Teenagers have always sought to be their own person, forgoing rules and even recommendations in favour of self-determination. While an honourable undertaking, this path to self-discovery, leads them to experience new ordeals, where mistakes will be made. To reassure us that these mistakes are not necessarily bad, Elizabeth Alexander, in her poem "Nineteen", illustrates how youth 's desire for freedom¬ and to escape from their reality allows them to grow into adulthood and leads them to make choices that will impact their perception of the world. This theme will be analysed through structure, symbolism and contrast.
In the poem, “Dusting,” by Julia Alvarez, the speaker is being rebellious against her mother and wants to do different things than what her mother wants her to do. In the first stanza, the poet writes that the speaker writes her name many times on dusty furniture “each morning” while the mother followed her to dust the furniture and the mess by the girl. This is an example of the speaker rebelling her mother since this is a metaphor meaning that the girl wants to accomplish different things than her mother but her mother keeps on erasing her accomplishments and wants the girl to be just like her. Another evidence in the poem is at the end of stanza two, where the speaker says “But I refuse with every mark to be like her, anonymous.” This phrase
La Migra is a poem written by Pat Mora about the Mexican - American immigration issue. It’s purpose is to acknowledge the emotions and sentiments of the Mexican immigrants who try to come to the United States illegally. The denotation of the poem’s title means immigration and the connotation is referring to the police officers standing at the Mexico-United States border. The poem is divided into two stanzas to acknowledge immigration through the different perspectives of the illegal immigrant and also through the eyes of the border police. The first stanza is through the perspective of the male border cop, who thinks his power and nonessential items make his superior to the immigrants.
In the song “When You’re Young” by “The Jam,” they sing about how teens are full of youthful energy and rebellious thoughts. One of their lyrics states “...the world is your oyster, but your futures a clam.” This line represents the coming-of-age process and how difficult it can be for teens to grow up and find their true identity. In “Half a Moon” by Renee Watson and “Smokers'' by Tobias Wolff, the authors use the characterization of growing and maturing to show that as teens work to find their identity, they often struggle and make mistakes along the way but eventually realize they must make some changes if they hope to mature.
We often encourage people to actively pursue their happiness while also wanting to discourage them to escape from reality. However, avoiding your issues is also a way of pursuing happiness, even though this route will prove to be temporary. In the literary piece, “Horses of the Night” by Margaret Laurence, the author describes the story of a boy named Chris, who, due to his financial conditions, is forced to move from his home in Shallow Creek to dwell in Manawaka, in order to attend high school. Chris’ character is used to demonstrate the idea that individuals may escape from the miserable aspects of their lives in order to stay happy. Through the course of this work, you witness the changes Chris undergoes, through the eyes of his six-year-old cousin Vanessa, which ultimately lead to his downfall.
In A Summer Life by Gary Soto, the reader is taken on a journey through Soto’s childhood. The story starts when Soto is at age four and continues on until he is a mature seventeen year old. The impressive way in which Gary Soto writes this story provides the reader with enough details that they feel like they know Gary personally. That is especially true about the last chapter, “The River”. The symbolism and literary devices used in this chapter make it the best chapter of the story.
I felt isolated; I spent a lot of time alone". As a reader, this quote stood out because it portrayed how he was effected by the how he saw himself as a man, and how he dealt with his consciences and fear silently. It also shows that men are worried of what other people may think if they open up and expose their feelings so instead they keep it trapped
In the Freedom Writers Diary, the authors focus on the topic of the reality of what they have to deal with in their everyday world. Their teacher Mrs. Gruwell inspired them throughout their high school years by teaching them that it is possible for each and every one of them to change. They write with an uplifting and hopeful outlook on the world even if it not realistic in their present circumstances. In their writing, they establish an effective use of pathos by writing about their own lives and how they connect to others and us by using the selection of detail, metaphors, and allusions. Through these devices, we come to the idea that even though teenager’s in today’s world are faced with many hardships, they do not have to succumb to them.
Growing up is a universal experience, but the maturity that comes with age can be seen either as a blessing or as a curse. In the short story “Marigolds,” by Eugenia Collier, the author explores the natural journey to maturity through the childhood of Lizabeth, a 14-year-old girl who will soon be a girl no longer. As Lizabeth matures into adulthood, the reader can observe her growth into maturity and begin to learn who she truly is. Collier uses Lizabeth’s personal story to convey the omnipresent idea of growing up and maturity, and through her experiences, the reader can discern that maturity comes from understanding one’s place in the world. Additionally, Lizabeth’s first exposure to womanhood shows that a realization and understanding of
In enduring these complex emotions, this section was the most remarkable part. One of the first apparent emotions the boy experiences with the death of his father is loneliness to make this section memorable. The boy expresses this sentiment when he stays with his father described as, “When he came back he knelt beside his father and held his cold hand and said his name over and over again,” (McCarthy 281). The definition of loneliness is, “sadness because one has no friends or company.”
As you grow older so do your feelings. In the short poem “ On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins, a little boy gets to experience the pain of growing up and having to experience change. Through the use of tone and hyperboles, Collins conveys how growing older can push you from what you love most. To begin, Collins uses tone to evoke how the boy is feeling throughout the poem, the boy is feeling what it is like to be older and looks back on golden memories from when he was younger. The speaker is trying to present an melancholic tone to express what the little boy is going through and how he is feeling about the change he is experiencing “ This is the beginning of sadness” (Collins 24).
Poetry Analysis Once the poem “History Lesson” was written numerous poetry foundations celebrated it for many reasons. “History Lesson” not only makes an impact on literature today it has also impacted people also. This poem inspires people and moves them to the point to where they can find a personal connection to the poem itself and to the writer. Not only does it hold emotional value for those who were victimized and those whose family were victimized by the laws of segregation, but the poem is also celebrated for its complexity. The poem uses many techniques to appeal to the reader.
Bruce Dawe highlights the damaging nature of consumerism and how it has led to the loss of Australian identity in his poems ‘Enter Without So Much As Knocking’ and ‘Americanized’. The two poems were written around the 1950-the 1960s when these societal changes were becoming prevalent. The dark satire comedy "Enter Without So Much As Knocking" is about a regular man who lives in the suburbs in the 1950s. The persona ages over the course of the stanzas and gradually begins to engage in the endless cycle of consumerism. On the other hand, the poem "Americanized," combines a cultural imperialist theme with the comparison of a domineering mother and her child who represent America and Australia.
Wendell Berry begins the text by presenting the readers a clear title which principally sets the setting and over all gives the readers a thought of what the content will be about. In the first paragraph, Berry presents his argument by reviewing the topic 's two contradicting groups : the individuals who coexist with nature and other people who don 't. Berry decides to concentrate on the significance of the two groups and their differences and avoids voicing his own opinion. Then again, his comment on the perils of the contradicting groups clarifies the significance of the topic at hand and is fundamentally a persuasive element which induces the reader’s interest and persuades them to continue reading the text. The text is written with diction that a great majority of readers will have the ability to comprehend.
In the poem “For Poets”, by Al Young, the theme is the challenge of stepping out of your comfort zone and seizing moments in life. Young expands and argues his theme through the literary devices used in the poem. These literary devices include symbolism, hyperbole, and metaphor. Al Young portrays life’s obstacles, our society’s attitude towards self expression, and experiencing nature. In conclusion, life is a big obstacle and in order to live it, you must go out of your comfort zone and try your best to give it all you’ve
