By Stephanie Okiro
The rain, the snow, the sun
All but from one place, one and all
Shinning blue on a summer day
Burning hot with rays from the sun
5 But filled with no clouds in August
In the fall is dark and gray
Also with dark clouds in October
Urging us to stay inside
Darker almost black in the winter
10 With shorter days, has no clouds but stars
Everyone is overcome with the chill
As the moonlit brightens the snow
Blue but with clouds in the Spring
When everything comes to life
15 Makes us happy, though the rain
Unsafe at night, with no light
The stars and its moon
When seen during the day makes us feel supernatural
Blue, this beautiful color
20 Is what we desire to see in the sky
Because it means the day will be beautiful and bright
At some fortunate places in the world,
It is always blue and never filled with clouds
At these places is where we are most content
25 Vacations, trips, flights is how we achieve
A happiness that warms our bones
During natural disasters, it is a strange color
Making us realize the severity of the occurrence
The seasons interact changing
30 Our appearances and emotions
We are always influenced by the sky
The Most Beautiful______________
Waiting for my turn, I am called up to the starting line. As I walk to the starting line I remember how I belabored at practice to fulfill my insatiable hunger to win. The voices of my coaches in my head, tell me to trust in my training. I move back and forth as though to stretch, but also to temporize. The gun goes off and just like it I explode with celerity as I take off running. My adrenaline pumps as my heart beats faster, though I don’t feel a thing. Feeling as though my arms and legs congealed, I drive faster and faster as I run. Screams, loud screams are vaguely heard in the distance as I remember people are watching. Looking in my peripheral vision, I notice whether or not I am in the front or behind. Noticing that I am ahead, I substantiate my position in the front. Staying in my lane, I can see the finish line, white against the black asphalt. I can taste the win, and can already feel the happiness of it all. Leaning in I swiftly cross the finish line, and look up at the leader board to see if I have won. My teammates and even my coach known for his taciturn nature, in the distance jump and scream with an overt joy. Overcome with adrenaline and pain, I smile as I realize that I have won. All my hard work has paid off and everyone is truly proud. The realization that I set off to do something and accomplished it overwhelms me with joy. Never did I think that I would beat out the best, which I once emulated. The end of the meet is near, and the awards ceremony is approaching. I hear my name called and I approach the podium to accept my medal. At the end of the day, I am realize how proud of myself I am, knowing that I worked so hard to be the best.
Word Count: 332
3. Native American Creation Story
Native American Story
How the Rapa Nui Heads were made
A long time ago, on Easter Island, King Mann, governed the people of Long city. He was known to be a very charismatic king. The people of long city, who where the beneficiary of his largesse loved him though he arrogated himself into power. He killed the prince before him, and through long city law, he gained power. His acquisitive nature led to him obtaining a great amount of wealth making him the richest man in the world. King Mann married the most beautiful girl in town, and together they had 13 children. These kids were loved by all and were the sole heirs to the throne and wealth. The oldest was a devious boy, named Anger. Anger caused trouble all over town, stealing whatever he wanted and killing whoever he wanted. Whenever he was chastised by his father, he stormed out and maintained his intransigent attitude. His siblings, wanting to be like their brother, emulated him. Together they disturbed their father’s kingdom thrashing his reputation. He never thought that he would question the propriety of the children he so carefully raised. On one bright summer day in long city, roosters sang, and people dressed in little attire filed to the beach front. Anger and his 12 siblings as usual were up to no good. After a morning of being belabored by his father, Anger conjured up an idea that he knew would really disturb his dad. He thought of the great monument; his dad’s statue, which resided in the time square he considered banal. This monument was considered a talisman to the people of Long city and he hated this fact. Anger along with his 12 siblings created an incendiary device that was planted under the monument. He could not wait to see his dad’s eyes as the monument went up in flames. Using a loud trumpet he, Anger assembled everyone in the town including his parents, to the town square to watch the show. Everyone arrived confused, and soon the square was filled with the voices of the townspeople. His parents, happy that Anger was moving in the right direction, were eager to deliver him with a heartfelt encomium. But to his parent’s disbelief, the great monument went up in flames after their son set off the incendiary device. As soon as the flames begun, the 13 children were summarily running away from the square. But they could not get far because the kings’ guards quickly apprehended them. King Mann saddened by his children’s’ pejorative actions could not belief they committed sacrilege by destroying his monument. He had enough he thought. The king locked up his children in the Ling city jail center, where many criminals were kept. Over a couple of weeks, the children were caught in a great maelstrom they never believed was possible. King Mann made his decision to eschew them from his life, by turning t hem into large stone heads so they would never disturb anyone. As for Anger, the king made sure he turned him into the largest stone head out of all. After turning them into the stone heads, King Mann arranged for them to be placed along the brackish water of the beach. In years to come, Long city was plagued by the black-death which spread seaborne through trade. It is said in a myth that the large stone heads of the 13 children came alive during the plague and in order to fill their stomachs, ate the bodies of the dead. This reason is why there is no trace that anyone ever lived in Long city, therefore no one knows how the heads were created.
Word Count: 606
4. Weather Experience
Weather experience
It’s always sunny in New York!
Waking up in the morning on the fourth of July in the Bronx is always my favorite part of the year. Once I smell the barbeque and hear the fireworks, I quickly jump out of bed. Every year on this day is always beautifully sunny. The bright light from the sun makes my room look well lit. My mother in the kitchen is cooking a true American breakfast while my sister is in her room enjoying her water mattress. As an avid attendee of the park, I remind my mom of the day’s schedule. By 2pm, we are already fitted in our shorts, and tank tops, while our skins are covered in sunscreen to battle the sun. As we head to the park for the annual Fourth of July party, I look down the street and see water undulate as if at the beach. I ask my mom about this and she explains to me that it’s not water but the heat from the sun. We arrive at the park, which is filled with many kids, adults and a variety of food. My mom tells me not to stray far away from the park, and I nod. I run to the swings which are my favorite and quickly begin to swing. Feeling the wind as I go higher I appreciate the swing because it is giving me some relief from the heat of the sun. I play around the park for what feels like hours and finally return to my mom tired and dehydrated. Just as I sit down, I spot out a vendor, out of many at the park, who is Fourth of July themed snow cones. I make a suppliant suggestion to my mom, for me to buy the snow cone. She accepts and buys it for me. I am satisfied as I lick the snow cone which cools me down on the hot summer day. As the day goes on, I enjoy the food and enjoy the time I am spending with my family.
5. Responses to Text
5 Responses
Thanatopsis
The message of this piece, I thought was that we should not be afraid of death, but accept it. I think the tone the author is hope. In the line “when die we lay with patriarchs…” he gives the reader hope, when he explains that when we die we are able to lie among the great who are considered heroes. The author also explains that when we die there are no social classes or hierarchies that plague our lives when we are alive. Through the author’s explanation of after death, he allows the reader to be less afraid of it. When he says “” he explains that death should not be approached as the end or as doom. The piece says that death should not be approached with a histrionic view but that it should be allowed to happen. In the piece the author explains that after death live moves on and so you shouldn’t dread it. The view on nature from this piece is that it allows us to be equal and allows us to be rejuvenated when we are decomposed into the earth. I think this piece also has modern connections since today; many people are afraid of death and even afraid to speak of it. Thanatopsis gave me a very different view on death because instead of thinking of it as something scary, I now think of it as something inevitable so it should not be feared.
Word count: 240
To build a fire
The message of this piece, I think is that we should listen to our instincts and also not to disregard nature’s elements. In this piece the downfall of the main character was that he thought he could beat out nature through his knowledge on how to survive. He believed that he could change the outcome of things that were inevitable. For example he took a gambit when he tried to outwit the land he was inexperienced with and therefore had no imagination in what could happen. The dog however trusted his instincts and knew he couldn’t change nature. The mood of the story I think is the calm before the storm. The author when describing the setting describes much of the disasters that will later be the downfall of the narrator. The narrator’s reluctance to realize that the weather is too cold to travel shows how he does not trust his instincts. This is explained when the narrator says “the old-timer told speaks of not traveling alone, but the dog will do” I think the view on nature of this piece is to not underestimate nature’s strength which the narrator constantly did. The author of this piece did not give the narrator a name, because he wanted to show the reader that most men’s arrogance and pride cloud our judgments and lead to a dangerous downfall, while by the time we realize our mistakes it is much too late.
Word count: 239
Walden
The message of this piece, it think is that it is best to live free and uncommitted. Thoreau decides to live far away from the town, where he truly lives in solitude. It is in this piece that we really see how Emerson truly influenced Thoreau. When Thoreau moved to woods and practiced self reliance, we see the effects Emerson had on him, who mainly preached about self reliance. When Thoreau describes him building his house he says outright that he built it as if on “Mount Olympus”, he explains him building it would a God building a world. I think he does this to show that everyone is capable of building a world which is divine to them. He also gives the reader hope, because he says that the things the rich enjoy such as sunlight, is also enjoyed by every other man. The view on nature of this piece is that nature can serve as a kind of safe haven for us, where we can get away from the things that don’t really matter. An important point Thoreau made is that an average person does not have to live in solitude or in the forest per se, but should live their lives freely and happily.
Word count : 207
Nature
I think the message of this piece is that we should stop and look at the beautiful things around us, rather than thinking of the negative or trying to make things better. In the beginning of the piece Emerson says that the beauty of nature makes him stop and take a step back to truly what is around him. He explains that nature should be viewed as something that makes us happy and as a place where we can go to rejuvenate ourselves. While enjoying the beauty of nature, we are so enthralled in it, that the worries and the odd ways of our society becomes foreign to us and we no longer care about it. I think the tone of this piece is relaxation. Emerson explains this time and time again, when he says that once he is in nature he is able to settle down, “shed skin” and also relate to the plants and animals in nature. Emerson explains that people have a different interpretation in their experiences with nature, and also have varying experiences with nature depending on their mood. He says that nature adapts to our mood, and therefore are experiences are shaped upon how feel that day. I can relate to this because whenever I am feeling down, I feel as though the world around adds to my already declining mood. Therefore the people around me as well as nature adapt to my mood.
Word count: 239
Snowstorm
I think Emerson used this piece to explain the creative and powerful forces of ature. He explains this well when he says that the work that once went on in this town, is put to a halt as a result of the snow. Snowstorm, embodies the ideals of transcendentalism in that it shows how individuals are all connected through the intuition that the snow is coming. Everything that is uncovered before the snow shows how things in this world are separated. After the snow covers everything in the town, everyone is connected through the “frolic architecture of the snow.” I think in reference to nature. Emerson shows his love for it. For example in the opening line of the poem when he says “sound all the trumpets”, he speaks as if the coming of the snow should be praised and should be welcomed. He also speaks of a halcyon world after the snow while before it was a bustling and fast pace society. Also he speaks as if the snow created a beautiful landscape which we who worry about such things so much, could not even do. Emerson personifies the snow, when he compares the north wind to the sculptor and masonry. This poem is also written in an unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Word count: 221
6. Reaction to Essays
Responses to Essays from The Atlantic
The essay Walking by Thoreau explains the ideas that true walking is not walking directionless on the country side nor is it physical exercise, but it is a "to go forth and reconquer this Holy Land from the hands of the Infidels." This line means that walking should be one’s ability to be able to move away from your everyday things such as your neighborhood, to explore. Thoreau explains in this essay that the townsmen have a myopic view on the outside world, such that they are too tied to society’s ways and to their village, to be able to go out and explore the world and new things. Thoreau also explains that there is difficulty in the path we chose to walk, because we may chose to head in the direction of riches and goods. In the poem, The Sound of Trees by Robert Frost, the narrator wonders about the sound the trees make and why we have become so used to this sound. When he says “They are that that talks of going, But never gets away” he is saying that when the trees are shook by the wind making sound, shows their desire to leave, but because they are bound to the ground by their deep roots they never get away. He later explains that like the trees, he also wants to leave, but will do so quietly and would never come back as to not selfishly disturb his community. In the opening of the essay, The force the drives the flower by Annie Dillard, she explains the birth of a flower, and ends it informing the reader that this all ends with death. She explains that the driving force behind the growth of these plants is to fulfill our needs. She then goes on to say that we as man, don’t try to coexist with these flowers and with nature, but conquer them to fit with our own needs in the line” Plants are not our competitors; they are our prey and our nesting materials.” Annie Dillard gives an animadversion to society when she says that she will be happy, when our human culture is beaten out by nature’s elements which cannot truly be changed or obstructed.
Word Count: 374
Your poem was really good and its deep meaning made it even better. I especially like the lines
ReplyDelete“Our appearances and emotions / We are always influenced by the sky”
Great job on the poem!
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