Dzenan


 * My favorite poetic device in literature** is the use of metaphors. From Robinson Jeffers //To the Stone-Cutters//, "Stone-cutters fighting time with marble, you fore-defeated, Challengers of oblivion" Jeffers uses stone cutters as a metaphor to the working man. He does so in order to comment on how the stone cutters are not good people.


 * My favorite characterization in literature** is the characterization that is given to blue eyed people in //The Bluest Eye.// Blue eyes are a mystical thing to Pecola. In the novel, they symbolize beauty and perfection. "If those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different." This quote shows the insecurity of Pecola and her overall mindset. Pecola felt different because of the color of her skin, and felt ugly. Her insecurities were all centered around race, but the one thing in her mind that could have made her "beautiful" would be to possess blue eyes.


 * My favorite quote in literature** comes from //Crime and Punishment.// Rodion is torn inside whether or not to take it upon himself to kill the pawnbroker lady. He contemplates over and over in his mind what he should do. The novel shows a significant interior conflict. "It wasn’t a human being I killed, it was a principle! So I killed the principle, but I didn’t step over, I stayed on this side" This quote shows Rodion's mindset after he finally does kill the lady. He attempts to justify the murder of the old lady to help himself. His conscious eats at him and in order to get over the murder, he justifies that she was an evil woman that got what she deserved.

"JULIET Then have my lips the sin that they have took. ROMEO Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again. JULIET You kiss by the book" The power of love is shown in Romeo and Juliet better then in any other literary work. Though their love is banned, Romeo and Juliet are madly in love. She is a Capulet and his is a Montague. Because of the fight between their families, they are not allowed to be together. However, the power of love overcomes any and all rules that are placed down by their parents.In this dialogue between the two lovers, you can see that they are more concerned about each other that they do not pay any attention the the rules bestiged upon them. Ultimately, they both die in the name of love in a horrible turn of irony.
 * My favorite dialogue in literature** comes from //Romeo and Juliet.//


 * My favorite theme in literature** is presented in //The Kite Runner.// The change that Amir undergoes in the novel is really quite inspiring. At the beginning of the novel, Amir is presented as a coward. After seeing his best friend/brother being raped by Assef, he does nothing to help out Hassan. However, later in the novel, Amir takes it upon himself to go out and make up for the mistakes he committed in his early life. Amir summons the courage to go back to Afghanistan and save Sohrab, Hassan's son. Even though he allowed atrocities to happen to Hassan, he wanted to help out his son in an effort to, in my opinion, save a part of himself.


 * A setting I would write about** revolves around war. The topic of war is taken lightly by all who have not had any kind of personal experience with it. We all can joke about the war in Afghanistan and Iraq and even conflicts in our history, but the people who were literally present during these times of war know just how grave and serious they are. Personally, my parents and whole family come from war-torn Bosnia. Although I was only a toddler during the war, I can see the effect that the war has on my parents. When I try to discuss the civil war with my father, he shrugs it off. He was a soldier in the army when he was only 18. It's hard for me to comprehend what it must've been like for my dad. I turned 18 3 days ago and my mindset was on school, girls, sports, typical guy stuff. However, when my dad was my age, what was on his mind? What was his mindset? Was he concerned with surviving? The whole topic really is just mind-boggling to me.


 * A theme I would like to address is** friendship and how it affects people's lives. We are who we surround ourselves with. My friends have a profound impact on my life. It'd be easy to write about friendship because it's an easy topic for the reader to connect with. I've found that the books that keep me the most interested are not just the books that have an addicting plot line but are also books that I'm able to make a connection with. Just think of reading a book, and the main character's friend is similar to your friend. That connection is enough for you to have a "lol" moment.


 * A conflict I would write about is** the Arab-Israeli wars. Ever since I was exposed to the conflict in Palestine (Israel) in Ms. Heppeler's Global Studies honors class, the Arab-Israeli conflict has always intrigued me. From the research we've done in class, to my own personal research, I've always been infatuated with the conflict. The perfect word/phrase to describe the conflict would surely get me in trouble with the Dean, so I'll leave it at that. However, the conflict has affected so many innocent lives, that you can't help but feel sympathy for the people who are going through it. It's been more then 60 years since Palestine was taken from the Palestinians and given to the Jewish people to be turned into Israel, and there is still constant fighting. The Middle East will never know peace until a resolution is achieved.


 * A favorite line of my own writing** comes from my long overdue research paper. My thesis on Robinson Jeffers poem really set up the direction of the rest of my paper. " In one of his most celebrated works, “To the Stone-Cutters,” Jeffers use of poetic devices masquerade his thesis on how ideas can become concrete and never forgotten." I felt like I not only addressed the question, but also created hints for the reader as to what I would be discussing in the rest of my essay.


 * My favorite poetic device of my own is** the imagery I used to describe a jolly rancher. "My mouth watered with every second I awaited it." I felt like the reader would be able to easily connect with my poem. While reading it, you begin to ponder over a jolly rancher and eventually, your mouth starts to water as well.

Pain, heart and game, it's all written in his name, the heart of a champion, the determination of a winner, from the long 3's, to the half-court spinners. Derrick Rose makes us all believers, humble yet outrageous, hate-able yet contagious, 3 years in the league and he's already famous.
 * __ Flower in it's bloom__**

Inspiration never was hard to find, coming from hell and back I would have gone blind. War, tragedy, and strain, some people would never be the same. Hidden behind the eyes of a soldier, was the heart of a young man. A woman that held him together like a boulder, a happy life was all they had in plan. The dream still lives in the mind, my pop is still at the top of his grind.
 * __Dreams__**

The sounds fill the ears of the youth, grotesque noises never to be forgotten. Caught in the middle of right and wrong, not understanding what is going on. Who's at fault was never the question, instead taught to live life as if it was a blessing. Going on day by day, acting if everything was okay. Ignoring the problems in the world, Heads left spinning in a twirl.
 * __BANG__**

Being happy isn't a burden, rejoice in all of your accomplishments. Block out the negatives, focus on the positives. A life without struggle is no life at all. It's through that struggle we become who we are. We are who we are, and our life is what we make it. It's not impossible to go from nothing, to something.
 * __Everything will be OK__**

Pow, right to the kisser, no more Mr. Nice Guy from me, set out to prove who I can be. Fists clenched, shirt undone, I doubt anyone will want some. The one who stands up and tries, will be left with tears draining from his eyes. Don't try me cause it's over before it starts, leave you with a sour taste in your mouth, like eating tarts.
 * __Fight__**