Content
Lesson Learned
The lessons we learn can only make us stronger. “If” by Rudyard Kipling and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost are both about choices you make and life lessons that should be followed. These poems are about being patient, trusting instincts, and creating a path in life.
“If” and “The Road Not Taken” both talk about how patience is the key in order to be successful. In “The Road Not Taken” the poet suggests that you should consider a situation and have patience before making it. In the poem, the poet was taking his time looking at the different paths he could choose to take. This is a good life lesson because no decision should be rushed into. The poet was patient and “stood and looked down one as far as [he] could to where it bent in the undergrowth”. This quote shows that taking a minute to consider everything leads a person to that right path. In “If” the poet describes that in order to be successful the key is to be able to wait and have patience. He conveys that being able to wait is different than waiting while being content. Patience is key, “If you can wait and not be tired by waiting”, then a person has learned the value of time and reflection.”If” and “The Road Not Taken” both taught a lesson of how patience is an important skill to learn in life.
A lesson that both “If” and “The Road Not Taken” have conveyed is the trusting of the instincts. “The Road Not Taken” described the different paths in life and how choosing a path can completely change one’s life. In the poem, the poet described his decision on what path to travel. The grassy field that has not been walked on recently or the one that is commonly taken. Following an instinct is a important skill to have because sometimes an instinct is a better option than taking a long time to decide. “Two roads diverged into a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both”, this quote explains how there is no way out of the poets decision. Although you can not predict which choice is right, listen to your heart and hope for the best. In “If” the poet describes trusting yourself but taking other peoples thoughts and concerns into consideration. The poem speaks to having faith in yourself when others doubt you. This is important because if a person does not trust themselves they will never be content with their choices. “If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you / but make allowance for their doubting to”, this quote refers to accepting feedback when making a choice. Trusting your instinct is a valuable idea that both “If” and “The Road Not Taken” have in common.
Being yourself instead of giving in to society’s pressures and learning how to create that path are lessons that “If” and “The Road Not Taken” describe. In “The Road Not Taken” the poet talks about how a man is not influenced by others because if everyone followed society and did what everyone else did, people would all be the same. If everyone was the same, life would simply be boring. The poet stating he, “took the road less traveled by, and that made all the difference”, demonstrates how he did not follow others and his choice ended up working out for the best. In “If” the poet talks about being able to follow society but how to still remain unique. Choosing to not follow society can be a very difficult thing to do for some people, but when they do it, their true self shines through. Don’t let ordinary people take over your life and stay true to yourself,“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings – – nor lose the common touch”. “If” and “The Road Not Taken” both taught this very important trait through the poem.
“If” and “The Road Not Taken” both teach the reader to be patient, to trust their instincts, and to create their own path. Practicing patience while being content helps you reflect and make good decisions. Trusting your instincts and using your heart helps guide you in making these decisions. Creating your own path in life free from society pressure means just being you which makes you a unique and loveable person. These lessons can be used over and over a lifetime, consciously and unconsciously, with success and failure, making up a bigger picture called life.
What is Poetry?
poetry is a way of expressing your creative thoughts on paper. It’s a flow of ideas, a form of art.
Charlottes Influences
The people in our lives have influenced us in many ways. They make us who we are today. The Metaphor by Budge Wilson is about a girl named Charlotte who enjoys her junior high english teacher Miss Hancock. Miss Hancock and Charlotte’s mother influenced Charlotte to be compassionate, to understand that not everyone thinks the same way, and to accept people for who they are.
Charlotte’s mother and Miss Hancock taught Charlotte to be compassionate and to care for others. Charlotte’s mother demonstrates compassion towards her volunteer work and in the way she cares about Charlotte. Her work included chairing committees, running bazaars, and sitting on boards, “she juggled her community jobs, her house work, her cooking and her grooming.” She loved her community work, “If one were to believe her admires, the mainstay of the community, the rock upon which the town was built”. This shows how much Charlotte’s mother did care and how much compassion she has towards her community. Miss. Hancock showed great compassion towards literature and how she cared for her students. She made the kids feel excited to learn about poems, plays, and stories. She made her students argue about the “meanings and methods” and “creative intentions”. “She had a gift of making most of us want to write, to communicate to make a blank sheet of paper into a beautiful or at least an interesting thing”, this compassion rubbed off on her students.
Miss Hancock and Charlotte’s mother showed Charlotte that not everyone thinks alike and thinking in a different way then someone else isn’t a bad thing. Charlotte’s mother was very neat and organized, she liked things a certain way. When Charlotte was young her mother would make her organize where her blocks were put. There was never a mess in their house. There backyard was spotless. The grass was cut evenly, there were no leaves during fall, and no swing set or sand box set up. Her mother liked everything to be perfect, “my mother is a flawless, modern building, created of glass and the smoothest of pale concrete”. Simple and clean is the best way to think in Charlotte’s mothers opinion. Miss Hancock thinks very creatively, very wildly. She is not afraid to make a mess as long as it is inspiring. This way of thinking goes along with her career as a creative writing teacher. You can tell when Miss Hancock walks into a room how wild she is, her clothing said it all, “Miss Hancock’s clothes, which were nearly always as flamboyant as her nature”. Miss Hancock thinks outside of the box and is not afraid to stand out.
Charlotte learned to always accept people for who they are by watching Miss Hancock and her mother. Charlotte’s mother did not accept Miss Hancock for who she was. She thought that there was only one way to live life. She disliked Miss Hancock because she was over enthusiastic and not very organized. When Miss Hancock died she was not surprised, she claimed that anyone that unorganized could not survive being a high school teacher. When Charlotte thought it was her fault that Miss Hancock died her mother’s comforting words were “don’t loose perspective, she couldn’t keep order and she had only herself to blame”. This didn’t make Charlotte feel much better but it is all her mother could think of to be the reason she died. Miss. Hancock accepted everyone she encountered, she was a very loving person. In Miss Hancock’s english class she made sure she treated everyone’s work with the same respect. She let everyone’s opinion be spoken and heard. Her class learned to listen to every opinion out there even if they didn’t necessarily agree with it, “we were free to respond positively to Miss Hancock’s literary excess without fear of the mockery of our peers”. Every student had a voice and that shows she accepted everyone.
Miss Hancock and Charlotte’s mother influenced Charlotte to be compassionate, to understand that not everyone thinks the same way, and to accept people for who they are. Neither Miss Hancock or Charlotte’s mother are perfect but Charlotte has been influenced by their strengths and weaknesses. The traits that Charlotte has learned will make a positive influence on her life to come.
Forgiveness in Families
The fear of comparison also known as jealousy. In the short story, Forgiveness in Families by Alice Munro there is a girl named Val who has been jealous of her brother Cam ever since he was born. When there mom gets sick, Cam appears to help her recover. Val decides that she should forgive Cam and apologize for being so hard on him. Jealousy is a feeling felt by everyone, when your insecurities take over and your mind fills with envy. The main reason people get jealous is attention. Everyone knows the baby of the family gets all the attention.The first day of school was a big deal for Val but her mom was not able to attend since she was giving birth to Cam. This is where there sibling rivalry begin. When Cam and Val’s mom recovered from being sick, she went around telling every one that Cam saved her life. This was loads of attention on Cam and absolutely no attention on Val even though Val was most concerned over her mothers sickness. I am the oldest out of all my cousins and from experience I can tell you its not easy being older. You have to learn to be the bigger person and let go of your jealousy and this is what Val did when she apologized to Cam. The love of comparison also known as attention
“Almost anyone can become comfortable in a skirt” (Sam the Athlete) : Persuasive Paragraph
“The path of the heart is the only path worth following” – Stewart McLean. Sam the Athlete is a short story written by Stuart McLean. A boy named Sam is starting middle school and all he wants to do is fit in. He tried many different sports but failed to find the right one for him. After seeing a poster at school he joined the field hockey team where he found himself to be the only boy. Everyone assumed Sam was a girl under all of his goalie padding. Sam’s first instinct was to run far away but during the successful practice he made the decision to stay on the team. Sam kept wearing the field hockey skirt pretending to be a girl to fit in. After it is revealed that Sam is a boy he decides to continue to wear the skirt. The skirt makes Sam feel like part of the team and like he finally fits in which makes it the right decision. When Sam puts his skirt on he feels comfortable and free. He loved the way it felt to run on the field “almost anyone can become comfortable in a skirt” said Sam. Some people might argue that kids from Sam’s middle school will find it weird or wrong that a boy is wearing a skirt but why does that matter if he feels happy and proud. Sam’s mom informed Sam that the skirt is actually called a kilt and are commonly worn by boys and men in Scotland in attempt to make him comfortable with his decision. Although it didn’t matter to Sam as he was already confident in his decision, “everyone on the team wears one” stated Sam. Sam is finally part of a team and no one can take that away from him. If Sam chose not to wear the skirt he would feel like he stood out and would once again be fighting to fit in. Sam followed his heart and this is why he made the right decision to keep wearing the skirt.