[she” had to cry”. CM Seeing the blissful man “being [taken by] his dream” made her realize that she had done the right thing. CS Laura, normally and uptight, shy woman, left that house feeling even more content then she ever was, and having a better understanding of her life that “she couldn’t explain [Appositive]. CS In the end, Laura’s sentiment was a natural essence [FAST] that affected her and her brother.


TS In “The Traveling Onion,” Ms. Nye writes with a vast [FAST] amount of sentiment that you must look between the lines for. SD Ms. Nye begins her poem with a quote from a recipe book, giving the reader background information about the onion. CM She then tells about how “far the onion has traveled just to enter [her] stew”. CM Ms. Nye feels so sentimental for this poor onion that is filled with “small forgotten miracles,” and feels that “[she should] kneel and praise” the onion for its wonders it has brought the world. SD Most people look past the onions astonishing past, but Ms. Nye see’s the onion in a different perspective. CM Like Laura in “The Garden Party,” Ms. Nye doesn’t realize the onions magnificent past until “[her] knife enters [the] onion and [it] falls apart on the chopping block,” and when she does realize it’s beauty, she cannot hold back her tears. CM Ms. Nye thinks “it is right that tears fall for something small and forgotten”. CS The sentimental value of the onion was as pungent as the odor itself, and Ms. Nye feels compassion [SAT Word] for the lonely, diligent [SAT Word] onion.


TS Unlike Naomi Shihab Nye, Emily Dickinson is a little more upfront with her rendition [FAST] of sentiment. SD In the poem “I’m Nobody,” Dickinson speaks of how she is a “nobody,” but that she is happy of her loneliness. CM Many people think of being a “nobody” in a negative way, but Dickinson speaks of “how dreary [it would] be [to be a] somebody!” CM She says that living “public like a frog” would ruin the simplicity of her live, to which she holds great sentimental value to [Participle Phrase]. SD Maybe, like the definition of sentiment, Dickinson has an “excess of [emotions]”. CM Dickinson is so preoccupied with staying away from the public, that she catches herself always being with another “nobody” because they are “a pair”. CM As much as Dickinson wants to hide from the public, no matter where she is, the public is haunting her. CS Dickinson’s “excess of [emotions] is dragging her to her feet, and maybe one day she will be “public like a frog” and realize that she is a “somebody”.


Everyone holds something close to their heart with sentimental value. May it be an onion, seeing a dead, blissful man, or driving to be a “nobody”, it’s in all of us. In the short story “The Garden Party,” and in both poems “The Traveling Onion,” and “I’m Nobody,” each piece of sentimental value dearest to them is hidden in between the lines of their context, waiting to be found. Waiting to be found, sentimental value is important in everyone’s life [Participle Phrase].

Lydia's Essay 17

Lydia Schulz
Mr. H. Salsich
9 English
April 26, 2009

Cleaning My Room:

An Essay on Two Poems, a Short Story, and a Word

        1. If I were cleaning my room right now, I would find a wide assortment of objects: journals, boxes of little treasures, hats, even old t-shirts. 2. If you saw all these commodities, you may think it was just a random collection, but the one thing they all have is sentimental value. 3. Some people find sentiment in objects and souvenirs while others find it in a memory, but wherever it may be found, the feelings are strong, powerful. 4. Some, like Emily Dickinson in her poem “I’m Nobody,” do not feel much of this, but others, such as Naomi Shihab Nye in her poem “The Traveling Onion” and Laura in “The Garden Party,” are exceptionally sentimental.
        TS: In “The Traveling Onion” by Naomi Shihab Nye, there is a great amount of underlying sentiment hidden among her words. SD: In the first stanza of the poem, Nye offers a description of the onion. CM: Most people would see it as just an onion with nothing particularly remarkable about it, but she talks about it so lovingly that it makes one wonder. CM: Perhaps something happened to her involving an onion and now whenever she sees one, she feels sentimental toward that memory. SD: Nye goes on to say that “it is right that tears fall for something small and forgotten.” CM: The initial reaction to this statement is the fact that onions make people’s eyes water, but maybe she was going for something more meaningful than this. CM: Perhaps she is saying that an onion deserves for people to feel sentimental toward it. CS: It may be subtle(SAT word), but Ms. Nye seems to be determined to vouch for the onion’s right to be felt for.
        TS: Nye’s poem is very sentimental, but while reading “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickinson, I didn’t feel this at all. SD: If I were to define “sentimental,” I would say that being sentimental about something means having strong feelings about something that happened in the past. CM: This would usually be used to look back on something with fond memories, not negative thoughts. CM: I would use sentimental to describe someone’s thoughts about something meaningful. SD: For these reasons, I see no sentiment in “I’m Nobody.” CM: The poem is so short, simple, fresh, as if two people are meeting for the first time(asyndeton). CM: There is no baggage to weigh this poem down; it is light and clean with no memories to look back on. CS: Like a new friendship, there is nothing to reflect lovingly upon, only a blank future for them to fill.
        TS: Unlike “I’m Nobody” by Emily Dickinson, the feeling in these passages from “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield was almost tangible. SD: In the first passage, Laura was trying to show her emotions to Jose, being almost too sentimental for a man she did not know(participle). CM: Of course, as Jose said(appositive), you cannot try to stop the world for every death that occurs, but it seemed that Laura did not know when to let go. CM: She cared a little too much, for eventually, Jose had to tell her that “you [can’t] bring a drunken workman back to life by being sentimental.” SD: The second passage contained a different kind of sentiment: Em, the dead man’s wife, mourning for her lost husband(appositive). CM: Having just lost a spouse, a soul mate, and a best friend,(participle, purposeful repetition) there is no way she wasn’t thinking about him. CM: In her grief, she was looking back on the memories she made with him, being sentimental to his memory. CS: The way Katherine Mansfield writes, it is as if you can feel every twinge of emotion passing through the characters’ minds.
        1. Some days, I find myself sitting on the floor, sifting through boxes, photos and old memories. 2. These are the times when I feel most sentimental. 3. And though I have to look back on the sorrow and adversity(SAT word) along with the happiness, I am glad I can feel these strong emotions that show me that I am alive. 4. Sentiment is a powerful thing; it may not be able to bring a man back to life, but it can come close.

Ceilie's Essay #17

Ceilie Moore

Mr. Salsich 

English 9 

April 26th, 2009 

A Sentimental Feeling: 

An Essay on Two Poems and a Short Story 

Sentiment is displayed in many ways. It can be shown out of the act of kindness, such as giving a friend a shoulder to cry on, or it can be displayed through tears and be the one in need of a listening ear and a tissue. Being sentimental is feeling sincere emotion about something or someone, but it can also be excessive to the point where your life revolves around only your feelings of deep compassion and sympathy for others. In Katherine Mansifield’s short story, “The Garden Party,” Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem, “The Traveling Onion” and Emily Dickinson’s poem, “I’m Nobody,” there is a common theme of sentiment.


TS In “The Garden Party,” Laura, a young girl who is hosting a garden party, has a natural tendency to be sentimental. (Appositive) SD Before her party starts, she finds out a man was killed outside her house, which gives her second thoughts about continuing her event. CM “If you’re going to stop a [party] every time someone has an accident, you’ll lead a very strenuous life,” her sister, Jose, informed Laura, after she announced her intentions to cancel the soiree. CM Both Laura’s deep concern for the dead man and Jose’s reaction to the situation indicate that Laura was acting irrationally sentimental over the death of someone she didn’t even know. SD In the end of the story, Laura visits the dead man’s family and this time acts accordingly to the situations she is in, as opposed to the way she initially overreacted when she was given the news about the dead man. CM The man’s wife leads Laura in to see his resting body, “sleeping so soundly, so deeply.” CM Laura, reacting as anyone who is as unexposed to the idea of death as she is, and is put into a state of sentimental shock as she leaves the house, “sob[bing].” (Participle Phrase) CS Laura’s sentiment is out of pure compassion for everything and everyone, but there are times when it is almost too extreme and affects her, as well as those around her, negatively.


TS In the poem, “The Traveling Onion,” the author, Naomi Shihab Nye, shows sentiment over something as simple as a vegetable, in a way that really makes you think before you eat. (Appositive) SD Nye describes the effortless action of cutting an onion as a sad moment, and even recognizes something that even the most wary (SAT Word) chefs wouldn’t. CM “The way my knife enters the onion /… and [it] falls apart on the chopping block” she says, giving a somber connotation to what she’s doing, almost as though she is committing murder to such a beautiful, natural source of satisfaction. CM She adds, “A history revealed,” reminding us that each layer of an onion represents each year it has been alive, like the height of a tree or wrinkles on a human. SD Nye also feels sentiment for the onion as it is being eaten, not because it will no longer be seen, but because it is “small and forgotten” as it is mixed in with all the other foods. CM “[While eating] [we] comment on the texture of meat or herbal aroma /… but never on the translucence of onion,” she writes. CM She feels this raw, sorrowful emotion for the onion, as it spends its life growing with such potential, only to be picked and thrown into a “stew”, adding a sublime zest to the meal without any adulation. (SAT Word) CS Nye writes in a sentimental way that recognizes the little things in life, such as an onion, and gives it credit for everything it has given us, and apologizes for the fact that we have given nothing in return.

TS In Emily Dickinson’s, “I’m Nobody,” she recognizes and feels sentiment towards someone who is so little, that they are “nobody,” much like herself. SD “I’m nobody,” Dickinson writes, “Are you nobody too? /… Then there’s a pair of us.” CM Dickinson feels compassion towards this “nobody” because they are similar to her in the way that they feel nonexistent. CM She understands how the person feels being “nobody” and decides to befriend them, due to their likeness. SD Dickinson also expresses sentiment towards the “somebody[s] of the world.” CM Talking to the other “nobody”, Dickinson says, “How dreary [it is] to be somebody.” (Participle phrase) CM Dickinson’s comment is quite contradictory to society’s perception that being “somebody” is something to strive for, and to be known is something everyone wants. CM3 Instead of feeling envy towards the “somebody[s],” Dickinson actually feels sentiment and sympathy for those who are so “public” and known by everyone. CS Dickinson interestingly vocalizes her liking for being “nobody” and pity for those who are “somebody,” in a way that convinces readers to change their minds about the fame and fortune “somebody[s]” supposedly have.

Sentiment is an ambiguous concept that has a certain time and place. Sometimes, it is seen as the simple feeling of compassion towards another. Other times, it can be felt so excessively, it is unnecessary and overdramatic. In “The Garden Party,” the main character acts as though the sky is falling because of the unfortunate death of an unknown man, while in “The Traveling Onion,” the author feels this slight, subtle sentiment for a vegetable that doesn’t get enough recognition for its worth. Being sentimental can be depicted in many different ways, but it is always definite that if you feel even an ounce of sentiment, it is only because you have a heart.

Timmy's Essay 16

Timmy O’Brien
Mr. Salsich
English 9
15 April 2009

The Figurative Connections:

An Essay on a Poem and How it Relates to a Short Story

How do you express yourself? Is it through singing, performing, speaking, painting [asyndeton]? Is it straightforward or somewhat evasive [FAST]? In “The Little Brother Poem,” Naomi Shihab Nye uses writing to express herself. James Baldwin has also chosen writing over the others, and his story has a lot in common with Nye’s.

In her poem, Nye uses figurative language to express the multiple themes. First, she uses many metaphors. She says, “You’re Wall Street and I’m the local fruit market” to express the differences between herself and her brother. Differences are a key part of this poem because they are one of the reasons that her brother ran away. Nye also uses imagery to express a theme of paying attention to the little things. She “poke[d] [her] finger through the rusted hole in the bottom [of the jug].” This act showed her remembrance of her brother and how the little things can cause the most sadness. Equally important is her use of figurative language to show the theme of forgiveness. In the first and last stanzas, she talks about going through her brother’s old things. She has to dump out the boxes, sort through them, and put them back into a shape that her brother will remember, so that if he ever finds it, he will know she cared and hopefully forgive her. Without figurative language, this poem loses much of its meaning.

In addition, “The Little Brother Poem” has a lot in common with James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” In both writings, pieces of the past come back to haunt the characters. For example, Isabel “still hears [the scream] sometimes in her dreams.” In Nye’s piece, she sees her brother’s car often, which reminds her of the past and how things could have been, making her regret past actions [participle phrase as a closer]. Moreover, both stories involve pain, but require the characters to move on. In “Sonny’s Blues,” Little Gracie dies, and they are dropped into a state of anguish [FAST]. In her poem, Nye hurts her brother and has to deal with “[his] eyes hard on [her] from under the bandages.” Lastly, both stories take their time with certain things. Sonny finally takes his time with a song and it becomes “beautiful because it wasn’t hurried.” In “The Little Brother Poem”, Nye starts “dumping out [...] whole drawer[s]” and slowly sifting through them, trying to make something beautiful out of them. These two masterpieces are built on many of the same themes and therefore have a lot in common.

On that note, many of these themes are not just part of two stories but of life as well [periodic sentence]. When a friend wrongs you, what do you do? You forgive them eventually, and there are many more examples for each of the themes listed above. Life is just made up of countless little themes that are rolled into one big world.

Ceilie's Essay #16

Ceilie Moore

Mr. Salsich 

English 9 

April 16th, 2009                                  

A True Bond: 

An Essay on a Short Story and a Poem

There is nothing that you will ever have to question less, feel more, never consider stopping, permanently hold in your heart, than the love for a sibling. (Asyndeton) The love comes naturally from the day the other one is born, and from then on, it’s like a bond that is technically forced, but no less genuine. In both “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “The Little Brother Poem” by Naomi Shihab Nye, we experience the euphoric (FAST) moments they remember from their childhoods and the sour moments that tested their brotherly bonds.

In “The Little Brother Poem,” Nye uses many types of figurative language to express both her past and current relationship with her younger brother. In the third stanza, Nye refers back to an incident when she was so frustrated with her brother, she pushed him in front of a bicycle, and he suffered serious injuries. (Periodic Sentence) She uses personification as she states, “For weeks your eyes hard on me under the bandages.” She gives human-like qualities to her brother’s eyes by stating this, thus making the statement more powerful and the idea of the pain her brother is feeling more real. Nye also uses a few metaphors to describe her relationship with her brother, one being in the fourth stanza. Nye says, “You’re Wall Street and I’m the local fruit market. You’re Pierre Cardin and I’m a used bandanna.” Although her brother isn’t actually Wall Street, and she isn’t physically a used bandanna, she uses these characteristics and objects to describe who the two siblings are as people. Her brother left home to become successful, while she stayed home in this small town, patting down her sweat with a bandanna and purchasing food at the local market. A final metaphor she uses to both begin and end the poem, is the one referring to Nye “cleaning the house.” She talks about organizing “the pieces of junk [her brother] saved” and how “it’s a large order[…]dumping out a whole drawer at once[…]trying to put [things] back in some kind of shape.” Although at first glance it seems as though she’s simply cleaning out her house, reflecting back on her bond with her brother, she’s actually using the “drawer” and the “junk” as symbols for their life together and every bad thing she’s done to him that she wants to be forgiven for. (Participle Closer) In the poem, it’s sometimes a little difficult to tell whether the language Nye is using to describe her and her brother is figurative or literal, but when you think about it, a majority of it is symbolic one way or another.

Both “The Little Brother Poem” and “Sonny’s Blues” are strong stories about the author’s relationship with their brother, but there is more of a relationship between the tales than the plot of a bond between two siblings. First off, in “Sonny’s Blues,” the narrator describes the day his daughter, Grace, fell to the floor and died of Polio. “When you have a lot of children you don’t always start running when one of them falls,” the author explained, “[But] Isabel (the author’s wife) says that when she heard that thump and then that silence, something happened to her to make her afraid.” He is saying that Isabel has this instinctive feeling that when her daughter fell, it was much different from the ordinary trip to the rug that resulted in a bruise or two. This reminds me of when Nye’s brother “disappeared into the streets of Dallas at midnight on foot, crying, and [she] realized he’d been serious.” This quote indicates that there could’ve been other moments when her brother had run away, upset, but there was something specific about this time that made her realize he wasn’t coming home like he usually did, and she was right. In the final scene of “Sonny’s Blues,” the narrator has reunited with his brother, who “fill[ed] the air with his life” as his fingers glided up and down the piano. At this moment, the two brothers connect through the achievements of Sonny and reflect back on the dreams they’ve both had, how far they’ve taken them, and how the dreams have reunited them as a family. This scene has a similar plotline to sixth stanza of Nye’s poem, although the outcome of the reunion between the siblings is a little less heartwarming and a little more heartbreaking. (Parallelism) Nye calls up her brother, who is now working as a “Wall Street”-like businessman, something he has always pined for. Out of pure concern and curiosity, Nye called her brother to check up on his new life that he’d left her behind for, and when asking “Are you happy?” he replied with an unsure answer, sounding “small, younger,” and he questioned whether fighting for his dreams was worth it in the end. “Sonny’s Blues” and “The Little Brother Poem” have more similarities than just their storyline, but also the problems the two main characters face and the outcome of their lives.

The relationship between two siblings is one of the purest, most honest relationships you can ever have with anyone. There is no shame in saying how you really feel, no judgment when the other has a moment of shortcoming (FAST) and no question as to how much you love each other. (Parallelism) Although the bond between two siblings is expected to have a fair amount of ugly days, they can never outweigh the beautiful ones.

Sarah Essay 16

English Class

Sarah Shourds

Hamilton Salsich

April 14 2009

Colorful Relationships:

An Essay on a Short Story and a Poem

Every relationship has its own color- may it be vibrant and full of love, or dark and full of hate; they all vary [Appositive]. The relationship between a brother and a sister isn’t always the most pleasant thing, and we all know how they work- you argue, you play, you cry, you laugh [Asyndeton]. Everyone knows what will happen if you take a sibling for granted, but we never seem to care until it happens to us. Sadly, this happened in both “The Little Brother Poem” by Naomi Shihab Nye and in the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin on two very different scales.

In this poem Ms. Nye uses a lot of figurative language to represent the connection between her and her brother. The first use of figurative language I noticed was when Ms. Nye was portraying [FAST] the differences between her and her brother, comparing him to “Wall Street,” and her to a “local fruit market”. This metaphor helps distinguish [FAST] their personalities and shows that Ms. Nye likes that they aren’t completely the same. She likes knowing that her brother can fill in the missing spots in her puzzle of a life. In the final stanza, Ms. Nye refers to their childhood, and what great memories she has to this day [Participle Phrase as a Closer]. She talks about how “[her brother] is on the edge of [his life] today,” and reminisces about their history together. In that sentence, Ms. Nye isn’t quite sure whether or not she and her brother would ever be reunited with their past, but she wishes she could go back to those days and be the sister she never was. Prior to this stanza, Ms. Nye talks about the night her brother had left her. How he had left with “some strange bruise,” and she was never quite sure when that bruise would heal. I think Ms. Nye regrets all of the harsh things she’s ever done to her brother, and if she could take it all back, she would. Ms. Nye uses figurative language to such an extent that it makes your mind think fairly hard, and when she does use it, she compares and contrasts herself against her brother.

“The Little Brother Poem” and “Sonny’s Blues” are very different and very similar and relate to the importance of family. In the short story “Sonny’s Blues,” the main character’s brother, Sonny, had gotten into all sorts of trouble. There was only one light at the end of the tunnel, and for Sonny, he could not see that light in the slightest bit. Sonny's brother had never really considered helping him and wrote him letters every so often. However, an unfortunate event interrupted him, and saw Sonny in a new perspective. Seeing his own “beautiful little girl” die gave him a “mortal wound” that will never heal and made him realize that he had been taking Sonny for granted. He realized that a wound that can’t heal can only get bigger, and that if he didn’t help Sonny, his wound would get worse. This “scene” is very similar to Ms. Nye’s poem. Ms. Nye refers to her apology several times throughout the poem, and how it is probably a “big order” for her brother, but that he hopefully can take it. She’s “dumping out a whole drawer at once,” and finally realizing that her brother needs her. In both stories, the relationship between the siblings is not perfect. In the short story, Sonny takes advantage of his brothers willingness to help and fulfills his lifelong dream as a musician. The simplest “nod[]” made his brother realize that he really has helped his brother come along. This wasn’t so obvious for Ms. Nye. She never says whether or not she and her brother were reunited, or if her apology was enough. Maybe the long silence will help clear things up for them. We all know that sibling relationships aren’t perfect, but for Sonny and Ms. Nye, things will hopefully clear up and they can continue living without reminiscing on their past.

Every relationship, no matter who it’s with or how long it’s lasted, takes its wrong turns [Periodic Sentence]. Some relationships may never be able to drive through these turns and make the best out of it, but the ability to do so is what saves us day in and day out. Some may think they don’t need a sibling, but you and your sibling are tied by blood, and working out your issues is the only way you’ll ever be able to function. Both Sonny’s brother and Ms. Nye learned this the hard way, and now are looking at their siblings in a whole new perspective- with love and admiration.

Lydia's Essay 16

Lydia Schulz
Mr. H. Salsich
English 9
April 16, 2009

No Love Like This:

An Essay On “Sonny’s Blues” and “The Little Brother Poem”

       Everyone has heard of sibling rivalry. If you have siblings, you know exactly how it works: they make fun of you, you make fun of them, they argue with you, you fight, you make up (asyndeton). However, we never think of what would happen if we didn’t reconcile. It just isn’t something that crosses our minds. Unfortunately, this occurred in both “The Little Brother Poem” by Naomi Shihab Nye and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin.
       Ms. Nye does not use much figurative language in this poem, but the apparent lack of it makes it more striking when she does use it. The first occasion is when she is comparing their differences, using metaphors to describe her brother and herself as “Wall Street,” and “the local fruit market.” (Participle as a closer) These metaphors help contrast their different personalities, but the casual way in which Nye uses them shows that she likes these differences, that she is happy that they aren’t exactly the same (parallelism). The specific examples she uses show how well she knows her brother and how much she loves him. Earlier on in the poem, Nye illustrates the night her brother left with “some strange bruise [he] still carried under the skin.” This bruise represents all the feelings and emotions that he has repressed over the years. This line reminds the reader of the pain that Nye’s brother has endured and the way that it finally got the best of him. In the final stanza of the poem, Ms. Nye talks about the rest of their lives, saying, “you’re on the edge of yours today.” This sentence brings a sense of uncertainty into the poem and shows that neither sibling knows what lies ahead or whether they will be reunited. It seems to strip the two of everything they have accumulated, of all their history, and leave them in their simplest form: a sister and her little brother, not knowing what the future holds. Naomi Shihab Nye uses figurative language so sparingly (FAST) that when she does use it, it is that much more powerful.
       Between “The Little Brother Poem” and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, there is no truer representation of the relationship between siblings and family. In “Sonny’s Blues,” the part of the story when little Grace falls illustrates the way someone cares about a member of their family. Baldwin writes, “something happened to her to make her afraid,” the way anyone would be worried about one of their kin. This fear spouts from love, and it is the same fear that Nye feels when she thinks about her brother. Another part that brought me back to the poem was when the narrator of “Sonny’s Blues” “saw the moonlit road where [his] father’s brother died.” This reminded me of when Ms. Nye’s brother “disappeared into the streets of Dallas at midnight.” Though they were in different circumstances, both lost a brother. One of the crucial (FAST) moments in “Sonny’s Blues” is when Sonny takes a sip of the drink his brother bought him and gives him a nod. Sonny is recognizing that his brother cares for him and communicating that he returns the feelings, much like the phone call between Nye and her brother. For both sets of siblings, their relationship is not perfect, but they are working on improving, and acknowledging their love for each other is the first step. They want to make their bond stronger, because they know that there is no love like that of siblings.
No matter who you are, where you are from, what color your skin is, or where you live, every family has problems (periodic sentence). It is the ability to work past these difficulties that makes us stronger, and this is something that was done in both “Sonny’s Blues” and “The Little Brother Poem.” Some people think that they can get by without their family, but your family is always there for you and will always love you, no matter what you have done. For this, we are forever in debt to them.

Timmy's Essay 15

Timmy O’Brien
Mr. Salsich
English 9
8 April 2009

Courage, a Never-Ending Source

An Essay on a Poem

In the poem “Courage” by Anne Sexton, she talks about many things. A first bike ride, a resilient coal kept inside to fuel you forward, and a pampered bit of sorrow are a few of them. These ideas, along with others, share at least one trait – a very important theme to say the least. In addition to that, I have also had to use this specific quality in my life at certain times and as a whole.

Sexton explores many themes in her poem, but I think the main one is, as the name suggests, courage. Firstly, Sexton talks about “the first spanking when your heart when on a journey all alone.” Obviously, this journey takes courage. If one were to set out on the quest for the holy grail – a grand journey – and take no one with them, they would have to brave all the downfalls of the trip with no one to help them through it, much like a child taking their first spanking [loose sentence]. Courage is also shown in the peaceful acts we commit, such as “face[ing] the death of bombs and bullets…with only a hat to cover your heart.” This action clearly takes a lot of courage. To stand in front of bullets with only your faith as a guardian would be truly be bold. Furthermore, Sexton talks about facing death at the end of the poem. She says that when death comes to take you, you have to “put on your carpet slippers and stride out.” To me, this implies courage because of the word “stride” – a word that implies confidence rather than a more ambiguous [FAST] word such as “walk”. No matter how you look at it, Sexton has truly mastered the art of titling her work the way it deserves – proper and accurate.

My life has required much courage. To start, courage is found in my everyday life. When I wake up each morning, I rise to a new day, with new possibilities and difficulties to face. I must deal with them as they come, and not back away from them – a true form of courage. Also, I have recently ended my search for the hopefully perfect high school for next year. This whole process required a lot of courage because I had to break out of my comfort zone while looking for a place that I could be comfortable in [antithesis]. I had no choice but to make the most out of the visit and revisit days I spent at the schools because, if I did not, I could never be sure which choice would best suit the real me. Finally, I also know that death will eventually come to “open[] the … door” to my life and take me with it. It is inevitable and distressing, so we must live while we can and cherish the moment and never say never because the sky really is the limit [polysyndeton]. We all need to have the courage to “stride out” when we are called to die because we can, hopefully, look back on our life without regrets. The poem is laid out like a growing person’s life, so I, like this poem, will use my courage every single day to the best of my ability.

Analyzing this poem has made me understand how big a part courage plays in our daily lives. It could be as simple as owning up to a mistake, or as complex as standing up for something you believe in, while others feel differently. Either way, courage is a vital [FAST] motive for the way we live. Once we fully understand that, we can use it to our advantage because it is an inexhaustible resource and we will never be left without it.

Lydia's Essay 15

 Lydia Schulz
Mr. H. Salsich
9 English
April 12, 2009

What Is Courage?
An Essay on a Poem

        What does it take to be courageous? Is it standing up for what is right or sacrificing something to help another? Is it putting on a brave face when someone needs to believe in you or is it just having the strength to get out of bed in the morning? In the poem “Courage” by Anne Sexton, she describes many scenes of courage, and as I read it over, I continue to find myself thinking about the movie “Saving Private Ryan.”
        Courage is an obvious theme in this poem, but if you look deeper into the meaning of these carefully crafted words, you can find more subtle motifs. The first of these that I noticed was growing up. Each stanza of this poem seems to focus on a different stage of life, describing trying moments we all must overcome (participle). As the poem progresses through a human life recounting the feelings of a “child’s first step,” and facing “the death of bombs and bullets,” it reminds the reader that, like it or not, we are all getting older and passing through the different stages of life. Another important theme I see in this poem is facing new obstacles. In every stanza, Ms. Sexton describes something that must be overcome, whether it is bullies, or the death of a friend, or heartbreak, or even facing death with a smile on your face(polysyndeton). She is simply relating challenges that everyone faces and must then surmount. It seems that Ms. Sexton wants to relate that it takes tremendous amount of courage to go through life. Because she was depressed and suicidal, this must have been a daily struggle for her and incredibly meaningful to her because. Perhaps she wrote this poem to show her readers that she no longer had the courage necessary to go on with her life. This is certainly a deep and meaningful poem that speaks so truly of how much bravery it takes to go through your life.
        When I read this poem, I first think of the movie “Saving Private Ryan,” a movie about the Second World War (loose sentence). The second stanza bears a striking resemblance to first scene in the movie, when the Allied Forces storm the beaches of Normandy. The soldiers are crawling up the beaches, watching as their friends get shot down, much like the scene portrayed in the poem. Watching something like this happen takes tremendous (FAST) amounts of courage, especially if you are being shot at by your enemies, and when I watched this particular scene, it reminded me of how much bravery it takes to be a soldier. As you may know, the premise of this movie is to find Matt Damon’s character, Private James Ryan, who’s three brothers were killed in action. Because of this, the Chief of Staff of Defense orders that the only remaining Ryan brother be found immediately and sent home. Once Ryan has been located, Tom Hanks’s character must tell Private Ryan that he has lost all three of his brothers. Instead of letting this devastating news consume him, Ryan “endure[s] [the] great despair” all on his own and makes the decision to stay with his comrades and fight alongside “the only brothers [he has] left.” This brings us to the final stanza of the poem, which speaks about facing death with pride and composure. Near the end of the movie (sorry if this spoils it for anyone), Tom Hanks’s character is fatally injured while trying to keep Private Ryan safe. His death was peaceful and selfless, and reminds me very much of the dignified death that is described in the poem. In these scenes and throughout the entire movie, there are countless examples of unbelievable courage and brotherhood.
        So I guess that courage can be shown in many ways. It could be helping a friend, or even putting your pride aside and letting a friend help you. You could be struggling to stay alive in a ferocious (FAST) battle or simply taking your first steps (Antithesis). Every day we do something courageous, whether we realize it or not.

lydia's ISP writing

Although it is only 1:30 pm, I have been awake for almost 12 hours, and I have experienced multitudes of emotions. The first of these is excitement. It is so pleasant to be able to hang out with my class away from the stresses of school, and it is very exciting to be going on a trip to Europe with them. In these 12 hours, I have learned so much about my friends that I never knew. During the first few hours of my day, my main emotion was irritation. It began with my brother waking me up at 2 am, continued with the annoyingly loud music he played in the car on our way to Pine Point, and concluded with the endless flashes of cameras on the bus while I was trying to sleep. People who have traveled with me may know that I can be extremely irritable when I am woken up too early, and this was definitely the case this morning. After all this, I am now feeling contentment. I am sitting next to one of my best friends, Scarlet, and I already have many memories from this plane ride. These people, being my fantastic classmates, are some of the best I know, and I feel honored to be able to share these experiences with them. I am looking forward to a magnificent trip with these remarkable people.

The sun is shining brightly as I sit with my back against the warm, moss-covered bricks. I can hear birds chirping from the treetops and a fountain is babbling happily. This fountain is very simple: just a spout of water coming from a small stone column. The tube that is dispensing the water is crooked and I can see the algae dripping from it, but in all its imperfections, it is beautiful.

There is something so simple and pure about
this painting. He is not wearing ridiculously
fancy clothing or standing among his
expensive possessions. He is sitting alone,
wearing a simple robe, and utter peace with
himself and with the world. The purity of this
painting is what makes it beautiful.

Yesterday, at the National Portrait Gallery, I
had a strange experience. I was planning on
walking over to the portrait I had already begun
to draw, sitting down, and finishing my sketch.
I expected to be able to work peacefully and
once again connect with the painting, but I was
greeted by a rude awakening. As I tried to
focus on the contours of Edward Alexander
Crowley’s robes, other people stopped to
stare at the painting. I was astounded. When
we first visited the Portrait Gallery, very few
people were there. This gave me the
mpression that the painting I was drawing
belonged to only me, but yesterday I
discovered this was not the case. I felt violated.
I wanted to ask them what they thought they
were doing and why they wanted to torture
me like this, but I didn’t. I just kept on drawing.

At this moment, I am sitting in a classroom at Eton. Though the room is filled with my classmates, we are all silent. I think we have all been affected by the age and history in such a place as this. I am always astounded when I visit a place as old as this, mainly because it makes me realize how young our country is. When I travel to a country like England, which has hundreds of years of history, it seems strange that it could last so long. It makes America seem bland, almost naïve, compared to this amazing amount of culture that has developed. Looking at the walls around me, I see names etched into the wood dating back to the 1930’s. These are among the fresher carvings, much more recent than the ones stretching through the hallways. Most of them don’t even have a year next to them, but it is obvious they have been there longer than living memory. There is an unfathomable amount of age here, and even though this city is quite modern, I can’t help but feel that so much of the old London is dwelling under the surface, waiting to be rediscovered.

Forgotten objects, all piled on the floor.
Forlorn chairs rest calmly, silently.
Cloudy air streams in through the open door
As she lies on her side, yearning to be free.

Things long forgotten, bleeding from their sores,
Cry out in the pain of neglect, slowly
Crumbling into nothing. They’ll be seen no more.
And still she weeps, wishing she could flee

From this worn out room, filled with the cold.
But try as she might, she’s condemned to lie
Here with her broken memories, all old.

All sad. So she waits, wishing she could fly.
Lying on the floor with no one to hold.
And so she waits, staring into the grey, cloudy sky.

The train ride yesterday was a pleasant
experience. I was sitting with my three best
friends, laughing, singing, joking, and talking.
We all got to have some alone time together,
something we haven’t had much of during
this trip. At first, we felt conscious of the
people around us, wondering if they perceived
us as loud Americans. However, after a while,
we became lost in our own world. I remember
gazing out the window, watching the fields and
houses go by, thinking about how lucky I am
to be with these fantastic people in this awe-
inspiring country. I know I will be sad when I
have to go home, but for now, I will spend my
time enjoying my friends’ company and exploring
this fascinating new place. Not many people are
able to experience something like this.

The performance we saw of “The Tempest” was unlike anything I have seen before. When I was watching it, I felt like I was no longer in the theater, but watching the events transpire on the island itself. This was because of the actors. Every one of them was so invested in their roles that it seemed like it was actually happening. I especially liked the actor who played Ariel because he wasn’t afraid to play his part. Many people would not dare to venture so far into their character, but he took on the challenge and somehow managed to portray every side of Ariel. The entire performance was incredible, and I will not soon forget it.

Outside the house of Charles Dickens, I leaned against a bike rack, scanning the buildings across the street. At first, they all looked the same, but on further inspection, I began to notice the slight differences. The doors were all different, as were many of the windows. When I looked at the scattered chimneys on the rooftops, it looked like something out of Mary Poppins. These chimneys struck me as unusual but beautiful. The way they sat so peacefully made me feel like I had been transported to another time.

Ceilie's Essay #15

Ceilie Moore

Mr. Salsich

English 9

April 12th, 2009

Unseen Courage:

An Essay on a Poem 

Courage is often only seen in the heroes of the world. In the people who save lives every day, in the men who go into burning buildings to save the child stuck on the third floor and in the women who spend hours in an operating room, hunched over an unconscious body so their family can have many more years to spend with them. But what we don’t recognize is the true courage, the humble, unspoken courage. We don’t see the courage of the one soldier walking through a minefield to get to the other side, and the fearlessness of the five year-old walking away from his bully. (Antithesis)


In Anne Sexton’s poem, “Courage”, I see many themes, but one sticks out to me the most. In every stanza, I see Sexton subtly hinting at the fact that courage isn’t something that has to be shown off to be there. When people are courageous they often receive newspaper articles written about how heroic they are, or they are honored with a day named after them to remind everyone of their bravery. But courage doesn’t have to be shown off to be present, and I think that is what Sexton is trying to say in her poem. In two stanzas the theme is particularly present, one being the first stanza. In the first stanza, Sexton describes how courage can be exemplified (FAST) during one’s childhood. Sexton says, “When they called you crybaby or poor or fatty or crazy and made you into an alien, you drank their acid and concealed it.” What she means by this is that when a child is being teased by other kids, its easier for the victim to stand up for themselves and shoot the same words right back in their attackers’ faces, but what truly takes courage is the act of absorbing these hurtful words that sting like “acid” and walk away with any reaction. Sexton also demonstrates this theme in the second stanza. In this stanza, she is describing courage that is displayed on the battlefield during war and says, “You faced the death of bombs and bullets. You did not do it with a banner, you did it with only a hat to cover your heart.” She means that fighting as a soldier in a war takes immense amounts of courage for obvious reasons and to showboat your acts of bravery with a banner is understandable, having the humbleness to only honor yourself, the time you served and all of those you knew and didn’t know who died, with your hat over your heart requires even more courage than parading around with a banner. Courage is not the act of saying you did something without fear or hesitation, but the act of actually performing these brave acts and not feeling like you have to boast about your accomplishments.

Depression doesn’t really seem like an illness to most, in fact, a lot of people often just see it as an excuse for weakness. Depression is the state of being severely dejected (FAST), without any hope or feeling of suffiency. When someone is diagnosed with depression as a mental disorder, they have one setting, one mode, one emotion-sadness. Anne Sexton had a history of suffering from depression, and as weak as she probably felt, she dealt with it with a great amount of courage. After recognizing she had a problem, she went to see a therapist, who recommended she cope with her illness through poetry, which she did. Although she unfortunately committed suicide years later, she still displayed courage by fearlessly fighting against her opponent, and even though she eventually lost the battle, she tried, and trying takes courage. A few years ago, someone very close to me dealt with the same issue as Sexton. She was much younger than Sexton when she was diagnosed, and the situation got to the point where she was admitted into a hospital, where she lived for a few months constantly feeling sorrowful, and scared, and lonely, and tired of fighting to be happy. (Polysyndeton) She eventually gained the courage to get herself out of the situation, and after a lot of hard work and baby steps towards her goal, she broke through her wall of depression and came out triumphant. (Loose sentence) Reaching your goal is never easy, but when you’re fighting against yourself for your own life, you need every ounce of courage you can scrounge up to avoid drowning in your own sorrow.

We don’t see the everyday courage. We don’t recognize the courage walking off of the playground with such pain in his eyes, and that one courage out of thousands boarding the plane home after being in battle for the past twelve months. We only see the obvious courage, the courage that receives medals and badges in the honor of their bravery. Courage lies beneath every single one of us, and it doesn’t take a certificate to prove it’s real.

Sarah'a Essay 15

Sarah Shourds

English 09

Hamilton Salsich

8 April 2009

Roller Coaster of Courage:

An Essay on Courage

The definition of courage from dictionary.com is, “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery”. In my life, I have had to face many of my fears, such as riding on my first rollercoaster. This may not seem like such a courageous thing to concur, but as Anne Sexton says in her poem, “Courage”, courage is as “simple as shaving soap.” This poem has taught me many things about courage, and keeps me wandering about when I’ll need to unleash my courage next.

In the poem, “Courage” by Anne Sexton, many themes are intertwined within it. A key theme in this poem is simplicity. Courage is not something someone should have to live by, but something “as simple as shaving soap,” as simple as “wringing out a sock,” as simple as looking at the calendar and realizing it’s your time to go [polysyndeton]. I know not all of these things are quite simple, but looking at certain measures [FAST] in a simple manner, can give you courage and make it even easier for you to overcome that. It is important to realize that courage doesn’t come easily. “Courage [is] a small coal that [keeps] you swallowing,” and keeps you doing the things you love best. Not everything comes easy, and when courage is needed, it will show up at your front step and great you with pleasure and enthusiasm. It must be remembered that courage should always remain free. You shouldn’t hold it behind closed bars and release it whenever it’s needed- you should treasure it. By keeping this courage “covered with a blanket” and by “giving it a back rub” every once in a while, it will turn into something beautiful, and it will help you out when you need it most. This poem has taught me the simplicity and the complexity of such an influential [FAST] thing, and has also taught me to live in the moment- to not hold my courage inside of me at all times, but to let it roam free.

Riding a roller coaster may look like fun, but staring up at the towering tracks for the first time is horrifying. Last year Caroline asked me if I liked roller coasters – I, of course, lied and said yes. The next thing I knew I was standing with her and Parker at Six Flags, looking at the amazing coasters whip people into the air. I had made a promise to her that I'd ride every roller coaster with her, but to tell you the truth, I knew I wasn't going to keep that promise. I knew that Parker too was afraid of roller coasters, and that it wouldn't be so bad watching Caroline twirl from unimaginable heights if Parker was there laughing too. I could have been standing there alone, watching the dreadful drops, giving myself butterflies alone, but I’m glad Parker was there watching the rollercoaster loop [FAST] delicately. [antithesis]. Caroline does take promises very seriously though, and dragged me onto Batman- a very large roller coaster. I was terrified out of my mind, but I kept telling myself I can do this. Within ten minutes, Caroline, Parker and I were swirling in the hot, sticky air and I was having the time of my life. My braveness led to a wonderful outcome in this instance, and I'm glad that Caroline made me keep to my promise. Courage isn’t just about standing up for someone, or doing some sort of astonishing act of bravery- it’s an act of love, and willingness to stand up to your fears. It’s the willingness to dodge “bombs and bullets” for a friend, the willingness to stand up to that bully “who called you cry baby”, the willingness to love your friend.

Courage isn’t as hard as it’s made out to be- it can be as simple as riding a rollercoaster. I knew that I had made a promise to Caroline, and that I had to concur my fear in order to maintain a steady friendship. I believe that courage is more than just an act, but a way of living life, but most importantly, it can make life more interesting (loose sentence).

Timmy's England Writing

Sorry this is late, but here is my writing from England.

Day 1 Writing

I have felt three main emotions on this trip so far: exhaustion, excitement, and serenity. Exhaustion is very present because our flight left at 9 A.M. Therefore I, being a slow riser, had to wake up at 1:30 in the morning [S-V split participle phrase]. This has led to a long day. Second, I am quite excited for what is to come. I have never been to England before and have only a vague idea of what to expect. This trip will bring me new surprises and new opportunities to try new things. Finally, this trip has made me feel calm. So far we have taken a sleepy bus ride and a semi-energetic plane ride, so I have been sitting down in a tranquil state for the better part of the day. This has left me feeling very calm. These three emotions will probably show up at different times later in this trip, but I’m sure I will encounter many others along the way.

Day 2 Writing

The fence is made up of countless black pillars. They seem to radiate heat. The sun only reflects on a small part, but they all shine. They stand tall and proud, doing their job. Everything outside stays out, and everything inside is trapped there.

I’m sitting at an old picnic table. The edges are smooth and rounded from years of use. Next to me stands an ashtray. It is elevated on a cylindrical column to allow easy access from the table. The tan and white tubes sit there lazily. Most are burnt to a crisp, but all appear to gloat about the damage they’ve done.

Day 3 Writing

Today, we went to the Underground. By this, I mean that we took the subway or “the tube” as it is known locally. It was much like the subways of New York, although the station names were different, as I expected. After returning to the surface, we walked around searching for a place to eat. Finally, we came upon a small pub where we hurriedly ate some food. It was scrumptious, but we were soon off to our next destination.

Day 4 Writing

As we pass through the hustling and bustling streets of London, I can just see the top of the Tower, but my vision soon grows foggy. At first, the clouds send down a fine mist. I relish the moistness, but my thoughts soon turn sour as the sky unleashes upon us by sending down an ocean from above. We, except for the ones who brought raincoats or umbrellas, are soon drenched. We spot the visitor’s center and scurry inside. The soft pitter-patters of the rain lead my eyes into the distance where they get lost in the stormy skies. I soon notice movement. Tom Wheeler, an old classmate, has returned. We talk of old topics, of new ones, and everything else in between. Time flies quickly by, and the rain has stopped. We gather our things and head off for our next destination.

Day 5 Writing – Sonnet

The Sky

The Sky is truly a wondrous thing.
It can make you feel happy or sad,
Or particularly glum if the weather is bad.
If the sun shines bright, you may just want to sing!

If the wind is just right, you could hear a slight ring,
Which alone could make you quite glad,
Or transport you back to a lass or a lad.
The sky alone can improve everything.

At night, the sky begins to change.
Instead of excite or depress, it make you calm;
Honestly, the sky is very strange.

You could feel washed over by a healing balm.
The vast blueness could even arrange
For you to be rid of every qualm.

Day 6 Writing

Here is sit in the classroom. Names of past students are carved into the wall. I look through the parted curtains towards the uninviting sky. Gray and dangerous, it looks back at me. I avert my eyes and think back upon the day. The thick walls at Windsor Castle, the portrait-lined rooms, and the Chapel at Eton came to mind. Our audio-guided tour of the castle was, although a bit strange, quite interesting. Did you know that if a knight was cast out of his kingdom, his shield was kept on the ceiling, but the coat of arms was removed? He would not be forgotten for the crime he committed. This sin could be brought back to haunt others, keep them in line, or for no reason at all. This day has involved a lot of walking, and I am, for now, content to relax, write, and watch the weather. The cloudy skies may take a turn for the worse.

Day 7 Writing

The train glides along at a steady pace. Cities, farms, and many a tree pass by my window-side. After being in the city for so long, it is nice to get a break. The rolling green hills flow out into the distance. Some are pure green, but others and speckled with sheep and other animals. As it speeds along the track, the train hardly makes a sound. A small hum can be heard, but it is soothing rather than aggravating. It seems to invite sleep rather than scare it away. I am not impervious to its spell. My eyelids grow heavy, but then they snap open to finish writing.

March 5 2009
On the Plane:
A paragraph on what I’ve seen, felt and heard so far
During the international studies program so far, I’ve seen, heard and felt many emotions. The main emotion that hit me the hardest was taking off. Hearing the roar of the engine, watching the planes take off and feeling my stomach drop as we drifted upward into the vast sky, was the worst feeling in the word. Every nerve in my body was shot, and I’m already dreading the landing process. Another strong emotion that hit me at 2 A.M. this morning was hearing my fellow classmates laugh and talk. Kyle and I, laughing uncontrollably were so extremely tired this morning. I think we may have been the loudest on the bus, but hearing the quiet murmur of our class made me realize that we indeed were going to England. The last emotion that has struck me fairly hard was seeing my parents fade into the darkness as the bus pulled of Pine Point. Knowing that I will eventually see them again calms me, but seeing them for the last time was hard. Watching my moms camera flash flicker in the dark, seeing her tears stream down her face, and watching our plane take off, are all tough things I’ve had to go through today. All of these feelings are simply memories now, and I’m excited to venture of into England in a few hours and make more memories.


Day 2- Finally in England March 6 2009
The water trickles down the green cement block and splatters into the pond. The bubbling and splashing ring quietly in my ear along with birds chirping. The sun bathes across Lydia, Eleanor and Olivia as their minds wander off into a descriptive world. An annoying pair of men walk by, talking and laughing as loud as they wish, and the breeze suddenly starts to chill me now. The water, still rippling, looks cold and murky. The curious hippo peeks its eyes out from the cold water and looks at me. I hear children speaking in foreign languages, and our classmates giggling. The sky is flawless- not a cloud in sight. The grass sparkled almost like there were little diamonds sprinkled all over. The garden is beautifully outlined with diligent students hard at work.
Today was a very long day. We visited Dickenson’s house and we got a nice tour through his old village. After we toured his house, we were able to go outside and “chill”- this is where Kyle and I had our mini photo shoot. We posed on the elegant fences, the checkered walkways and hung from trees. After all of the walking, we had about ten minutes in the subway. As we were waiting for our stop, I tried sketching a man, but it was very difficult. The “tube” was shaking and once it was smooth again, my model had left me. I’m looking forward to the picture gallery and maybe we’ll eat in another pub like the Kings Arm earlier.

Day 4- Today we went to a flea market full of colors and many cultures. I went shopping with Caroline, Hannah and Julie, but Hannah and I were so intrigued with the clothing that we all sort of dispersed in our own directions. Hannah bought a gorgeous blue dress, topped with pearls, and I bought a very chic dress that was lined with buttons all down the sides. After we had our fun at the flea market, we walked to a curry house. The restaurant was filled with all sorts of spicy smells, but the food was not all too pleasant. Then we continued our journey to the Tower of London, where we met a long lost friend, Tom Wheeler. It was so invigorating seeing him for the first time in four years, and he still even looks the same! Next we went to the National Portrait Gallery, where we had to say our final goodbyes to Tom.

Day 5- Today we ventured to the famous Globe Theater. We took an hour workshop in which we had to come out of our shells and take that further step into Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Being able to step into the shoes of a character in the play, made the play so much more realistic to me, and made me understand even more deeply about the plot. In the workshop, we had to choose either a low class, middle class or high class person to act as. A good number of people in the class chose to be high class, either because they knew how to act like it or they just didn’t want to venture of into another world that may have made them feel uncomfortable. I chose to act in the middle class, but I think I should’ve tried to act in the lower class, and really break through my shell of shyness. Today we also went to the Ceremony of the Keys. This experience put me in awe- the theme for our ISP trip. I think it’s amazing that they’ve followed this tradition for so many years, and it was unbelievable how serious they all were. Everyone stood around watching in silence, and in great awe as the man trotted by with dignity The Tower was, once again, locked and secured and we went back to the hostel to rest.

Day 6- Now I am sitting in a classroom- a classroom engraved with students names from over one thousand years ago. Sitting in this classroom gives me such a vibe, a presence that is unbelievable. I look out the window to see the light blue sky that is covered by a shield of clouds, and think, what if a person two thousand years ago was doing the same thing I was doing now? Wondering the very future of this aging classroom, wondering the possibilities, wondering why the sky is so dark and gloomy.

Day 7-
Live as if no one cares,As if no one was labeling you, As if no one knew.Never let yourself wearThe dreaded label – do not share.This label is pointless, so whatever you do,Watch out for it – it’s attached to you.You can wash it, dry it, shake it, tearIt, but it won’t come off. The best thingTo do is ignore it. Let those whoThink it, think it. Let it bringThem enjoyment. But always know,That only you know you. Let your personality ring.Just live your life. Let yourself show.

Ceilie's ISP Writing

Day 2: Practicing Descriptive Writing

As I sit here in this unfamiliar place, I am so aware of my surroundings. The sun glares at me from above, making it hard to see the flawlessly blue sky. The chirps of the birds, the humming of the fountain water and the buzz of the distant voices fill my ears. It is pleasantly chilly, and goosebumps sprout on my arms as the wind softly whispers. My classmates are scattered in this contained area, looking much like the garden across the quaint lawn. 

Day 2:  Reflection on the First Day in London

First days are about getting acquainted with new surroundings, and today we did just that. We got familiar with the physical surroundings as well as the lifestyle that the London inhabitants lead. We first strolled down the paved streets, soaking in the living images we will be seeing for the next ten days. We then got the hang of riding the Tube, England's underground transport system. After experiencing the city's modern day culture, we went back in time to the years of Charles Dickens. We carefully explored his house and studied the artifacts from the 1800's, most of which were Dickens' personal belongings. Today was the day we got acquainted with London and the rest of this trip will be about building a strong bond with it. 

Day 4: Reflection on the Brick Lane Markets

Just walking through the Brick Lane Markets requires all of my senses to be heightened. My eyes see dozens of tents with anything from food to clothing inside. My fingers feel the hand-knitted hats and elegantly detailed dresses, as well as the temptation to grab my wallet and purchase everything I lay eyes on. My nose smells the aromas of the unique cuisine being sold. My ears hear nothing but casual exchanging of words, but not the same type of conversation I hear back home. Every voice has a different way of speaking their vowels and consonants. Each person's statements not only express their feelings and opinions, but their culture and heritage. The way they speak tells listeners where they are from, where they and their ancestors built their lives. The vast variety of accents echoing throughout the market make me aware of how one common exchange of money for goods appeal to such a variety of people. As I stepped into the Brick Lane Markets, my senses were heightened and helped my knowledge of diversity heighten as well. 

Day 5: My Sonnet

Our steps click on the cobblestone

Like they have been doing for days

The streets swerving lines like an unsolvable maze

We are surrounded by the unknown

We feel the cool air and hear the wind moan

Looking at the aged buildings withered into decay

They stand so elegantly, but still complain

About how they are always left so alone

No one walks out nor steps in

The doors stay closed and locked

In the middle of so much and still abandoned

But our traveling ears our blocked

Unable to listen

And the buildings' doors stay closed, never receiving a knock

Day 6: Reflection on Visiting the Globe Theater

It is day number six of the ISP trip and my tired body drags me across a metal bridge, the clunks beneath me each time I take a step. I then manage to stride back in time as I enter The Globe Theater. Information about William Shakespeare surrounds me. The tour guide greets us with a friendly, "Hello", and before I know it, she's rapidly spitting out facts about the history of the theater. Farther and farther back in time I travel as I clump up the wooden stairs and eventually enter the theater like an athlete triumphantly walks into an arena before a game. I sit down and simply gaze in amazement at the replica of the famous site. From the arrangement of the chairs to the detailed paintings on the boxed seats, it is all so real. I envision the actors up on stage, reciting the lines with such charisma. The audience enthralled and royalty occupying the seats made especially for them. I am soon forced to leave the theater as the play is over and I step back into today, still thinking about back then. 

Day 7: Poem About The Trip To Stratford Upon Avon

The scenes race by

And I sit here, watching

My pencil questions what to write

There is so much I could say 

About the day's busy events

About the new things I've seen 

The different things I have heard

But this time is different than the other days 

This is a day 

This is a long moment

To rest

And sit here with my three best friends

As we watch the scenes before us

Race by