Bahar zer Ms. Krick English 8 14 December 2021 It takes a lot of courage and perseverance for a person to be a reliable individual, and a nonconformist while continuing to be true to themselves. Three poems illustrate how a person can be courageous. The first poem is called “Survival Guide” by Joy Ladin, it is a poem where the speaker gives instructions on how others can be their authentic selves. The second poem is “Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco, a poem about how the speaker wishes to be a nonconforming individual who has the freedom to do what they want to. The last poem is “Sonnet” by James Weldon Johnson, a poem where the speaker encourages listeners to keep going because after difficult and tough times, good ones will always follow. …show more content…
In “Sonnet” the speaker motivates listeners to keep going even when times are rough so they can see the better times. In the beginning of the poem the speaker says, “For certain as the raven-winged night/ is followed by the bright and blushing morn, / thy coming morrow will be clear and bright;/ ‘Tis darkest when the night is furthest worn.”(Johnson 5-8) This is significant because the speaker takes two vastly different images and puts them next to each other saying that after the dark night like the color of a raven’s feathers, there will be a bright and blushing morn like how the light blue sky looks next to These actions are courageous because a person needs to first get through the dark to see the beautiful morning; they must overcome the difficulties before getting to gain a better life. In addition, a quote from the near end of the poem when the speaker states, “Rise up, and casting off thy hind’ring shrouds/ cling thou to this, and ever inspiring hope: / Tho’ thick the battle and tho’ fierce the fight, / there is a power making for the right.” (Johnson 11-14) This piece of evidence is significant because it is more juxtaposing of one usually negative thing to a positive thing this time those things being shrouds and hope as well as battles and power These actions show courage because the listener must take the weight off their shoulders and cling to their hope, which may be the only thing they have, and survive a thick and fierce battle to gain the power to keep going. The “Sonnet” by James Weldon Johnson illustrates how a better life motivates people to be