Jessica


 * **My favorite poetic device in literature** ﻿include extended metaphors and imagery which are both in the book //The Five People You Meet in Heaven// by Mitch Albom. "He was nothing now, a leaf in the water, and she pulled him gently, through shadow and light, through shades of blue and ivory and lemon and black, and he realized all these colors, all along, were the emotions of his life. She drew him up through the breaking waves of a great gray ocean and he emerged in brilliant light above an almost unimaginable scene..." This quote describes the gradual self-realization of an old man towards the end of his life. He is confused and is guided by a small girl through all the past scenes in his memory that he cannot understand. The imagery and metaphor of the drifting leaf in the ocean is my favorite because of how it describes the uncertain journey through life and the guidance needed when searching for meaning.
 * **My favorite characterization in literature** is from the book //Dogs of Babel// by Carolyn Parkhurst. A dog named Lorelei is a main character in the novel because she witnessed the murder of her owner. The narrator describes the dog as follows: "Rhodesian Ridgebacks are big dogs...They get their name from a distinctive ridge of hair running down the middle of their backs, hair that seems to grow the wrong way, standing up like a long cowlick agaisnt their sleek brown coats. When you run your hand across it, it feels bristly, like the buzz cuts boys used to get when I was small. More than anything, it reminds me of a very stiff velvet chair my grandmother had in her house; the fabric felt prickly agaisnt the skin whichever way you rubbed it- it was impossible to sit in if your arms or legs were bare- but when you flattened a bit of the nap with your finger, you could feel the softness that lay between the individual threads." This characterization is my favorite because of the comparisons between the dog's fur and a couch that seems rough and "prickly"; yet, when you go deeper, you learn that the fur is actually soft, just like the dog's personality.
 * **My favorite quote in literature** is the description of Nurse Ratched in //One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest// by Ken Kesey. "She's swelling up, swells till her back's splitting out the white uniform and she's let her arms section out long enough to wrap around the three of them.... she really let's herself go and her painted smile twists, streches to an open snarl, and she blows up bigger and bigger, big as a tractor, so big I can smell the machinery inside the way you smell a motor pulling too big a load." This quote accurately describes the wickedness of Nurse Ratched and how she transforms from a nurse to a disturbed, mechanic monster. As morbid as this quote is, it is my favorite because it illustrates the child-like innocence and fear that the patients feel because of Nurse Ratched's demeanor in comparing her to a childhood "boogeyman."
 * ** My favorite dialogue in literature ** is in my favorite book, //Pride and Prejudice// by Jane Austen. Repeatedly, Elizabeth Bennet attacks Mr. Darcy with sarcastic and humorous remarks such as this: "'I might as well inquire,' said she,'why with so evident a design of offending and insulting me you chose to tell me that your liked me agaisnt your will, agaisnt your reason, and even against your character?'" Another witty remark said by Mr. Bennet is also my favorite: "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents- your mother will never see you again if you do //not// marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you //do.//" This "alternative" is really Mr. Bennet commenting on the ridiculousness of her mother's behavior and Mr.Collin's proposal.
 * ** My favorite theme in literature **is in the book //The Kite Runner// by Khaled Hosseini. The remarkable friendship between Hassan and Amir, despite their social class, endures so many trials and is a major theme in the book. Though Amir does not necessarily demonstrate his friendship as well as Hassan does, he atones for his sins against him by being loyal in the end. Morally, Hassan is by far one of the greatest characters ever imagined- his undeniable loyalty to Amir keeps him fighting for their friendship through the tough times, through betrayal, and his forgiveness of Amir is so simple and unquestioned because of his deep love for his childhood friend.

-- __ A Universal Crisis __ Turn on the news And you will see Protests and riots Wars waging within countries Pursuing a goal Well supported, known Where democracy prevails Dictatorship overthrown The world watches with hope One day they will be A country defined as  Democracy
 * ** A setting I would write about ﻿ ** would take place in the countryside or in some location surrounded by nature because that is where I like spend most of my time and I think a lot of possible imagery surrounds a natural, beautiful setting.
 * ** A conflict I would write about is ﻿ ** either struggles of love or ambition of the character because so many people can relate to their own experiences and there are so many different topics to write about.
 * ** A theme I would like to address ﻿ ** is strength, friendship, and perseverance during a tough situation or conflict. I particularly like historical events and current conflicts, so combining a smaller conflict and solution within a larger, historical conflict makes for an interesting storyline.
 * ** A favorite line of my own writing is ﻿ ** from a newspaper article reviewing the film //Black Swan. "//During auditions, it is clear that she is perfect for the white swan role; however, she must learn to embody her dark side in order to dance freely and perfectly. The arrival of a new dancer suddenly brings Nina's enemy, a “black swan” persona, with whom she competes to earn and maintain the role. Her determination, once normal, now borders on danger and obsession. The dark role envelops Nina’s mind and gradually, violently takes over, and as she strives for perfection, viewers are left shocked and questioning if what they have seen is real, or just her disturbing, insane hallucinations." I like this quote because I think my description provides emotional insight to the movie and doesn't just explain the plot in order to relate the deeper, artistic meaning of the movie.
 * ** My favorite poetic device of my own is ﻿ ** imagery in my poem,"Midnight"."pools of light/ Leak from slender lampposts/A murky violet sky lifts millions of tiny diamonds/To hug a gleaming white globe ". I love this imagery because it illustrates the silence and beauty experienced only at that time of night.
 * ﻿Poem Collection **

__ Midnight __ It is only at this time Eternal darkness Follows you everywhere

When All shadows are black Silence is stillness

When Tranquility is thick Coiling like a cozy Snug blanket

When A brush of wind Tickles the trees; po ols of light Leak from slender lampposts A murky violet sky lifts millions of tiny diamonds To hug a gleaming white globe

It is only at this time All windows are dim Everything hides, paralyzed In place; Realize In this lonely street As your heels silently skim the ground The world is at peace When no one’s around

__High School (bout rime of “Where the sidewalk ends”)__ So, at last, the social awkwardness ends We bid farewell before our true lives begin We leave the halls and walls of white To enter our futures certain to be bright Pushed out the nest, ready for flight To freely catch whichever direction of wind

For days that were so uncertain and black Where we could not judge how far the rule bends Mistakes made in order to grow It took four years, painfully slow We fought and won; we can finally go At last, where social awkwardness ends

Now that our transition is learned, it won’t slow Off to completeness, acceptance we go Though it may come back, at least we know Social awkwardness always ends

__Reunion__ 20 years later- who in the world are you? “We used to talk during lunch when we had nothing to do” I don’t remember, I’m sorry but why- Do you feel it's necessary to tell me this lie? We were never friends, in fact, you were mean When I was in the lunch line You ate my green bean And once you decided to trip me on the stairs I knew it was you, I pretended I didn’t care So now that you know I’ve had great strides in life You want to rekindle A flame that has died Bitter enemy: You have lost and I have prevailed Maybe you should have studied instead of failed Now, in your hardship, may I ask if you regret Those humiliating moments I will never forget.

__Best Friend__ The one who saw it all Heard every whispered word Sat by my side when I cried My companion

The one who walked away when I was wrong Begged for the food on my plate Drooled on my bare leg in summer My antagonist

The one who barked at every door bell Snapped at my playful attackers Growled at my brother My protector

The one who never stops fetching Wagging her chocolate tail Snoring at 8 p.m My puppy

The one who turns greyer Tires of old age Still hangs on while I need her My best friend

I wrote // Universal Crisis // because I expressed earlier that I would like to write about some ongoing conflict. Since the protests in Libya, Egypt, and beyond, I realized that I felt strongly for those people fighting for their freedoms and this came to my mind immediately. Not only are these people fighting for freedom but for their lives and the pressure is mounting. The entire world expects them to do well and they set examples for other restrained countries as well. My only technique in this poem was alliteration.
 * Reflection **

// Midnight // is my dream poem because of the use of imagery. I love imagery, and I remember those late summer nights sitting on my porch and the peace that I experienced so well that it was too easy to write a poem about it.

Both //High School// and //Reunion// reflect similar conflicts inside all of the seniors right now. The first is more about moving on past the idiotic experiences of awkwardness in high school to an inviting future while the second reflects on that future and the humor of looking back at high school. I integrated some internal rhyme and alliteration with "halls and walls of white", a bird metaphor, and imagery of dark days.

// Best Friend // is simply about my aging dog and how she has always been there for me for the last 12 years. Again, I used alliteration and internal rhyme with "heard every whispered word", "sat by my side when I cried" and imagery of a "chocolate tail" and "drooled on my bare leg in summer".