Essay Number 6

Finding the Light:

An Essay on the Symbol of "light" in A Tale of Two Cities, and of Light in My Own Life

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade English

November 29, 2011

           Light occurs many times in life from the twinkling stars that we gaze upon in the heavens, to the swinging of the lamps in A Tale of Two Cities. Another example of light in A Tale of Two Cities is of Miss Manette’s hair that sparkles in the light. Also, the starlight to me represents how this light has traveled millions of miles just to reach us so we can witness its brightness. The light that illuminates us symbolizes meanings that become clearer with brightness.
            A Tale of Two Cities has many symbolic meanings of light, from Saint Antoine in Paris, to the golden light of Miss Manette’s hair, the golden locks that seem to reflect the light. The lights in Saint Antoine are hung above the road “slung by a rope and pulley”. The hanging lights, swinging back and forth flickering light down upon Saint Antoine, gave the appearance of a ship at sea. The light that pours out from these swinging lanterns falls upon the town; this light gives the appearance of a ship cresting waves on the rough sea, rocking back and forth; this metaphoric ship and the town of Saint Antoine are in “peril”. This peril comes from how Saint Antoine is a rough, dank and dirty neighborhood. Another representation of light is of the light that Monsieur Defarge wants to “let in”. This light seems to be Mr. Manette’s demon, terrorizing his eyes, slowly killing him. The light seems to be his demon because if Monsieur Defarge opened the door a crack farther Mr. Manette would have to “bear it”--the pain of the light. Lastly Miss Manette’s golden hair, shining with brightness and brilliance, reflects the light around her. Her hair has such a golden brilliance that when she is in a dark room her “golden hair” seems to bring brightness to a room. Also, the few “long golden hairs” that survived through 18 years in prison brought light to keep Mr. Manette alive. Light, real or created by the golden hair of Miss Manette has a symbolic meaning to a deep level.

We use light and see light every day, but we never take a second and think about all of the lights we use and see, and how if we were to lose the ability to use or create light we would be at a loss. One night around midnight after our bonfire, I was sitting in a beach chair outside gazing up at the dark sky, thinking about life and time. I was thinking about life because the starlight that we see twinkling in the sky has traveled millions of miles and taken millions of years just so we can witness the star’s light, the signal of life we could never reach in our lifetime. Another idea I was stuck pondering on was how all of these stars can create images, be used for navigation, just awestruck of the huge night sky. Another time when I started to see just how much we were dependent upon artificial light was during the flood of 2010. We really started to feel that dependency when we had to bail the basement with buckets because we had no power. Armed with headlamps and buckets we proceeded down into the basement in the dark with the only light coming from the torches on our head so we could do our job. Lastly the most memorable and fun experience with light was when our fridge lights went out and I could no longer gaze into the fridge and glimpse all of my food choices. The darkness seemed to isolate me from the fridge and it seemed like I never wanted to visit the fridge because I could not gaze into the fridge and see what there was to eat. However, when we replaced the lights the fridge seemed to be overflowing with life and brightness again calling me to gaze upon the fridge’s shelves. The light in my life can be as bright as a sun or the light can be as faint as a beam coming from a head lamp, this light has a meaning to me.

Light can be a symbol of many things. Light can be a symbol of hope, freedom and time. However, in my life light can be a symbol of time and distance, or light can even represent bad ideas with bad morals. An idea where light can have a bad meaning is if you were to get too much sun you could get sunburned, or you could have eye damage from looking at the sun. With more light, ideas and morals become clearer with brighter the light.

1.      In my essays, I am still trying to work on making sure my writing tools enhance the writing.

2.      A strong point I see in this essay is my use of appositives.

3.      A weak point that I see in my writing is probably awkward sentences and unclear sentences.

4.      On Essay 5, I would give myself an B-.

Essay Number 5

Winter:

An Essay on the Beatles Song “Here Comes the Sun,” a Quote from A Tale of Two Cities, and My Life

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade English

November 8, 2011

    Do you ever hear a song that you  remember the words to, and start singing along?  A song I know the words to is “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. This song with its profound meanings and ideas can be related to a quote in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness," and the song can be related to instances in my life. “Here Comes the Sun” might sound like a song without complexity, but “Here Comes the Sun” is not simple because the song has deep connections to current events, and to a line from A Tale of Two Cities, the book that was written a little while after the French revolution.

It is a time for coldness, it is a time for warmth, this literary technique of antithesis started off A Tale of Two Cities with this line, “It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness.” The song “Here Comes the Sun,” by The Beatles can be related to a quote from the first paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities. The quote is “it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness.” “Here Comes the Sun” can be related to the quote from A Tale of Two Cities through how long the sun or the season of light will be seen until the “season of darkness.” Another way to relate the quote from A Tale of Two Cities is to a line from the song. “It's been a long cold lonely winter,” this line relates and restates to the quote by Charles Dickens because the time between the two seasons is probably lengthy. In the song, there is a line, “I feel that ice is slowly melting,” this line relates to the quote by Dickens. The relationship between the song and the quote is in the change; the change probably occurred gradually between the “season of light” and the “season of darkness.” In the end, the song “Here Comes the Sun” and the quote “it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness” by Charles Dickens relate to one another in many ways.

    We sang “Here Comes the Sun” last year for the spring arts program, so we have a connection to this song, the song I still know all the words and claps to. Other than singing “Here Comes the Sun” at spring arts, I can relate the lyrics to my life in a few ways. The first way I can relate to the lyrics is through this line; “It feels like years since it's been here,” this line means that it has been awhile since I have done something. This could entail that I have forgotten all about something, or it could mean that I haven’t done an activity for awhile, such as skiing, lacrosse or sailing. Oftentimes after I have been doing something for awhile I say, “I say it's all right.” It’s all right for a season to end because I accept the end of a season, and with that closure you can change what sport or activity you do. Sometimes at the end of a ski season or the end of a sailing season I am ready for the next sport I do. Lastly, on a serious worldwide note, there is the problem of global warming, a problem that could change our lives if this disrupts ocean current patterns. A line from “Here Comes the Sun” that relates to this problem is, “[the] ice is slowly melting” this line relates pretty literally to the problem of global warming because icebergs and glaciers melt at every instant. However, we are not doing much because people say that glaciers are not really melting. Scientists say that glaciers are melting all the time. “Here Comes the Sun” and my life can connect on serious notes, like the melting of glaciers, however the song can relate on more positive notes, like how sports come and go in my life.
    “Here Comes the Sun” is a simple song, but beneath the cover of simplicity there are some deep meanings. “Here Comes the Sun” can be related to a quote from the first paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities, “it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness.” Furthermore, “Here Comes the Sun” can be related not only to my life, but on a global scale to global warming. “Here comes the Sun” to me is a classic song, it can be related to many topics, and it is enjoyable to listen to.
Self Assessment:

1.      In my essays, I am still trying to work on making sure my writing tools enhance the writing.

2.      A strong point I see in this essay is my use of appositives.

3.      A weak point that I see in my writing is probably awkward sentences and unclear sentences.

4.      On Essay 5, I would give myself an B-.

Essay Number 4

In this essay I want to watch for...

• sentences that seem even a little confusing or awkward
• unnecessary commas
• shifts from singular to plural
• required tools for writing that don’t actually enhance the writing

Walk On:

An Essay Relating the Song “Walk On” to my Brother’s Break Up and to the Younger Family Leaving

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade English

October 13, 2011

    What is the song “Walk On”, by U2 all about? I related the song “Walk On” to my brother’s break up with his girlfriend in multiple ways, ways of what he should do. I also related the song to A Raisin in the Sun in many ways, and especially to the Younger family leaving. This essay will show you in specific ways how occurrences in my life and instances in the book A Raisin in the Sun relate to U2’s song “Walk On”.

A way to relate “Walk on” by U2 to my life, was through my brother breaking up with his girlfriend. The line “The only baggage you can bring” means that when you are in a relationship you put your problems, dreams, hopes on this person.(Asyndeton) This is something that just happens -- happens whether it is good or bad, happens whether it is right or wrong,  happens continuously whether anyone likes it or not. (Anaphora) This occurrence could bring you closer together or push you farther apart. This line pertains (FAST) to my brother and his break up very well, and the line is “And if your glass heart should crack...Oh no, be strong”; this line pretty much means that if someone breaks your heart stay strong and live through this break up. If you break up with someone you will be down in the dumps, but no one enjoys that. However, this feeling teaches you about life and its ups and downs. Lastly, the line “Walk on, walk on” could have many meanings, but one meaning could be leave, and get over the person who cracked your heart. Walk on and go into new territory and live differently. While walking on, remember who you are, and what made you who you are now. My brother’s break up is a perfect way to relate to the song “Walk On” by U2.

    “Walk On”, the song by U2 can be related to A Raisin in the Sun in many ways. One way to relate the song to A Raisin in the Sun is through these lyrics, “Stay safe tonight.” These lyrics can be related to A Raisin in the Sun many ways, but one way is the Younger family should keep an eye (fast) out for their lives or livelihood because they are moving into a neighborhood of white people.The family was about to explode, out of the small, cramped apartment they called home.(Asyndeton) It would be unlikely, but human kind, especially whites in this time, can be incredibly cruel. Another line that correlates with A Raisin in the Sun is “And you can only take so much”. I feel that this line pertains to one person in A Raisin in the Sun; this person appears to be Ruth. It seems that Ruth can’t take living with Walter, living in constant arguments, living in this one windowed apartment any longer.(Anaphora) A Raisin in the Sun is a great book to relate U2’s song “Walk On” to.
    “Walk On”, by U2 can be related to many instances in life; starting with my and ending with the book A Raisin in the Sun. I related  “Walk On” to my brother breaking up with his girlfriend. I related “Walk On” to A Raisin in the Sun and specific instances from the book like how the Younger family is going to a new place they don’t know much about. “Walk on” has many meanings, but basically the meaning is walk on and leave to a new place.
Self Assesment
Self Assessment

1. One Writing issue I am still working on is not using the verb to be. This verb does not contain much action therefore the verb is weak.
2. A strong point in this piece of writing that I see is that I feel that my anaphora's and asyndetons enhance the writing.
3. A weak point in this essay is my unclear sentences.
4. A grade I would give myself would be a C.

Essay Number 7

Protecting Those You Care For:

An Essay about Caring for Those you love

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade

English

November 29, 2011

    Protecting and caring for the ones you love is an instinct that you acquire with children. However you can also acquire this skill by the way of Miss Manette, a lonely child that learned how to survive. In my life my parents have sacrificed many things to try to make my like better. However in A Tale of Two Cities, Miss Manette is the one that sacrifices things for her father when he should be caring for her. I will try to relate both my life and A Tale of Two Cities to “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab. As you grow older and become wiser you acquire a sense of wisdom and you protect the ones you love.
    I know my parents will abandon anything they are doing and help me if I am in a bad situation and I think the poem “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye has that message in it. One thing that my dad sacrifices for me is his time. He brings me to all of my ski races, sailing races and sporting events that he can make just so he can be there for me. He also “[looks] two times north and south” checking to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. My mother doesn’t sacrifice her time, but I know that if I were in trouble she would try to help me in any way she could. She would care for me and be gentle with me, even if I didn’t say “FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE”. She just has a protective instinct; if we are about to brake hard in the car she puts an arm in front of me to keep me from hitting the dashboard, the part of the car that would hurt if you hit it. Whether it is time or safety I know my parents will help me out of any situation I get myself into.
    Miss Manette seems to have an instinct with her father she knows how to alleviate his pain and how to  comfort him or how to cheer him up. Miss Manette is able to make him come with her out of France just because of “two long golden hairs”. These hairs that were once Miss Manette’s have a value only known to Dr. Manette. These are the hairs that kept him alive through prison because he had something to look forward to. Miss Manette is also able to calm her father when he awakes and thinks he is back in his cell. He paces what he believes is his cell, the eight foot by eight foot room he just keeps pacing, walking back and forth. Her ears “fill up with breathing” because Miss Manette comes to the rescue, she walks with him, back and forth till he is calm enough to go back to bed.  as she walks back and forth If you are able to cheer someone up with your presence or a piece of you, you have a large responsibility.
     Being responsible for someone is a big responsibility. My parents are responsible for me and, I know that being responsible for someone is not always easy. Even though Miss Manette  is only 21 and she is caring for her father when really he should be caring for her. Whether it is brought upon your you allow it to happen, you must always care and protect the ones you love.

Essay Number 3

Love and a Cowboy:

An Essay about the Song “Desperado”, and specifically about the Themes Found in the Song

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade English

October 13, 2011

Will you ever find love if you never open yourself up to find it? Love and who to love occurs as a theme throughout the song, “Desperado”, by the Eagles. While love is one meaning, another obscured (fast) interpretation shows up of a cowboy who won’t open himself up to love. This essay will show you how love is a meaning in “Desperado” just as a cowboy is another meaning in the song.

“Desperado” tells us about someone who is being told to open his mind to love or how to love a person. One verse of the song is “Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? You been out [riding] fences for so long now, Oh, you're a hard one, I know that you got your reasons, [these] things that are [pleasing] you, Can hurt you somehow.” This verse has many meanings, but one meaning appears that this person we learn about isolates himself and closes himself up, instead of discovering (fast) love. The last point to this stanza seems to be this person likes what he does and they love the way they live their life. Another verse with a same general meaning is, “Don' you draw the queen of diamonds, boy, She'll beat you if she's able, [you] know the queen of hearts is always your best bet.” This verse means that this person always tries for that hard person to get and this hard person acts flashy and even though this person appears pretty you will never get her and you should try for someone else. (Polysyndeton)  This is where the queen of hearts comes in, the queen of hearts appears to be the person that loves, and seems kind and the queen of hearts wants to love whoever this song is about.  (Anaphora)  The final verse of the song, is, “Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? Come down from your fences, open the gate, [it] may be [raining], but there's a rainbow above you, [you] better let somebody love you, before it's too late.” This means take the risk and open up to a special person. No matter what happens you will have that rainbow above you and you should love someone before time runs out. The song, “Desperado”, tells a story of how to live your life and how to open yourself up to love.

Love can be one meaning in the song, “Desperado”, but another meaning could be a cowboy out on a ranch in the upper reaches by the fences. In the song, “Desperado”, the first verse sung is, “Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? You been out [riding] fences for so long now, Oh, you're a hard one, I know that you got your reasons, [these] things that are [pleasing] you, Can hurt you somehow.” This cowboy wants to live alone and away and apart. (Polysyndeton) This is the way the cowboy wants to live alone, and this is how the cowboy wants to live his life and this is how the cowboy will live his orher life. (Anaphora) However, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, who wrote this song think because the cowboy doesn’t engage (fast) in society he will miss some opportunities the cowboy would  otherwise had have in life. Another verse is “Don' you draw the queen of diamonds, boy, She'll beat you if she's able, [you] know the queen of heats is always your best bet.” This verse could have many meanings, but if the cowboy gambles and he gets the queen of diamonds, he might lose. However if he draws the queen of hearts he might win, and this could be because this card would allow him to win, or metaphorically because the card seems loving.  The last verse sung in the song,“Desperado”, is “Desperado, why don't you come to your senses? Come down from your fences, open the gate, [it] may be [raining], but there's a rainbow above you, [you] better let somebody love you, before it's too late.” This stanza means this cowboy should come down from his far fences and find someone to fall in love with no mater what happens. If he falls flat on his face he’ll have the rainbow above him to make him smile. The song, “Desperado”, has a few meanings, one of love while here the meaning is of a cowboy who wants to live alone.

Will you open yourself up to love, especially if you’ve been hurt? In the first paragraph whoever this is about should open up and not be afraid to get hurt. Also, the cowboy is “a hard one”, but he still should open himself up to love “before it’s too late.” In this essay I have shown you the two themes in the song, “Desperado”, one of a cowboy, and the other of love.

Self Assessment

1. One Writing issue I am still working on is not using the verb to be. This verb does not contain much action therefore the verb is weak.
2. A strong point in this piece of writing that I see is that I feel that I did a goodjob of trying to replace is with other verbs,
3. A weak point in this essay is my commas, with comma splices and places where I need commas.
4. A grade I would give myself would be a B.

Essay Number 2

To be Simple:

An Essay About Being a Simple Man

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade English

September 27, 2011

There are many variables that go into a simple man: a simple man is one that does not lust, a simple man listens to what people tell him, while having his own ideas. Lynyrd Skynyrd thinks that a simple man consists of all of these qualities. However a simple person could contain one of these characteristics and still be a simple person like Mama in “A Raisin in the Sun.” No mater how many qualities of a simple man you posses, you can still be a simple person with one of these characteristics.

How are you a simple man? Is a simple man one who listens to the someone up above, is a simple man someone who lives slowly.A way to be simple is to live slowly and see how things turn out. Lynyrd Skynyrd says “Oh, take your time...Don’t live too fast.”, this is a life lesson of going with the flow. While living slow you might accumulate a few assets you would otherwise miss. In addition to living slowly one should not dwell on the past. Thinking of the past and how  life used to be is something that is pointless. While thinking about the past and how life used to brings back good memories, circumstances will never be how they were in your memories. Moreover don’t dream of the impossible because most of the ideas you dream for will never come to you. Consequently, Lynyrd Skynyrd says “Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold.”, this to means settle for what you have don’t try too hard for more. However you can still want items that you do not possess and try to get them, but don’t try too hard because you could fall flat on your face and lose everything. Lynyrd Skynyrd phrases how to be a simple man very specifically and makes it easy to know how to be a simple man.

A few people that are simple are Mama and Winston Churchill. There are many qualities that make up a simple person and Winston Churhill puts it well .“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.“ Winston Curchill and Lynyrd Skynyrd may put it differently, but the best people are the simplest, and those people have the best qualities. Another simple person I  can see as a simple person is Mama from A Raisin in the Sun.  Mama does not seem to have a complicated part in her she is upfront on everything, and even though this can be annoying this makes her a simple person. However, these people may be simple, but I am not a simple person. Too many variables go into me to make me a simple person. Many of the activities I do are pretty complicated instead of being simplistic. However I am 1 person in 6 billion so probably half of those people in the 6 billion are probably very simple. Simplicity can be a value or it can be a downfall because your personality can be transparent.

Life should be simple and Lynyrd Skynyrd tells you exactly how you can do this. Lynyrd Skynyrd says a simple man should not lust and should live slowly. Also, a simple person who fits this description is Mama; Mama is a very simple person. Simple people are all different and all appear in different ways, but in the end they are simple.

Essay Number 1

A Dreamy and Dancing Life:

An Essay on Life Connecting to "For a Dancer" and "A Dream Deferred"

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade English

September 18, 2011

Life has many connections to other occurrences, and of these connections life can be related to "For a Dancer" by Jackson Browne and "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, and these can be connected to  each other. A particular item I connected to was how I lost my cat and how this was hard for me. Secondly, I connected many things from the poem and the song to the death of Jackson’s wife. Life can have a relationship with many things, but life can still be related to "A Dream Deferred" and "For a Dancer"

Life can be intricate, but even with complexity my life still can be related to "For a Dancer" and "A Dream Deferred". My life has few connections, but I connected my old cat to both the poem and the song. My cat was a big cat and his belly thumped along so, “It [sagged] like a heavy load”. Also, my cat was eaten by a coyote, and “I don't remember losing track of [him]” because we never had a body left to bury; this is what I thought when we couldn’t find him, my large, loving cat [allit]. When Jackson Browne says “You were always dancing in and out of view” this to me means people in my life come and go. I had some neighbors who used to live next door, but they moved away, and we didn’t hear or see them for a few years. However every now and then, we get a letter from them and we remember our memories of them, and they come back into view, but in a few weeks we forget about them and they drift out of view once again. When Langston Hughes says “or does it just explode”, this can be related to my brother and me because we sometimes freak out at each other. Also, when Langston says “and then run” this could be my brother or me because in the end one of us ends up running away from the other. Lastly when he says “Or crust and sugar over” my brother and I aren’t sugaring over, but our bruises and cuts will crust over. A few things were connected to my life, a poem and a song, however there are many more instances in life that can be connected to these items, and these instances can be seen in many different perspectives.

There are many incidences of similarity in "For a Dancer" by Jackson Browne, and "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes; no matter how small these similarities are they still can have deep meaning. “Keep a fire burning in your eye” in "For a Dancer" can be related to the sun because the sun really is a giant ball of fire and gas. When you look at the sun you have fire in your mind’s eye or in your vision because the sun is a star shining [allit] brightly. However it is a different fire than "A Dream Deferred" because we are not drying up like a raisin in the sun; the sun is filling us full of life instead of taking the life out of us. "For a Dancer" and "A Dream Deferred" make you realize how your dreams might not come true because either you don’t have determination and dedication[allit]  to see your dream out to the end or your dream is a pipe dream like most. Your dreams might be deferred or they might explode from a mishap; however they might be deferred because you have changed your opinion of your dream. In addition some of Jackson Browne’s dreams were destroyed when his wife committed suicide, and he or she never were able to live out those dreams they had together or alone. The death of Jackson Browne’s wife might “crust over” because grief will come and go. However it would not be “a sugary sweet” how Langston Hughes puts it. It would be a “sore that festers”, or it could be that the crust is cracking, and the memories of his wife would flood back to him. However saddening death might be there is always the life of the sun and your dreams to come.

          Life has many relationships, with things or people, animals and friends, but life can have a relationship with a poem and a song in many different ways. My cat really was the animal I had a relationship with, but that was no more when I “lost track of him”. The largest connection between the poem and the song is the sun because they seem to have the most meaning and life. Life can  be related to many other things, and these occurrences can become fewer, but these occurrences are still there when you relate life to "A Dream Deferred" and "For a Dancer".