Friendship- Henry David Thoreau

For my second essay, I intend to use a poem by Henry David Thoreau, titled, “Friendship.” The poem is essentially about the true meaning of friendship, and how love can be intertwined with that friendship. For the research aspect of the paper, I have checked out both a fictional book and non-fictional book. “Dear John” by Nicholas Sparks is a book that exemplifies friendship that turns into marriage. I believe this will help enhance my paper because it demonstrates how strong a friendship can be. I have also checked out a non-fictional book titled, “Friendship, being ourselves with others,” by Graham Little. This book discusses close relationships with others and how they form and are bonded. I believe these two books are going to be extremely beneficial for my essay because they will help make the poem clearer, so I can have a greater chance of getting to the poet’s original intent.

I thought the poem, Welcome to Hiroshima was a little bit more difficult to understand than the two poems we went over in class. However, I tried my best to find words that showed a correlation and to understand the poet's intended meaning. I believe the poet wanted to point out the fact that the year was unlike any other, and quite eventful. Yet now, all there is to show for it, is a billboard. The only remains are those in the memories of the people. Words that I feel were correlated were TV- re-runs, beer-foamy, blood and scum- clear, communicate-mute, hope- pain. A lot of these words contradict each other, but they also paint quite a picture for the reader. I think the tone of the poem is very sad.

Pieces of Me

Julie Starnes
Engl- 047
Pieces of Me
Whether you are African- American, Chinese, Brazilian, or American, everyone is made up of pieces that define their personality. Though some might have pieces with sharp edges and rough sides, while others have smooth lines and a delicate texture, these pieces distinguish extraverted personalities from introverted personalities. But more than the type of personality, the pieces show the complexity of the whole. This picture, which is in its real color to portray its authenticity, gives an in- depth look into what I was feeling on this momentous day, and what it took to get there.
The colors of the original photograph were not altered for multiple reasons. First off, Class Presidents lead a high-quality life with exceptionally bright futures, according to the stigmas placed upon them. I do not necessarily disagree with this statement because I am fortunate enough to have opportunities ahead of me that others may not have. Another reason why I chose to keep the original colors of the picture is that Graduation Day is a cheerful day, and I want to aptly portray this significant day in my life. My last motive for the color choice is that I am a generally happy person. I wear a lot of bright colors and have a loud personality. I believe the picture would not have been truly accurate if I altered the picture too much, because this reality is fitting and need not be changed.
I believe a lot can be gathered from my facial expression in the photo. It is safe to say when others glance at the picture, they simply overlook the true expression I am wearing, and categorize the look as jubilant and accomplished. Conversely, when taking a closer look, a lot can be seen in my eyes. I believe the eyes show a little bit of happiness, mixed with a lot of hesitation, a good amount of nostalgia, with a little dash of pride. I describe the look in my eyes with these four words simply because they are all true. The part of me that was happy that day was the part comprised of the pieces that had outgrown high school and were excited for college. I knew I would be going to Clemson University in South Carolina in the fall, and could not wait for the weather! Despite the fact that I was excited for college, I couldn’t help but feel hesitant to leave my comfort zone that was made up of everything and everyone I loved. The nostalgia came from the pieces within me that knew I would never experience high school again. I had the experience of a lifetime in high school. From homecoming court to lacrosse captain, I loved Quince Orchard High School. The little dash of pride mentioned came for my Class President pieces. The two- hour commencement ceremony at Constitution Hall was my responsibility, and everything went off without a hitch. I was proud of what the day stood for and that I was a part of it. The emotions and feelings seen in my eyes only made me stronger and are the same pieces that got me to that point in my life where I walked across the stage and moved my tassel from left to right.
The picture with the outline of a girl and the words “Class President,” is a picture of myself, only altered to look like a hundred little pieces putting my frame together. The alteration is very simple, yet very meaningful to me. The five words are placed around the frame with a certain purpose and meaning of significance. The small black words on the altered photograph are words that I feel everyone can relate to. In addition, the two words in white simply state the label I received, despite the different angles and hard edges of the pieces. As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters to what lies within us.” The tiny matters Emerson is referring to are the pieces my personality is made of. It starts with the foundation of my family, and layered on top are the pieces formed by my schooling. Next are the pieces created from sports, and followed by the pieces directly on top, which are formed by my friends. The last layer of pieces are those cut by love. In all, these pieces fused together form a complex personality, yet are simply described by peers in the two words referring to the leader of their class.
Understandably, everyone experiences a different upbringing with their family, and environment in their schooling, and is entitled to their own opinion about sports. For me, my upbringing could not have been more “American- cliché,” right down to the golden retriever. I was lucky to be supported by a family that attended every sporting event I ever played in, and every talent show I performed in. They make up my foundation and the pieces of me that believe I am capable of anything. Another reason I am fortunate is that the public school environment is very privileged where I grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland. I read out of new textbooks and learned math on smart-boards instead of chalkboards. Beyond the luxuries my school district afforded, attending elementary, middle, and high school helped shape and define pieces of me. I am referring to the pieces that show others that I am an educated person, as well as a good member of society. In addition, my fondness of sports molded the pieces that encompass my competitive side and my drive. Also sports have also allowed me to be taught by coaches, how to be a stand up person, as well as learning the importance of losing gracefully.
Next comes my relationship with my friends. My friends molded certain pieces of my personality to make me understand true loyalty, as well as how to be comfortable in my own skin and have fun doing it. Many experiences with my friends allowed me to grow and even discover new pieces of my personality. The last word listed is love. My encounter with love is only one that can be described with good words. I found love with the boy I grew up calling my best friend. We dated for over two and a half years, and he was a huge part of my life. Having recently broken up on a mutual basis because of college, I realize I have learned a priceless lesson. I know what it is like to have loved and to feel broken, but in actuality it only makes room for new pieces. The loss has only made me stronger, and makes my pieces more defined.
Despite the fact that the five words in black consist of all the pieces of my personality at the moment, I know I am not done growing, and have not found all my pieces. Therefore, when looking at the photograph, it is obvious that the words only go up half the length of the frame (starting at the bottom- my foundation). The unlabeled pieces on the top half of the picture are the pieces of my personality that I have not discovered yet. I feel that certain experiences and endeavors can teach me something new about myself. These new adventures I am about to embark on are implied with the attire I am wearing in the photo: a graduation cap and gown. This photo is something that a lot of people can relate to because majority of Americans receive their high school diplomas. Whether they graduate and are heading out to pursue a career, or become a student, or to even serve our country in the armed forces, new words are going to be placed on their photo too.
The misconceptions and notions that were formed about me by peers within my 400-student class only made me realize the strength of all my pieces put together. I truly feel that with a different upbringing, or a different relationship with my friends, I would not have been able to get past the label. When looking at the picture, it is easy to notice the cohesiveness of all the pieces, as well the fact all the pieces fit perfectly. I realize now, that with even one of the pieces missing from the altered image, the picture would not be whole, and neither would my personality.
The five words in black are universal. They are terms with global meanings, yet specificity only the individual can know. That is why there is a question mark after the phrase, “Class President.” These words are pieces of me, but the full picture is a better indicator.