My First Poem For most people, agreeing to read in front of the classroom is not a defining moment in their lives. Yet for me, standing up in front of all my classmates and reading my poem was the moment that introduced me into the world of speaking English publicly. That experience guided me to be the independent, determined person that I have become and still becoming. I was 16 years old when my mother decided that it was time for us to move from the capital of Peru, Lima, to the rural town of Ellington, CT. Up until this moment the world as I knew it had been very busy and active, surrounded by my closest friends and family. In this world there existed only one language, Spanish, and only one me. Breaking out of this bubble and going out …show more content…
So I did. I wrote my first poem in English and submitted it. The next day I entered my English class and there I was, in the back of the room isolated socially and linguistically, which made me hopelessly shy. I firmly shook my head when the teacher approached me to ask me to read my poem in front of the class despite the fact that she had told me that my poem was one of the best. I was momentarily relieved to have avoided a situation that aggravated my timidity. As I sat in solitary contemplation, I was aware of my classmates looking at me with confusion. In a moment of impulse, I became determined to prove that I was able to be at the same level as my classmates. I approached the teacher’s desk confidently and surprised to see me, she, as I hoped she would do, proceeded to ask me a series of questions about my well being and then asked: “Do you want to read your poem for us?” My mind raced in this moment that I suddenly felt inadequately prepared for, but I reached down into the depth of my memory and confidence and with a fearful but determined voice I finally said “Yes.” After reading my poem out loud, I was immediately rewarded by the applause of my classmates. As I returned to my seat, I realized that this moment was a turning point for me. I had faced my fear of speaking English in front of people and overcame it in that
...r’.” Poetry for students. Ed. Sara Constantakis. Vol. 43 Detroit: Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?>.
Ganes, Earnest J. A Lesson Before Dying? New York: Vintage Books, 1993. Genre: Novel. 256 pages Setting: The story is set in a small Cajun Louisiana town in the 1940’s. The setting in this story is significant because, the whole story is about how a young black boy is treated unfairly and sentenced to death because of something he did not do.
In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, By Ernest Gaines, the main character, Grant Wiggins gives a man meaning in his last days alive. Wiggins gives him a book to write his thoughts in, and helps him to realize that he is not a “hog.” He shows him that he is truly a good person, and that he should die with his head up, knowing that he led a worthy and honest life. Mr. Wiggins changed greatly through the story, from a cold school teacher to an open hearted and caring man. This helped his relationship with others as well as Jefferson. Through his changing, he became the one man that Jefferson could trust.
Each one in the group had different interpretation of the readings that challenged and helped me to grow. I learned that the world is very diverse. A poem written by Jan Beatty "Saving the Crippled Boy", was a challenging poem for me and my colleagues. It helped me to learn to be non judgmental. It portrayed the word "saving" in unfamiliar way to me. I questioned about the appropriate way of charity. According to my values and belief, giving my body to someone is not charity or service. However, as a social worker, it made me conscious about the differences in the World. Also, the class reading helped me to connect my personal experiences, values, and Ethics with the society I am living, Understand the cultural differences and oppression systems in the
For a young and passionate college student, expectations from peers, teachers, and parents can be intimidating and emotionally draining. For most parents, having their child succeed is a top priority, and children want to exceed parents’ expectations by achieving good grades and a high standard in school. In the poem “Suicide Note,” by Janice Mirikitani, a female Asian American college student is struggling to live up to her parents expectations. She does not receive a perfect grade point average that her parents are expecting, and she does not have the strength to face them in person. For this young college student, her strengths are not strong enough, and her will and determination are overcome by insecurities and discontent. The speaker is at in a constant battle with her self esteem; her womanhood is becoming a burden on her, and she believes her failure will bring much disappointment to her parents, and disparage their perception of her .
I Shall Break Free If words could say all they mean then life would be easy. I try to speak, but nothing ever comes from my mouth. Mind full of thoughts with no way to get them out. Expressions come but do not mean what they say.
The experience of the APEC Youth Science festival was incredible. It has had an enormous impact on me in many ways, changing the way I look at the world and connecting me with people and events far beyond my formerly limited experience. I am extremely glad to have had this opportunity. It was a wonderful experience on multiple levels. It challenged me and expanded me intellectually and socially. I feel that this experience has had an immense impact on me.
She stands a staggering 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs a massive 95 pounds, and has short, brown hair and brown eyes. I see my older sister Leslie. Others see a model of perfection. Don't get me wrong, my sister and I are close and have been inseparable since birth. My mother has kept pictures of us ranging from the time we shared a playpen as babies to just recently at Leslie's graduation. For seventeen years, we've shared every life experience imaginable, and we've dealt with the trials and tribulations that come with growing up. But in September, she left home to attend the University of California at Irvine, leaving me to face life alone. However, it gave me the opportunity to live life by myself as Ryan, instead of Leslie's little brother.
One thing that people often overlook when writing an essay is not what the college can do for you, but what you can do for the college. With that in mind the attributes that I possess would make a great addition to and benefit the college greatly. My ability to speak in front of large crowds, lead, and my thirst for knowledge have sshasfdafy
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get a life." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. And my friends thought the same of him.
The members of the Committee on Admissions seek to gain an understanding of you as a person through a written essay. This essay is your opportunity to discuss an idea that is important to you, to write about a person who has influenced you, or to describe an experience that has helped shape who you are. The committee is also interested in how you think and how you express your thoughts.
I had to plan fun events, but also make them very inexpensive. This was an
This semester was my very first semester as a college student. Being the first, it was probably the semester I would learn the most in. I learned the expectations for writing that I will have to live up to for the next four years of my college career. Though my high school teachers were usually demanding because I was in the Honors English section throughout high school, writing in college has still ?raised the bar? for me. Also, in high school, we would have weeks to pick a topic, create a thesis, outline the paper, write the paper, and then revise the paper. In college, the time restraints are not quite as lenient. I?ve had to learn to manage my time and be more productive with what free moments I have. Strangely enough, I?ve found the college English experience to be much more rewarding and enjoyable than in high school.
When people think of poetry, they typically want to talk about themselves. People share their experiences in their life, and their feelings. Their stories could be about happy times or even difficult obstacles that they overcame. There is nothing wrong with sharing their own story, but poetry is not always about that individual. It would be conceited to write with this attitude, and better to write with an open mind.
It was the second semester of fourth grade year. My parents had recently bought a new house in a nice quite neighborhood. I was ecstatic I always wanted to move to a new house. I was tired of my old home since I had already explored every corner, nook, and cranny. The moment I realized I would have to leave my old friends behind was one of the most devastating moments of my life. I didn’t want to switch schools and make new friends. Yet at the same time was an interesting new experience.