Lydia's Last Essay

Lydia Schulz

Mr. H. Salsich

9 English

26 May, 2009

My Dear, Dear Friend:

An Essay on a Poem and Pine Point

      
        It is difficult to describe what it feels like to see a friend after a long time apart. You may feel excitement, happiness, affection, or sentiment (tetracolon). William Wordsworth feels all of these when he visits his old friend after five years, but instead of about a person, he feels them about Tintern Abbey. Wordsworth is clearly sentimental about this place in his poem “Tintern Abbey,” and this is analogous (FAST) how I would feel if I were to return to Pine Point after five long years.
        It is clear that William Wordsworth feels a lot of sentiment and fondness toward Tintern Abbey. One instance in which he shows this is in his repetition of the word “again.” He states, “again I hear these waters,” and, “once again I see these hedge-rows,” showing the word’s importance (participle closer). Wordsworth is remembering how it felt to be in this place and everything that has happened to him in and around the Abbey. Wordsworth also shows his love for the place by calling it, “[his] dearest friend, [his] dear, dear, friend.” Clearly, Wordsworth looks at the Abbey not as a building, but as a companion. Likewise, what he remembers of his experiences there are more meaningful, like a memory you would share with a friend. Finally, Wordsworth refers to the Abbey as his “anchor,” which indicates the solidarity of the place. The Abbey is like a constant and is something he can count on to always be there. No matter what is going on, he can go to the Abbey and reflect. William Wordsworth shows an obvious love for the place in his poem “Tintern Abbey.”
        If I am to return to Pine Point after five years of absence, there is no doubt that I, like Wordsworth, will have missed it. Throughout the years to come, I will undeniably be thinking about the school and my past experiences. I will “oft[en], in spirit, […] turn[…] to [Pine Point],” and like Wordsworth, treat it as a friend. Walking these halls once more, echoes of past experiences and memories of the school will resurface and make me wish to return. However, as much as I may feel sentimental toward this place in which I have grown up, I will need to be reminded that “that time is past.” No matter how much I wish I could go back five years, I cannot, and this will not be the case five years from now. By the time I am twenty years old, the memories of Pine Point will seem like a distant, happy time, and I know I will wish I could do it all again. Upon my return to Pine Point, I am certain I will have mixed, but mostly sentimental, feelings.
        Though my time at Pine Point is almost past, I know it will always be a home to me. Much like William Wordsworth’s sanctuary, Pine Point has been a safe place for me, and will continue to be in years to come. I can only hope that, like Wordsworth, I will have the chance to come back to this place: “my dear, dear friend.”

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Self-assessment:

1. One of my main issues that I have is that I occasionally don't proofread very well. In this essay, I made a point to read through the entire essay carefully to eliminate careless mistakes. 

2. My favorite thing about this essay was my use of quotes. I feel that all of my quotes are relevant and fit in well with the essay.

3. One weakness I see in this essay is my first body paragraph. I am afraid that I may have been a little repetitive in the first chunk.