Anthem Creative Writing
Past Present Future All say this
Beat Them
Beat who?
The dark ones
Who are the dark ones?
Don't let them escape.
They must know who
is in charge.
Oh, you mean the people we
secretly segregate?
Beat them.
I agree.
This is wrong.
Shh.
Did you hear that?
They know.
They will take our
power away.
Just act like what we
are doing is right.
It is unfair and unwise to
kill those who bleed the
same blood as our own.
You are mistaken.
For you must not be
speaking of these times.
And you are certainly not
speaking about these times either.
I speak of all times.
Including you, past,
the unspeakable time.
You are all racist. You beat
and you kill humans as if
they were animals.
Certainly not us. We are
just trying to help those
who are inferior to us.
It is called the white man's
burden.
Our time is just trying to
keep the dark ones from
overpowering us. It is called
self-defense.
We must contain them.
We must not let history
repeat itself. We must not
speak of any times. If we don't
speak, people won't know
evil, and such things won't
occur.
Shh.
Beat Them
Beat who?
The dark ones
Who are the dark ones?
Don't let them escape.
They must know who
is in charge.
Oh, you mean the people we
secretly segregate?
Beat them.
I agree.
This is wrong.
Shh.
Did you hear that?
They know.
They will take our
power away.
Just act like what we
are doing is right.
It is unfair and unwise to
kill those who bleed the
same blood as our own.
You are mistaken.
For you must not be
speaking of these times.
And you are certainly not
speaking about these times either.
I speak of all times.
Including you, past,
the unspeakable time.
You are all racist. You beat
and you kill humans as if
they were animals.
Certainly not us. We are
just trying to help those
who are inferior to us.
It is called the white man's
burden.
Our time is just trying to
keep the dark ones from
overpowering us. It is called
self-defense.
We must contain them.
We must not let history
repeat itself. We must not
speak of any times. If we don't
speak, people won't know
evil, and such things won't
occur.
Shh.
Lord of the Flies Essay
Victoria Almeida
Mrs. Trujillo
English 9 Pre-AP
16 May 2018
Lord of the Flies: Boys versus Evil
“There is a constant struggle between good and evil in the world. It is up to good people to choose the right side.” -Nelson Mandela. It is no secret that good and bad exist since the beginning of times. There can not be good without bad or bad without good. However, one always seems to overpower the other; and that is okay because no one is perfect. What matters is that people are able to find their balance again. The only time people will be lost, is when they choose to stop searching for goodness in themselves. Lord of the Flies is one of the few books that truly captures human nature. The book by William Golding is about a group of boys who crash on an island after being evacuated from England, who is currently at war with other countries. The boys end up stranded on the island with no adults; which forces them to take care of themselves. However, as the boys clash with each other for power, they unleash their evil nature. Golding draws attention to the evil nature in humans when he uses little boys as the victims. This is because children are innocent and free of nasty feelings which adults collect through life; and when you see them turn into evil savages you realize that the evil nature in humans does not spare anyone. Not even children. As the book develops, the lack of society, values, and adult guidance unleashes the boys’ evil human nature. This causes them to lose their innocence and become evil.
In the beginning of the story, the boys, who have recently separated from civilization, decide it is important to keep civilization and continue the ways they have been taught. Therefore, the boys decide: “We’ve got to have a rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything” (Golding 40). It is extremely significant for the boys to say this because they acknowledge that they come from a civilized country. However, by the end of the story, they will become savages which is completely the opposite of how they describe themselves at the beginning. Starting out their journey, the boys know that their goal is to “sooner or later… be rescued” (Golding 35). Again, the boys’ values are very important because it makes it clear that the boys know who they are and how they should behave. However, as the story reaches its climax, the boys’ values change and cause a plot twist in the story.
Towards the middle of the story, the boys rely heavily on the island for their survival. Due to their dependence on the island, the boys start to forget about civilization. This awakens their savage qualities. Their new lifestyle starts when Jack, the hunter, took war paint and “...made one cheek and one eye socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of his face…” (Golding 58). Soon after Jack painted his face more boys joined and the mask became “...a thing of its own… liberated from shame and self-consciousness… the mask compelled them” (Golding 58). This clearly points out the moment when the boys lose their civilization and become one with nature. As it can be seen in the quote above, the war paint becomes a symbol of savagery. It makes the boys forget who they are and leads them into their evil nature. Adding to this, the boys start hunting. The act of hunting was initially just a way to get food in order to survive. However, like all other things, the human nature in the boys turns it into a symbol of evil. As the boys hunt, they chant to drown their fears: “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in” (Golding 68). These actions create a disagreement between the two main characters, Ralph and Jack. Ralph didn’t forget where he came from, and therefore, he tries to keep civilization for as long as he can. Jack, however, was quick to forget who he was and too soon gives into his evil nature. The disagreement between these two characters leads to the creation of two distinct tribes. Sadly, Jack’s savage tribe becomes more popular among the boys because Jack lets them do whatever they want as long as they listen to him. Jack’s tribe soon loses control and kills one of the boys named Simon during one of their chanting rituals. “‘Him! Him! … A thing was crawling out of the forest… ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’… The sticks fell and the mouth of the new circle crunched and screamed. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws… Presently the heap broke up and figures staggered away… Simon’s dead body moved out toward the open sea” (Golding 139, 140). The quote above highlights the brutal killing of Simon during one of the boys’ chanting rituals. It can be disputed whether or not the boys truly realize that they were killing one of their own. In any case, it is indisputable that the boys went out of control and killed mercilessly; and that is what led them to choose evil over and over again.
As the story reaches the end, the boys completely unleash their evil side and intentionally cause the death of another boy named Piggy. “Highly overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever. Ralph hear the great rock before he even saw it… The rock struck Piggy… the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist… Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea” (Golding 164, 165). In this quote it is clear to see that Roger, Jack’s right-hand man, purposely kills Piggy, Ralph’s right-hand man; and instead of using his horrible deed to change, Roger lets it feed his evilness. Shortly after, the boys get bored and decide since they already killed two boys, why not add one more to the list? This is when they boys start going after the only hope humanity had left: Ralph. As he ran away from the boys, he screamed “… a scream of fright and anger and desperation…” he “… forgot his wounds, his hunger and thirst, and became fear” and then, “... he was down, rolling over and over in the warm sand… trying to cry for mercy” (Golding 181, 182). Thankfully, as Ralph cries for mercy, a naval officer appears in front of him and saves Ralph’s life with his presence. It is in this moment where the evil in the boys becomes undeniable. It reinforces that evil is dangerous and once chosen, causes people, including kids, to become lost. It proves that evil is human nature and that the only things that stop humans from being lost forever is society, guidance, and values. This can be seen in the boys when they are about to kill Ralph. The only thing that stops them is the adult figure standing in front of them which immediately makes them realize that what they are doing is wrong.
In conclusion, Lord of the Flies by William Golding depicts that human nature is evil. In the book, both children and adults fall victims to their own evil nature. The adults let their evil side get the best of them, so they go to war and cause the evacuation of the boys. Subsequently, the boys are forced out of society and challenged to survive on their own. Therefore, as time goes by, the boys rely more on nature, deviate from their civil ways, and choose evil. And they keep choosing evil over and over again even though at the beginning they believed themselves to be civil. Perhaps things would have gone a differently if the boys were taught how to control their evil nature instead of being taught to contain it with civilization. And perhaps modern day society would be different if people also learned how to control their evil nature and how to help others control it. If people don’t learn how to control evil, evil will control them. And if society keeps trying to hide the truth, evil events such as school shootings, rape, and murder will continue to occur. But here is the truth: “Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity” - Xun Kuang.
Mrs. Trujillo
English 9 Pre-AP
16 May 2018
Lord of the Flies: Boys versus Evil
“There is a constant struggle between good and evil in the world. It is up to good people to choose the right side.” -Nelson Mandela. It is no secret that good and bad exist since the beginning of times. There can not be good without bad or bad without good. However, one always seems to overpower the other; and that is okay because no one is perfect. What matters is that people are able to find their balance again. The only time people will be lost, is when they choose to stop searching for goodness in themselves. Lord of the Flies is one of the few books that truly captures human nature. The book by William Golding is about a group of boys who crash on an island after being evacuated from England, who is currently at war with other countries. The boys end up stranded on the island with no adults; which forces them to take care of themselves. However, as the boys clash with each other for power, they unleash their evil nature. Golding draws attention to the evil nature in humans when he uses little boys as the victims. This is because children are innocent and free of nasty feelings which adults collect through life; and when you see them turn into evil savages you realize that the evil nature in humans does not spare anyone. Not even children. As the book develops, the lack of society, values, and adult guidance unleashes the boys’ evil human nature. This causes them to lose their innocence and become evil.
In the beginning of the story, the boys, who have recently separated from civilization, decide it is important to keep civilization and continue the ways they have been taught. Therefore, the boys decide: “We’ve got to have a rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything” (Golding 40). It is extremely significant for the boys to say this because they acknowledge that they come from a civilized country. However, by the end of the story, they will become savages which is completely the opposite of how they describe themselves at the beginning. Starting out their journey, the boys know that their goal is to “sooner or later… be rescued” (Golding 35). Again, the boys’ values are very important because it makes it clear that the boys know who they are and how they should behave. However, as the story reaches its climax, the boys’ values change and cause a plot twist in the story.
Towards the middle of the story, the boys rely heavily on the island for their survival. Due to their dependence on the island, the boys start to forget about civilization. This awakens their savage qualities. Their new lifestyle starts when Jack, the hunter, took war paint and “...made one cheek and one eye socket white, then he rubbed red over the other half of his face…” (Golding 58). Soon after Jack painted his face more boys joined and the mask became “...a thing of its own… liberated from shame and self-consciousness… the mask compelled them” (Golding 58). This clearly points out the moment when the boys lose their civilization and become one with nature. As it can be seen in the quote above, the war paint becomes a symbol of savagery. It makes the boys forget who they are and leads them into their evil nature. Adding to this, the boys start hunting. The act of hunting was initially just a way to get food in order to survive. However, like all other things, the human nature in the boys turns it into a symbol of evil. As the boys hunt, they chant to drown their fears: “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in” (Golding 68). These actions create a disagreement between the two main characters, Ralph and Jack. Ralph didn’t forget where he came from, and therefore, he tries to keep civilization for as long as he can. Jack, however, was quick to forget who he was and too soon gives into his evil nature. The disagreement between these two characters leads to the creation of two distinct tribes. Sadly, Jack’s savage tribe becomes more popular among the boys because Jack lets them do whatever they want as long as they listen to him. Jack’s tribe soon loses control and kills one of the boys named Simon during one of their chanting rituals. “‘Him! Him! … A thing was crawling out of the forest… ‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!’… The sticks fell and the mouth of the new circle crunched and screamed. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws… Presently the heap broke up and figures staggered away… Simon’s dead body moved out toward the open sea” (Golding 139, 140). The quote above highlights the brutal killing of Simon during one of the boys’ chanting rituals. It can be disputed whether or not the boys truly realize that they were killing one of their own. In any case, it is indisputable that the boys went out of control and killed mercilessly; and that is what led them to choose evil over and over again.
As the story reaches the end, the boys completely unleash their evil side and intentionally cause the death of another boy named Piggy. “Highly overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever. Ralph hear the great rock before he even saw it… The rock struck Piggy… the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist… Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea” (Golding 164, 165). In this quote it is clear to see that Roger, Jack’s right-hand man, purposely kills Piggy, Ralph’s right-hand man; and instead of using his horrible deed to change, Roger lets it feed his evilness. Shortly after, the boys get bored and decide since they already killed two boys, why not add one more to the list? This is when they boys start going after the only hope humanity had left: Ralph. As he ran away from the boys, he screamed “… a scream of fright and anger and desperation…” he “… forgot his wounds, his hunger and thirst, and became fear” and then, “... he was down, rolling over and over in the warm sand… trying to cry for mercy” (Golding 181, 182). Thankfully, as Ralph cries for mercy, a naval officer appears in front of him and saves Ralph’s life with his presence. It is in this moment where the evil in the boys becomes undeniable. It reinforces that evil is dangerous and once chosen, causes people, including kids, to become lost. It proves that evil is human nature and that the only things that stop humans from being lost forever is society, guidance, and values. This can be seen in the boys when they are about to kill Ralph. The only thing that stops them is the adult figure standing in front of them which immediately makes them realize that what they are doing is wrong.
In conclusion, Lord of the Flies by William Golding depicts that human nature is evil. In the book, both children and adults fall victims to their own evil nature. The adults let their evil side get the best of them, so they go to war and cause the evacuation of the boys. Subsequently, the boys are forced out of society and challenged to survive on their own. Therefore, as time goes by, the boys rely more on nature, deviate from their civil ways, and choose evil. And they keep choosing evil over and over again even though at the beginning they believed themselves to be civil. Perhaps things would have gone a differently if the boys were taught how to control their evil nature instead of being taught to contain it with civilization. And perhaps modern day society would be different if people also learned how to control their evil nature and how to help others control it. If people don’t learn how to control evil, evil will control them. And if society keeps trying to hide the truth, evil events such as school shootings, rape, and murder will continue to occur. But here is the truth: “Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity” - Xun Kuang.
Two Voices Poem
Simon Both say Jack
I just wanted to tell them the truth
I wanted to keep my power
I wanted them to know that there was no danger
I wanted them to feel fear
The beast didn’t exist
Even though the beast didn’t exist
I ran, I yelled, I thought they could hear me
I saw him coming from a distance
I saw them. They were out of control
I had to make a decision
If I let him live, I would lose power
If I didn’t tell them, fear would overwhelm them
I decided to kill him
I decided to approach them
I killed him
I died
In vain
They never knew the truth
I lost power eventually
I don’t know if I did the right thing
Is there even a way of knowing what is right?
I need to find a way to calm my hunger
I’ll never live to know what happened
I’ll never have power again
But at least I tried.
I just wanted to tell them the truth
I wanted to keep my power
I wanted them to know that there was no danger
I wanted them to feel fear
The beast didn’t exist
Even though the beast didn’t exist
I ran, I yelled, I thought they could hear me
I saw him coming from a distance
I saw them. They were out of control
I had to make a decision
If I let him live, I would lose power
If I didn’t tell them, fear would overwhelm them
I decided to kill him
I decided to approach them
I killed him
I died
In vain
They never knew the truth
I lost power eventually
I don’t know if I did the right thing
Is there even a way of knowing what is right?
I need to find a way to calm my hunger
I’ll never live to know what happened
I’ll never have power again
But at least I tried.
Two Voices Poem
Island Both Say This Lord of the Flies
Serene, homely, breathtaking.
That is what describes me. Malicious, vile, cruel. That is what describes me.
I bring hapiness, relaxation
and new beginnings.
I bring fear, chaos, and distress.
But most of all, I bring death.
Something within me is evil
I look to believe there is something good in me.
Its a yingyang.
But I’m afraid that one day the evil in me
will overshadow the good
I can not let the good grow more than the evil in me.
I need to find a balance before its too late.
Fire
Ritual
Rock
Its too late
They chose the evil within me
They chose me
Now evil is within them
Now I possess them
They need to control it
But by the time they learn to control me
It will be too late
I bring death
Serene, homely, breathtaking.
That is what describes me. Malicious, vile, cruel. That is what describes me.
I bring hapiness, relaxation
and new beginnings.
I bring fear, chaos, and distress.
But most of all, I bring death.
Something within me is evil
I look to believe there is something good in me.
Its a yingyang.
But I’m afraid that one day the evil in me
will overshadow the good
I can not let the good grow more than the evil in me.
I need to find a balance before its too late.
Fire
Ritual
Rock
Its too late
They chose the evil within me
They chose me
Now evil is within them
Now I possess them
They need to control it
But by the time they learn to control me
It will be too late
I bring death
Romeo and Juliet Essay
Victoria Almeida
Mrs. Trujillo
English 9 Pre-AP
15 March 2018
Romeo and Juliet: Change
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” - Mandy Hale. Indeed, change and growth are two very painful and hard things that everyone must experience in life. But change is life, and without it life turns into death. Shakespeare’s story of Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy of two inexperienced lovers who do not change. Romeo is one of the few characters in Romeo and Juliet that barely evolves. From the beginning of the story, Romeo is a superficial, immature, and stubborn young man. At the end of the story, Romeo maintains most of these qualities. Thus, Romeo’s immaturity and stubbornness leads to complications in the story which will eventually kill him and his lover.
Starting out the play, Romeo is depressed and brokenhearted about a girl named Rosaline who does not love him back. Romeo decides he will not accept rejection so instead of getting over it and continuing his life, he shuts himself out from his family and the world. Romeo’s attitude towards something so ridiculous demonstrates his immaturity towards life and the problems that come with it. Soon, everyone around him, including his father and his cousin, notice Romeo’s attitude and start to worry about Romeo’s health. Subsequently, Romeo’s cousin, Mercutio, talks to Romeo and convinces him to go to a party where he could look at other girls and forget about Rosaline. In the end, Romeo goes to the party and falls in love with Juliet. After five minutes of knowing each other, Romeo and Juliet kiss twice and express their feelings of “love” towards each other. Romeo’s immediate love for Juliet is an example of Romeo’s superficiality. Romeo did not know who Juliet was at all. He did not know Juliet’s intentions, her goals in life, or even her last name. Therefore, Romeo could have only been in love with her appearance. Romeo’s superficiality also shows immaturity because when a person falls in love with another one it is usually because they have similar interests and they like each other for who they are, not what they look like. After the party, Romeo finds out Juliet is a Capulet; this means that Juliet’s family (Capulets) is his family’s enemy (Montagues). However, because Romeo is so stubborn and persistent he risks his safety and jumps over the Capulet wall late at night into Capulet territory. He then makes his way to Juliet’s balcony where they make their love was made official and they agreed to marry the next day.
Further into the story, after Romeo and Juliet secretly married, Romeo ended up in a fight where he killed Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt. When the Prince of Verona found that Romeo killed Tybalt, he banishes Romeo to Mantua because he does not tolerate the hatred and violence between the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo’s banishment however, was not enough for Romeo to stop fighting against the current and give up his love for Juliet; so he persisted and sneaked back into the Capulet’s house to seal the deal with Juliet. After Romeo left to go to Mantua, Juliet convinced Friar Lawrence, the priest who married them, that she could not live without Romeo. Friar Lawrence then came up with a plan that would jeopardize Juliet’s health and would put her in her family’s tomb. The plan relied on delivery of important messages and time. Juliet was supposed to take a potion that would make her seem dead so she would be put in her family’s tomb. Simultaneously, Romeo was supposed to receive a message from Friar John that informed him of the plan so he could sneak into the tomb and save her before she woke up. However, Friar John was not able to make it to Mantua in time so when Romeo heard from his friend about Juliet’s death, he thought it was real. Romeo went to the Capulet’s tomb and saw Juliet sleeping. However, Romeo had no idea that Juliet was going to wake up in a few minutes, so Romeo kills himself out of desperation. Shortly after Romeo died, Juliet woke up in the tomb and saw Romeo lying dead next to her. When Juliet saw him, she could not accept Romeo’s death so she too killed herself.
In the end of the story, Romeo overcame his superficiality and took his feelings towards Juliet extremely real and profound. However, Romeo remained stubborn and immature even though he had many obstacles that he could have used as lessons to learn from. Romeo even had people such as Friar Lawrence to guide him. Friar Lawrence advised him to take things slow and to control his emotions. However, Romeo did not listen to Friar Lawrence and/or learn from the obstacles in his life.
In conclusion, the reason why Romeo and Juliet ends so tragically is because people such as Romeo do not evolve. Romeo remains stuck in a problem that had multiple solutions, but due to his unchanging stubbornness and immaturity the only solution he saw was death. From Romeo’s personality throughout Romeo and Juliet, the reader learns that in life people have to change in order to live. The moment people stop changing, humans stop existing.
Mrs. Trujillo
English 9 Pre-AP
15 March 2018
Romeo and Juliet: Change
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” - Mandy Hale. Indeed, change and growth are two very painful and hard things that everyone must experience in life. But change is life, and without it life turns into death. Shakespeare’s story of Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy of two inexperienced lovers who do not change. Romeo is one of the few characters in Romeo and Juliet that barely evolves. From the beginning of the story, Romeo is a superficial, immature, and stubborn young man. At the end of the story, Romeo maintains most of these qualities. Thus, Romeo’s immaturity and stubbornness leads to complications in the story which will eventually kill him and his lover.
Starting out the play, Romeo is depressed and brokenhearted about a girl named Rosaline who does not love him back. Romeo decides he will not accept rejection so instead of getting over it and continuing his life, he shuts himself out from his family and the world. Romeo’s attitude towards something so ridiculous demonstrates his immaturity towards life and the problems that come with it. Soon, everyone around him, including his father and his cousin, notice Romeo’s attitude and start to worry about Romeo’s health. Subsequently, Romeo’s cousin, Mercutio, talks to Romeo and convinces him to go to a party where he could look at other girls and forget about Rosaline. In the end, Romeo goes to the party and falls in love with Juliet. After five minutes of knowing each other, Romeo and Juliet kiss twice and express their feelings of “love” towards each other. Romeo’s immediate love for Juliet is an example of Romeo’s superficiality. Romeo did not know who Juliet was at all. He did not know Juliet’s intentions, her goals in life, or even her last name. Therefore, Romeo could have only been in love with her appearance. Romeo’s superficiality also shows immaturity because when a person falls in love with another one it is usually because they have similar interests and they like each other for who they are, not what they look like. After the party, Romeo finds out Juliet is a Capulet; this means that Juliet’s family (Capulets) is his family’s enemy (Montagues). However, because Romeo is so stubborn and persistent he risks his safety and jumps over the Capulet wall late at night into Capulet territory. He then makes his way to Juliet’s balcony where they make their love was made official and they agreed to marry the next day.
Further into the story, after Romeo and Juliet secretly married, Romeo ended up in a fight where he killed Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt. When the Prince of Verona found that Romeo killed Tybalt, he banishes Romeo to Mantua because he does not tolerate the hatred and violence between the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo’s banishment however, was not enough for Romeo to stop fighting against the current and give up his love for Juliet; so he persisted and sneaked back into the Capulet’s house to seal the deal with Juliet. After Romeo left to go to Mantua, Juliet convinced Friar Lawrence, the priest who married them, that she could not live without Romeo. Friar Lawrence then came up with a plan that would jeopardize Juliet’s health and would put her in her family’s tomb. The plan relied on delivery of important messages and time. Juliet was supposed to take a potion that would make her seem dead so she would be put in her family’s tomb. Simultaneously, Romeo was supposed to receive a message from Friar John that informed him of the plan so he could sneak into the tomb and save her before she woke up. However, Friar John was not able to make it to Mantua in time so when Romeo heard from his friend about Juliet’s death, he thought it was real. Romeo went to the Capulet’s tomb and saw Juliet sleeping. However, Romeo had no idea that Juliet was going to wake up in a few minutes, so Romeo kills himself out of desperation. Shortly after Romeo died, Juliet woke up in the tomb and saw Romeo lying dead next to her. When Juliet saw him, she could not accept Romeo’s death so she too killed herself.
In the end of the story, Romeo overcame his superficiality and took his feelings towards Juliet extremely real and profound. However, Romeo remained stubborn and immature even though he had many obstacles that he could have used as lessons to learn from. Romeo even had people such as Friar Lawrence to guide him. Friar Lawrence advised him to take things slow and to control his emotions. However, Romeo did not listen to Friar Lawrence and/or learn from the obstacles in his life.
In conclusion, the reason why Romeo and Juliet ends so tragically is because people such as Romeo do not evolve. Romeo remains stuck in a problem that had multiple solutions, but due to his unchanging stubbornness and immaturity the only solution he saw was death. From Romeo’s personality throughout Romeo and Juliet, the reader learns that in life people have to change in order to live. The moment people stop changing, humans stop existing.
Found Poem
Towards him I gladly fled, all so soon away from home and in his chamber. But he willingly struck me so fast out of love, why?
Context Paragraph
The words in the poem came from the scene where Benvolio and Lord Montague conversed Romeo's attitude during his obsession with Rosaline. The scene consisted of Lord Montague asking Benvolio to figure out what was going on with Romeo and why he was shutting himself out from the world. My found poem twisted Romeo's sadness and Montague's worries into a confession by Juliet about her love with Romeo. My found poem features Juliet's intense love for Romeo where she gave her body, soul, and blood for him. Then it shows Juliet's confusion and grief about the end of her love with Romeo due to his death.
Odyssey Essay
Victoria Almeida
Mrs. Trujillo
Eng. Pre-Ap 9
27 Nov 2017
The Metaphor of Life
“Life is problems. Living is solving problems.” -Raymond E. Feist, Silverthorn. Indeed, life is problems, and living is learning from them and discovering different ways to keep moving forward in life. Take a child, for example; as the child lives he grows up and addresses the growing issues that come into his life. Living is maturing, overcoming obstacles, and learning from them. The quote is an excellent representation Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey. At the beginning of the story, Odysseus acts in wrong ways just like children do when they are discovering life. Through the middle of the story, Odysseus has to overcome many obstacles that teach him many lessons just like an adult’s life would. Finally, as Odysseus reaches the end of his journey, he realizes that the obstacles are just as important as his destination. This would be the experience of an older person as they retire and reach their destination which teaches them that the journey is what truly matters in life. Taking into account all that was just pointed out, Odysseus’s journey in The Odyssey is a metaphor for life. His journey, like life, is the development of the character or person through different phases and obstacles.
At the beginning of The Odyssey, Odysseus acts in wrong ways when he lets his curiosity, arrogance, and irresponsibility get the best of him which gets him in trouble later on in the story. The beginning of Odysseus’ journey would be like a person’s childhood because kids act in wrong ways that get them in trouble as well. For instance, when Odysseus meets the Cyclop, Polyphemus, at the beginning of the story, an example of his curiosity is when he says: “I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer…” (130-131). When Odysseus says this he is deciding to leave his current island where he is safe, to explore the island with big caves that is in front of his current location. His curiosity is a child-like quality because it leads him out of safety and into danger with no true necessity. Another one of Odysseus’ qualities is arrogance. An example of his arrogance is when he tells Polyphemus: “‘Punny, am I, in a Caveman’s hands? How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal? Eater of guests under your own roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!’” (391-394). When Odysseus says those things to Polyphemus, he had just escaped his cave by stabbing him in the eye and tying himself to sheep that were galloping out of the cave. After he escaped, he acted like a child and decided to be arrogant about his victory to anger the Cyclop. And as if his previous words weren’t angering enough, Odysseus adds on to his speech: “‘If I could take your life I would and take your time away, and hurl you down to hell! The god of earthquake could not heal you there!’” (438-440). When Odysseus yells at the Cyclop once again, his shipmates are surprised and reply to him: “‘Godsake, Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!’” (408-409). His action with the Cyclop demonstrates irresponsibility which is another one of his qualities. Thereupon, Odysseus’ curiosity, arrogance, and irresponsible actions cost him ten years of his life at sea. Odysseus’ erroneous behavior would be like a child getting grounded after making a mistake. The relationship between Odysseus’ consequential personality and a child’s consequential personality, reveals that the beginning of his journey represents the beginning of life.
Toward the middle of Odysseus’ journey, he is lost at sea and faces many struggles which help him mature. Growing and maturing while overcoming struggles is something people in adulthood are constantly doing as well. An example of learning in Odysseus’ journey is when he is on his way to save his men from Circe “...he meets the god Hermes, who gives him a magical plant called moly to protect him from Circe’s power” (387). During that moment Odysseus has an internal conflict where he needs to decide if he should or should not trust Hermes. If Odysseus chooses to take the moly, but Hermes is lying, he could get poisoned. But if he doesn’t choose to take the moly he is facing a risk of potentially getting turned into an animal by Circe. In the end, Odysseus accepts the moly, which, by the way, does save him from Circe’s power. This experience teaches Odysseus that sometimes people have to take risks and trust others. Odysseus’ experience with trust is a connection to real life because adults have to choose to trust people and take risks in their lives as well. Another struggle that Odysseus overcomes is agreeing to the sacrification of his belongings to get his prophecy. The following quote illustrates the moment Odysseus is in the underworld and agrees to make sacrifices: “‘Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead, vowing to slaughter my best heifer for them before she calved, at home in Ithaca, and burn the choice bits on the altar fire; as for Tiresias, I swore to sacrifice a black lamb, handsomes of all our flock’” (1-6). The sacrifices described in the quote are very similar to what people do in real life. Comparatively, someone would sacrifice their time and money to take care of their children and help them grow up to be people of good. Lastly, in The Odyssey, Odysseus had to make tough choices to try to save his men from death. For instance, Odysseus had to decide between going through the Scylla or Charybdis (which are both deadly monsters but have different limitations). He also had to decide if he was going to tell his men that no matter which way they chose to travel, his men were going to die. The following quote explains Odysseus’ decision. “‘But as I sent them toward Scylla, I told them nothing as they could do nothing. They would have dropped their oars again, in panic, to roll for cover under the decking’” (161-164). Odysseus’ decision signifies that when he chose to go through Scylla and not tell his men, he was thinking about what was best for the whole crew. Odysseus’ decision functions as an example in real life because adults also have to make tough decisions that are what is best for the majority of the people involved. Just like Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey, in life, people have to trust, make sacrifices, and make tough choices to keep going. As shown, Odysseus’ time at sea is a metaphor for the struggles in life during adulthood.
Nearing the end of Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey, Homer reveals Odysseus’ new qualities such as selflessness, patience, and the acknowledgment of a greater power. When Homer reveals these qualities, he is proposing that Odysseus’ struggles and overall journey are what helped him change for the better. Which, in the same manner, is how people change in life. For example, when Odysseus finally arrives home, and he awakens from his deep sleep on the boat, “...he fails to recognize his homeland until Athena appears and tells him that he is indeed home. She disguises him as an old man so that he can surprise the suitors…” (401). When Odysseus accedes to disguise himself as an old man, he gave up looking like the big hero he is. He also gave up demonstrating to his wife and son that he is alive and back home. Giving these things up took a lot of selflessness which is something that Odysseus acquired after struggling and suffering for ten years at sea. Next, “Odysseus enters his home as a beggar, and the suitors mock and abuse him. Penelope asks to speak to the beggar, but Odysseus puts her off until nightfall” (402). Odysseus’ actions resemble his new quality: patience. When Odysseus puts off his wife, he had a great deal of patience and self-control because he did not let his nostalgia and rage toward the suitors get the best of him. He knew that if he did, then his prophecy wouldn’t be met. Finally, at the end of his journey, Odysseus understands the biggest lesson that Poseidon was trying to teach him which was that men are nothing without gods. Odysseus learns his lesson and demonstrates it when he is about to shoot an arrow through twelve ax heads: “‘...Your clean-cut game is over. Now watch me hit a target that no man has hit before if I can make this shot. Help me, Apollo’” (4-6). In this quote, Odysseus tells Apollo to help him with his shot which shows humbleness and the acceptance that Apollo is more powerful than him. Odysseus’ realization is just like someone discovering that having faith in the gods is the most important thing to have to thrive and be truly happy in life. In conclusion, as Odysseus reaches the end of his journey in The Odyssey, he learns new lessons that change who he was to someone better. Odysseus evolution completed with success and failure over time is an example of a person's evolution through the journey of life.
Given these points, it is clear to see that Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey is a metaphor for life. His journey has obvious relationships with the real world, considering that Odysseus’ evolution is just like a person’s evolution in real life. They both make mistakes, overcome the obstacles that come into their life, learn from them, and finally use their knowledge to become a better person. Next time, while reading a piece of literature, think about its meaning. Why did someone sacrifice their time to write it? What point were they trying to get across to the reader? Ask these questions not only to understand the book better but to learn new lessons to become a better person. After all, “Books can change your life. Some of the most influential people in our lives are characters we meet in books.” -David Mccullough.
Mrs. Trujillo
Eng. Pre-Ap 9
27 Nov 2017
The Metaphor of Life
“Life is problems. Living is solving problems.” -Raymond E. Feist, Silverthorn. Indeed, life is problems, and living is learning from them and discovering different ways to keep moving forward in life. Take a child, for example; as the child lives he grows up and addresses the growing issues that come into his life. Living is maturing, overcoming obstacles, and learning from them. The quote is an excellent representation Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey. At the beginning of the story, Odysseus acts in wrong ways just like children do when they are discovering life. Through the middle of the story, Odysseus has to overcome many obstacles that teach him many lessons just like an adult’s life would. Finally, as Odysseus reaches the end of his journey, he realizes that the obstacles are just as important as his destination. This would be the experience of an older person as they retire and reach their destination which teaches them that the journey is what truly matters in life. Taking into account all that was just pointed out, Odysseus’s journey in The Odyssey is a metaphor for life. His journey, like life, is the development of the character or person through different phases and obstacles.
At the beginning of The Odyssey, Odysseus acts in wrong ways when he lets his curiosity, arrogance, and irresponsibility get the best of him which gets him in trouble later on in the story. The beginning of Odysseus’ journey would be like a person’s childhood because kids act in wrong ways that get them in trouble as well. For instance, when Odysseus meets the Cyclop, Polyphemus, at the beginning of the story, an example of his curiosity is when he says: “I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer…” (130-131). When Odysseus says this he is deciding to leave his current island where he is safe, to explore the island with big caves that is in front of his current location. His curiosity is a child-like quality because it leads him out of safety and into danger with no true necessity. Another one of Odysseus’ qualities is arrogance. An example of his arrogance is when he tells Polyphemus: “‘Punny, am I, in a Caveman’s hands? How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal? Eater of guests under your own roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!’” (391-394). When Odysseus says those things to Polyphemus, he had just escaped his cave by stabbing him in the eye and tying himself to sheep that were galloping out of the cave. After he escaped, he acted like a child and decided to be arrogant about his victory to anger the Cyclop. And as if his previous words weren’t angering enough, Odysseus adds on to his speech: “‘If I could take your life I would and take your time away, and hurl you down to hell! The god of earthquake could not heal you there!’” (438-440). When Odysseus yells at the Cyclop once again, his shipmates are surprised and reply to him: “‘Godsake, Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!’” (408-409). His action with the Cyclop demonstrates irresponsibility which is another one of his qualities. Thereupon, Odysseus’ curiosity, arrogance, and irresponsible actions cost him ten years of his life at sea. Odysseus’ erroneous behavior would be like a child getting grounded after making a mistake. The relationship between Odysseus’ consequential personality and a child’s consequential personality, reveals that the beginning of his journey represents the beginning of life.
Toward the middle of Odysseus’ journey, he is lost at sea and faces many struggles which help him mature. Growing and maturing while overcoming struggles is something people in adulthood are constantly doing as well. An example of learning in Odysseus’ journey is when he is on his way to save his men from Circe “...he meets the god Hermes, who gives him a magical plant called moly to protect him from Circe’s power” (387). During that moment Odysseus has an internal conflict where he needs to decide if he should or should not trust Hermes. If Odysseus chooses to take the moly, but Hermes is lying, he could get poisoned. But if he doesn’t choose to take the moly he is facing a risk of potentially getting turned into an animal by Circe. In the end, Odysseus accepts the moly, which, by the way, does save him from Circe’s power. This experience teaches Odysseus that sometimes people have to take risks and trust others. Odysseus’ experience with trust is a connection to real life because adults have to choose to trust people and take risks in their lives as well. Another struggle that Odysseus overcomes is agreeing to the sacrification of his belongings to get his prophecy. The following quote illustrates the moment Odysseus is in the underworld and agrees to make sacrifices: “‘Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead, vowing to slaughter my best heifer for them before she calved, at home in Ithaca, and burn the choice bits on the altar fire; as for Tiresias, I swore to sacrifice a black lamb, handsomes of all our flock’” (1-6). The sacrifices described in the quote are very similar to what people do in real life. Comparatively, someone would sacrifice their time and money to take care of their children and help them grow up to be people of good. Lastly, in The Odyssey, Odysseus had to make tough choices to try to save his men from death. For instance, Odysseus had to decide between going through the Scylla or Charybdis (which are both deadly monsters but have different limitations). He also had to decide if he was going to tell his men that no matter which way they chose to travel, his men were going to die. The following quote explains Odysseus’ decision. “‘But as I sent them toward Scylla, I told them nothing as they could do nothing. They would have dropped their oars again, in panic, to roll for cover under the decking’” (161-164). Odysseus’ decision signifies that when he chose to go through Scylla and not tell his men, he was thinking about what was best for the whole crew. Odysseus’ decision functions as an example in real life because adults also have to make tough decisions that are what is best for the majority of the people involved. Just like Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey, in life, people have to trust, make sacrifices, and make tough choices to keep going. As shown, Odysseus’ time at sea is a metaphor for the struggles in life during adulthood.
Nearing the end of Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey, Homer reveals Odysseus’ new qualities such as selflessness, patience, and the acknowledgment of a greater power. When Homer reveals these qualities, he is proposing that Odysseus’ struggles and overall journey are what helped him change for the better. Which, in the same manner, is how people change in life. For example, when Odysseus finally arrives home, and he awakens from his deep sleep on the boat, “...he fails to recognize his homeland until Athena appears and tells him that he is indeed home. She disguises him as an old man so that he can surprise the suitors…” (401). When Odysseus accedes to disguise himself as an old man, he gave up looking like the big hero he is. He also gave up demonstrating to his wife and son that he is alive and back home. Giving these things up took a lot of selflessness which is something that Odysseus acquired after struggling and suffering for ten years at sea. Next, “Odysseus enters his home as a beggar, and the suitors mock and abuse him. Penelope asks to speak to the beggar, but Odysseus puts her off until nightfall” (402). Odysseus’ actions resemble his new quality: patience. When Odysseus puts off his wife, he had a great deal of patience and self-control because he did not let his nostalgia and rage toward the suitors get the best of him. He knew that if he did, then his prophecy wouldn’t be met. Finally, at the end of his journey, Odysseus understands the biggest lesson that Poseidon was trying to teach him which was that men are nothing without gods. Odysseus learns his lesson and demonstrates it when he is about to shoot an arrow through twelve ax heads: “‘...Your clean-cut game is over. Now watch me hit a target that no man has hit before if I can make this shot. Help me, Apollo’” (4-6). In this quote, Odysseus tells Apollo to help him with his shot which shows humbleness and the acceptance that Apollo is more powerful than him. Odysseus’ realization is just like someone discovering that having faith in the gods is the most important thing to have to thrive and be truly happy in life. In conclusion, as Odysseus reaches the end of his journey in The Odyssey, he learns new lessons that change who he was to someone better. Odysseus evolution completed with success and failure over time is an example of a person's evolution through the journey of life.
Given these points, it is clear to see that Odysseus’ journey in The Odyssey is a metaphor for life. His journey has obvious relationships with the real world, considering that Odysseus’ evolution is just like a person’s evolution in real life. They both make mistakes, overcome the obstacles that come into their life, learn from them, and finally use their knowledge to become a better person. Next time, while reading a piece of literature, think about its meaning. Why did someone sacrifice their time to write it? What point were they trying to get across to the reader? Ask these questions not only to understand the book better but to learn new lessons to become a better person. After all, “Books can change your life. Some of the most influential people in our lives are characters we meet in books.” -David Mccullough.
To Stress
I am the child of your typical Monday mornings.
There weren't enough hours in the day.
My teacher gave me textbooks; I barely used them,
Still, like ball and chain, I dragged my backpack along.
I stayed up late through the night
Finishing the never-ending tasks my teachers assigned.
My folders overflowed like a river after ten days of rain.
I was imprisoned in school
With grades that constantly frowned at me
As if what I tirelessly offered wasn't good enough.
Oh, I wish this day would end.
What do you want from me?
There weren't enough hours in the day.
My teacher gave me textbooks; I barely used them,
Still, like ball and chain, I dragged my backpack along.
I stayed up late through the night
Finishing the never-ending tasks my teachers assigned.
My folders overflowed like a river after ten days of rain.
I was imprisoned in school
With grades that constantly frowned at me
As if what I tirelessly offered wasn't good enough.
Oh, I wish this day would end.
What do you want from me?
My Ithaka
As you set out for the journey of life,
You might think that it is all about finding the "happy ever after."
However, the journey, which is winning and loosing battles of life, is what will be truly important when you arrive at your destination.
Therefore, no matter how many obstacles come your way or how difficult they might be,
Make sure you live in the present and don't worry about the future.
During your journey, you may have to deal with losing friends.
Losing a friend will be challenging because you will have to get used to the absence of someone you cared about.
But make sure you know that friends come and go in life for a reason.
When you lose a friend, just remember all the good things you went through and the lessons you learned.
Know that other people will come along and teach you new lessons, and that no matter how hard it may seem, it is not the end.
During your journey, you may have to deal with the deaths of your loved ones;
This, without a doubt, will be one of the hardest things you will go through.
However, know that each and every person has a beginning and an end.
Understand that it is okay to cry, but that it is important to let go at some point.
Also, understand that God has a plan for you and that he does things for a reason.
Look at the loss of this person, as the gain of a new angel that is now looking over you and protecting you from heaven.
Finally, let this person rest in peace but never let them be forgotten in your heart.
During your journey, you may have to deal with health problems.
You have to know that everyone reaches a point in their life when their bodies don't work like they used to.
And you have to accept it and find hope to be able to keep your journey going.
And the hope you develop will give you strength.
And the strength will give your mind the ability to control your body
And you will get better.
In the end,
You will experience a feeling of accomplishment.
You will understand that your effort was worth it.
You will have learned many lessons that you will pass on to later generations.
You will understand that overcoming all these obstacles and enjoying your journey is what truly matters.
And that is what will allow you to achieve genuine happiness.
You might think that it is all about finding the "happy ever after."
However, the journey, which is winning and loosing battles of life, is what will be truly important when you arrive at your destination.
Therefore, no matter how many obstacles come your way or how difficult they might be,
Make sure you live in the present and don't worry about the future.
During your journey, you may have to deal with losing friends.
Losing a friend will be challenging because you will have to get used to the absence of someone you cared about.
But make sure you know that friends come and go in life for a reason.
When you lose a friend, just remember all the good things you went through and the lessons you learned.
Know that other people will come along and teach you new lessons, and that no matter how hard it may seem, it is not the end.
During your journey, you may have to deal with the deaths of your loved ones;
This, without a doubt, will be one of the hardest things you will go through.
However, know that each and every person has a beginning and an end.
Understand that it is okay to cry, but that it is important to let go at some point.
Also, understand that God has a plan for you and that he does things for a reason.
Look at the loss of this person, as the gain of a new angel that is now looking over you and protecting you from heaven.
Finally, let this person rest in peace but never let them be forgotten in your heart.
During your journey, you may have to deal with health problems.
You have to know that everyone reaches a point in their life when their bodies don't work like they used to.
And you have to accept it and find hope to be able to keep your journey going.
And the hope you develop will give you strength.
And the strength will give your mind the ability to control your body
And you will get better.
In the end,
You will experience a feeling of accomplishment.
You will understand that your effort was worth it.
You will have learned many lessons that you will pass on to later generations.
You will understand that overcoming all these obstacles and enjoying your journey is what truly matters.
And that is what will allow you to achieve genuine happiness.
Rambling Autobiography
I was born on April 14 2002, in the middle of a civil war in Venezuela. I once climbed on the roof of my elementary school. I still remember the backyard of my preschool. It was wide open space with artificial grass, surrounded by big palm trees that brought refreshing shade for the hot days. The place I grew up in is the same place where I made my most sacred memories. I played volleyball and acted in many school plays; I got mad every time I didn't get the lead. I never really made an effort to get good grades in school until 6th grade. My favorite ice cream of all times is Colombian ice cream from Kroger's ice cream aisle. I loved going over to my grandma's house as a child, I always thought it was like an amusement park because there was so much to do there. I adore camping up in the mountains. I still remember the moment my friend fell off her horse and broke her arm during horseback riding class. When I was 9 I moved to the United States and left my whole family behind. I failed all of my tests in third and fourth grade because I couldn't speak English. My mom once told me that when she found out she was pregnant it was as if she was cured of all her sicknesses because her kidney failure stopped. I have a dog named Patches who loves to play catch and eat her doggy ice cream with her head resting on my lap. My favorite subject in school is history because I love learning about human development and their accomplishments throughout time. I hope to grow up and attend a good college to be able to properly defend international companies in a court of the law...
Hero Poem
Hero
kind, courageous
laughing, living, trying
strong independent young woman
inspiring, admirable
Mom
kind, courageous
laughing, living, trying
strong independent young woman
inspiring, admirable
Mom