Riding on the Shoulders of History;

An Essay Comparing the Poem “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Rye to the Novel

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

Essay by Chris Bowdler

9th Grade English

Pine Point School

1/19/2012

           When I read the poem “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye I see several connections to the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. There are a few characters in A Tale of Two Cities that seem to display the qualities defined by Naomi Shihab Nye in “Shoulders. Two of these Characters are Charles Darnay, and Mr. Jarvis Lorry. Both of these characters show the kindness and compassion that is talked about in “Shoulders”. I really wish that all of the characters in A Tale of Two Cities were more like Darnay and Lorry, because some of them are just horrible people.

           “Shoulders” is a poem about caring for other people, in the poem Nye compares the tenderheartedness of a father and his newborn son to her view of how people should act toward one another. Nye explains how caring people should be to one another, even to people who we have never met before. She compares this compassion to carrying your child across a busy road she says,” A man crosses the street in rain, stepping gently, looking two times north and south, because his son is asleep on his shoulder.” She calls the child “The world’s most sensitive cargo” and says that it doesn’t say “Fragile” but the father knows it to be true and acts upon it. She stresses the seriousness of being kind and Courteous to one another, and we should pretend that the person next to us is as sensitive as a young child- someone who can shatter at the slightest touch of meanness. We cannot live together if we cannot be kind to one another, this is the explicit but subtle message that this poem delivers. Nye said that “We're not going to be able to live in this world if we're not willing to do what he's doing with one another.” I think that Nye is correct, all you have to do is look at the world and you will see that a little understanding and empathy will go a very long way.

           When I read A Tale of Two Cities I can see some characters who display the qualities described by Nye. The Character who I think show the most compassion is Charles Darnay. It is so unmistakable that he is a very kind hearted person just because of the way that he talks to people, even people he doesn’t like. When he meets his hated uncle the Marquis he is polite and level headed, but the dislike for his uncle is still obvious. He also cares so dearly for Miss Manette, and he is so kind to her and her father. It is just like the compassion that the father shows for his son in “shoulders”. He cares about her to the point that he tried to find out if she loved him back before he proposed. Unlike the headstrong Mr. Stryver, who one day “announced his intentions to marry Lucie Manette.” Another character who is kind and compassionate is Mr. Jarvis Lorry. What I don’t understand is why he always trying to hide that fact by being a man of business, I don’t see anything wrong with being emotional. No mater how hard he tries to shield his emotions he cannot, because he is always kind and compassionate especially towards his friends and especially the Manettes. There are many characters in A Tale of Two Cities, but only two of them display the kindness and compassion that is talked about in “Shoulders”- a kindness and compassion so good and pure it cannot stop shining.

           When I read the poem “shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye I see several connections to the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. There are two characters in A Tale of Two Cities that seem to display the unique qualities described by Naomi Shihab Nye in “Shoulders. Two of these Characters are Charles Darnay, and Mr. Jarvis Lorry. Both of these characters are so affectionate and admiring just like the father in “Shoulders”. I wish that all of the characters were more like Darnay and Lorry, because some of them are just horrible people, and I wish that everyone in the world could be this kind and caring.

The Ultimate Sacrifice;

The sacrifices I am willing to make for my country

By Chris Bowdler

9th Grade English

Pine Point School

1/5/2012

           What sacrifices are people willing to make for others? What does it involve for you, what are you sacrificing? I am prepared to sacrifice my entire way of life. I would do this to make sure that there are other people who don’t have to. I am steering towards joining the United States Air Force. This will be the ultimate sacrifice for me.
          
           Many people choose to make sacrifices; some people help less fortunate people , and some people choose to serve there country. I am one of the people who would be willing to serve there country and do what they believe is right. When I turn 18 I plan on joining the United States Air Force. I love my country and I am willing to give myself up to it. I would give my last full measure of devotion to make sure my friends and family can continue to live their lives in peace. I can accept the sacrifice that comes with this job- a job that is challenging and strenuous. It will mean missing valuable time with friends and family. There is also the extreme danger that is just a part of armed service, but I can accept that danger as a challenge. I am willing to immolate my whole way of life in exchange for freedom for my friends and family. I will do my job and I will know that I have done it right when my country is safe and secure, and my friends and family are by my side. I feel like Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities when he tells Lucie Manette, “think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!” These are just some of the sacrifices that I will make for my friends, my family and my country. These are the sacrifices I will make so that others don’t have to.

           Nothing has ever been more appealing to me than knowing that I have served the country that I adore. There are of coarse, sacrifices that I will have to make, but I will make them. I will make sure that my fellow country men can sleep safe and sound with a roof over their heads. This is my promise, my pledge, and my sacrifice.

Here Comes the Light

an Essay Comparing’ “Here Comes The Sun”, to’ “A Tale of Two Cities”

by Chris Bowdler

9th Grade English

Pine Point School

11/17/11

There are certain, striking similarities between, “A Tale of Two Cities”, by Charles Dickens and between, “Here Comes the Sun”, by the Beatles. Both of these songs have something to do with finding “light” in life. In relationship to my life I think of the light that my friends bring to my life on a daily basis. You can find light in anything, but it will do the exact same thing, brighten your life.

There are several similarities between,” Here Comes the Sun”, and the line “It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness”, from," A Tale of Two Cities". Both of these phrases can be interpreted figuratively and are very similar. They are both about getting through hard times, and how you have to keep your head held high. Everyone can find light in some way or another, but everyone sees darkness at one time in their life. They have a different mood to them though. Here comes the sun is a very positive song about looking forward to tomorrow and not thinking twice about what went wrong yesterday. “A Tale of Two Cities”, on the other hand, is a very somber story. It is like a person trying to find the happiness in life, but not quite succeeding. The mood is what separates these two works of art the most; it’s happy in the song, sad in the book. In, “Here Comes the Sun”, the mood is only brightening- like the smile of a child on Christmas day.  In,” A Tale of Two Cities”, the mood seems to only be getting darker- like on a cloudy winters day. There is such a close similarity between, Here Comes the Sun”, and,” A Tale of Two Cities”; could the Beatles have been thinking about the line,” It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness”, when they wrote it?

Everyone can find their sun in different places, and I find mine in the form of my friends. I cannot stand being kept away from them, it isn’t right, and it isn’t fair. Sometimes I feel like I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m away from them. When I’m by myself I feel bored, jaded, empty, and wish more than anything to see my friends. My friends are able to bring me to life. My friends are simply a breath of fresh air for me, they are warm sweeping relief, and they cannot keep me from smiling brightly. Sadly I cannot always be with my friends, but maybe that is a good thing, because when I do see my friends it is even more special.  My friends are life my very own, personal sun. There are times in the day when I can’t see them, and times of the day when I can see them. My friends shine brighter than the real sun to help me light my day. My friends bring a certain light to my life- a light that burns bright and true, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of time.

There are so many connections between my life, “A Tale of Two Cities”, and “Here Comes the Sun.”These two great stories will always bring a shine to your day. You can find light in anything, but it will always do the same thing for you, brighten your life.

SELF ASSESSMENT:
One issue that I am continuing to work on is placing comas in the correct place. I think that my strongest point in this essay is my assonance. I don’t think that my antithesis is very strong. I think that this essay is worth a B

Here Comes the Light

an Essay Comparing’ “Here Comes The Sun”, to’ “A Tale of Two Cities”

by Chris Bowdler

9th Grade English

Pine Point School

11/17/11

There are certain, striking similarities between, “A Tale of Two Cities”, by Charles Dickens and between, “Here Comes the Sun”, by the Beatles. Both of these songs have something to do with finding “light” in life. In relationship to my life I think of the light that my friends bring to my life on a daily basis. You can find light in anything, but it will do the exact same thing, brighten your life.

There are several similarities between,” Here Comes the Sun”, and the line “It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness”, from," A Tale of Two Cities". Both of these phrases can be interpreted figuratively and are very similar. They are both about getting through hard times, and how you have to keep your head held high. Everyone can find light in some way or another, but everyone sees darkness at one time in their life. They have a different mood to them though. Here comes the sun is a very positive song about looking forward to tomorrow and not thinking twice about what went wrong yesterday. “A Tale of Two Cities”, on the other hand, is a very somber story. It is like a person trying to find the happiness in life, but not quite succeeding. The mood is what separates these two works of art the most; it’s happy in the song, sad in the book. In, “Here Comes the Sun”, the mood is only brightening- like the smile of a child on Christmas day.  In,” A Tale of Two Cities”, the mood seems to only be getting darker- like on a cloudy winters day. There is such a close similarity between, Here Comes the Sun”, and,” A Tale of Two Cities”; could the Beatles have been thinking about the line,” It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness”, when they wrote it?

Everyone can find their sun in different places, and I find mine in the form of my friends. I cannot stand being kept away from them, it isn’t right, and it isn’t fair. Sometimes I feel like I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m away from them. When I’m by myself I feel bored, jaded, empty, and wish more than anything to see my friends. My friends are able to bring me to life. My friends are simply a breath of fresh air for me, they are warm sweeping relief, and they cannot keep me from smiling brightly. Sadly I cannot always be with my friends, but maybe that is a good thing, because when I do see my friends it is even more special.  My friends are life my very own, personal sun. There are times in the day when I can’t see them, and times of the day when I can see them. My friends shine brighter than the real sun to help me light my day. My friends bring a certain light to my life- a light that burns bright and true, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of time.

There are so many connections between my life, “A Tale of Two Cities”, and “Here Comes the Sun.”These two great stories will always bring a shine to your day. You can find light in anything, but it will always do the same thing for you, brighten your life.

SELF ASSESSMENT:
One issue that I am continuing to work on is placing comas in the correct place. I think that my strongest point in this essay is my assonance. I don’t think that my antithesis is very strong. I think that this essay is worth a B

Walk Away, Maybe;

an Essay Walking On When You Want to Stop

by Chris Bowdler

9th Grade English

Pine Point School

11/3/2011

I really like the song, “Walk On”, by U2, as it really makes me think that there is no better place to be than where I am now; but there are also times when I can’t help but feel incredibly sad. There is such a great message of love in,”Walk On’, and if you truly love someone you will leave everything behind to be with them. But then it makes me realize that not everyone falls in love with someone else or has to leave someone who they love behind. Never have I ever listened to a song that speaks to me, that owns me, that makes me believe that there is really true love out there, and makes me wish that everyday could be better than the last.

Everyone in the world has someone who they would rather not say goodbye to. I have a friend who lives 3,000 miles away from me, that’s an eight hour plane ride across the Atlantic Ocean! I get to see my friend once a year, if I’m lucky! But when it comes time to say goodbye, I cannot do it, I cannot bring my self to say goodbye, I cannot pull myself away.(Asyndenton) There is a line in, “Walk On”, where Bono sings “And love, it's not the easy thing the only baggage that you can bring not the easy thing, the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.” This is how I feel about seeing my friend. I don’t have enough time with him, and when I depart I don’t have much to bestow(FAST) upon him except the memories that we have shared. This song for me shows me the reality; it makes me recall(FAST) how much I miss my friend, and then I realize what a great friend I have. He is kind, he is funny, and he means the world to me.( Anaphora)

“Walk on”, is clearly about falling in love, just like how in, “A Raisin in the Sun” Beneatha clearly falls in love with Asagai. You can tell so easily that Asagai and Beneatha have deep feelings for each other. Whenever Asagai is around Beneatha becomes uncharacteristically(FAST) shy and somewhat gentile even, which is different from her usual aggressively defensive(Antithesis) nature . Secondly Asagai brings Beneatha lavish gifts, brings her great hope, brings inspiration. (Asyndeton)   Asagai and Beneatha should listen to Bono’s advice in the song, “Walk On”.  Bono says “All that you fashion, all that you make all that you build, all that you break, all that you measure, all that you feel all this you can leave behind.” This makes me think of how Beneatha can’t bring herself to admit that she really likes Asagai, she just won’t admit she likes him, even when he proposes, she pushes him away. Bono has great advice for everyone, if you are in love don’t push the person away out of fear, let your true emotions be heard. Have kindness, have hope, have trust, and have lots and lots of love. (Anaphora)

I really like the song, “Walk On”, by U2, as it really makes me think that there is no better place to be than where I am now; but there are also times when I can’t help but feel incredibly sad. The message of true love is undeniable, and inescapable(FAST). Unfortunately the great sadness of having to leave your way of life behind for love is also present when you listen to this song. This  song speaks to me like no other, and makes me realize how great life can be if you follow your heart and do what you know,what you believe is right.

Self Assessment:

one thing I still have to work on, embarrassingly is coma splices, I have problems with using coma in the correct place. I think that the strongest point of this writing is my anaphora and asyndenton, because it flows really well and blends into the sentence. one of the weaker point I see in this essay is my closing sentence as it is not very strong. I think that this essay deserves a B+.

Periodic Sentence

If I could turn back the hands of time I would, and I would make sure things worked out better this time, and be happy about the fact that I wouldn't have to look back.

Desperate:

an essay about the song “Desperado”

by Chris Bowdler

9th Grade English

Pine Point School

10/17/11

What were the Eagles talking about in the song, “Desperado”, specifically in the line “now it seems to me, some fine things have been laid upon your table but you only want the ones that you can’t get.” I think that this song is about someone with an addiction, an addiction to drugs. There are a lot of lines that create the impression of this topic. “Desperado”, is one of the greatest classic rock songs, but there is so much more that meets the eye.

“Now it seems to me, some fine things have been laid upon your table but you only want the ones that you can’t get,” this line from the song ,”Desperado”, makes me think, strangely of a person on drugs. “These things that are pleasin’ you can hurt you somehow,” this line really conjoins (fast) to someone on drugs. Drugs can make you feel so ecstatic(FAST) it is almost unreal. In the long run however, drugs can ruin your life and flip it upside down. “Your pain and your hunger, they’re driving you home.” This line makes me think of someone who is broke, hungry, and has nowhere to go. They have no one to turn to for help and are out on the streets In need of help. “Your prison is walking through this world all alone.” No one wants to get near them, and stays away from someone in need of help and absorbtion. They are stuck in a prison of the mind and they cannot get out no matter how hard they try. I wonder if this song was written for someone, I wonder if maybe it was a friend of Glen Fray’s, with a drug addiction.(Anaphora)

In the song “Desperado” I think that they are talking about someone talking his friend’s advice to heart. There are several different ways to look at this line, but I think that it is about a friend with a drug addiction. “You're losin' all your highs and lows ain’t it funny how the feeling goes away,” I think that this is saying that the friend has listened Glenn Frey when he says “Now it seems to me, some fine things have been laid upon your table but you only want the ones that you can't get.” He is getting help and losing his highs and the feeling of being addicted is slowly leaving him.  Desperado has broken free and is standing in the real world “it may be raining, but there’s a rainbow above [him].” If this song was a literary work, Desperado would be a textbook example of a round character.

What were the Eagles talking about in the song “Desperado”, specifically in the line “now it seems to me, some fine things have been laid upon your table but you only want the ones that you can’t get.” Did the Eagles mean for this song to be about gambling, or maybe drugs. If they didn’t mean for it to be about an addiction, what is this song about. . It is one of the greatest classic rock songs ever, but there is so much more that meets the eye. The Eagles spoke together and sung a great song and left there mark.(Polysyndeton)

Self-Assesment

One issue that I am continuing to work on in my writing is using alliteration and assonance to make my writing more graceful. One strong point I see in this piece of writing is the use of far more detailed sentences. I think one week point in this writing is my connection to the real world. For this essay I would give myself a B-.