Sestina #2

Cooper Feltes
English 9
Mr. Salsich
May 2, 2011

We all have heard the inspiring, animating, and mobilizing music
that, somehow, flows through our ears, as if they were a tunnel
into the part of our mind
that can't help itself but to convey the lyrics to a group. 
the wheels, with mob mentality, turn on the light
in our head, giving rise

to a new sort of passion their eyes.
This is how the music
passes through our class, casting light
to the end of the tunnel.
We move through the tunnel as a flowing group
and, though it is usually best to mind

our own business, it is impossible, for It seems we have the same mind
and, at this time are on the rise
to break away from this group.
Each of us now has our own music,
inspiring and animating us to break free from the constricting tunnel. 
The sun, endless with light,

it seems, can lighten
our spirits, the essence of our mind
as boundless with thoughts as a tunnel
is darkness. The sun rises,
and the birds happily cheer their music
every morning, this is my routine, seeing the group

I have grown with. Keeping the group
in high spirits is the light 
to my day, the music 
to my ears. I don't mind 
if they don't realize my efforts, as long as their moods are risen.
This has been the only thing motivating me to tunnel 

through my years here at Pine Point, the longest tunnel
I have, and many in the group,
have driven through. The rising
and falling light
flickers as we pass. Our minds 
 and time we have spent together have synchronized  our mental music

the sun rises, beaming through the end of this tunnel
our vehicle in the underpass still plays the final music, so sweet, the entire group
can't decide how to spend our last minutes until the light is reached, so we make the best of it, because whatever we do now, none of us will mind.

Final Project

Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

May 18, 2011

Final Project:

Strength of Spirit in the World Today

In this essay, I plan to discuss the important aspects of “strength of spirit”, a topic mentioned by Shakespeare in his play, Julius Caesar. At one point, he mentions, “nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron, can be retentive to the strength of spirit". I dissect this phrase to mean that nothing can hold back the human “spirit”, an idea I shall discuss in this essay. I hope that this topic will be powerful enough to expose my most pristine writing. This topic, the “strength of spirit” will be presented in a multi-genre form. This means that, this time, there will not only be plain writing, but there will be other forms of presenting ideas. These could range from an advertisement to a recipe, and everywhere in between. I would also like the reader to seriously consider this topic before jumping right into the depths of this project. It is necessary to have a stable foundation or belief relating to this topic, before allowing my ideas to flow into your mind. Otherwise, I think, without this foundation, it would be hard to understand my beliefs about the complexity of the human spirit. Please enjoy this multi-genre project that I, from English class, bring to you.

Letter to Society:

Dear Society,

When you see a man walking down the street with plastic bags in his hand, maybe wearing old clothes, you can't help but wonder how he could be so unfortunate. For those of us who live with everything and still want more, we miss out on life, avoiding the challenges that mother nature specifically  set aside just for the human race to discover and solve. The people who aren't so privileged are the people who get to face these challenges. Those wealthy and unaware of life's purpose, which some may say is to solve nature's and society's puzzles, miss out on learning what truly makes life purposeful and meaningful: true strength of spirit--the wild animal that stops at nothing to break through barriers and to fight for what it truly believes in. Give up all that you own, if only for a day, and walk about the streets, "submit... yourself unto the perilous night," and you may find what is truly waiting for you beyond your belongings. The people that you, society, force onto the streets, always live on their reserves of hope, not the fuel of money or possessions the rest of the world chooses to live by. How they do this, live on pure strength of spirit, reaches beyond the grasp of regular citizens. The homeless wish that their way of life could be experienced by all, to grow appreciation for what the fortunate already have, and what they could lose. The realization that you are lucky would then be understood, brought out by those who have nothing.

Your citizen,

Cooper Feltes

Monologue:

I give you a body,

I give you a mind to think,

I give you every resource in the world to use, and how do you use it?

You waste the majority.

Your mind, if you only knew, has powers you have never seen. You can persuade, you can argue, you can collaborate, but the pleasure of using the gift I have given you outweighs the practicality, outweighs the potential of your spirit not only to find what it means to be a human, but what it means to be a human among other humans. You all know you can do anything you can think of. It may take time to formulate ideas, but you, you of all species, can do it. It pains me that the best thing I can offer is the attribute most never find within themselves, true strength of spirit. Your body is not only for having fun; it's about achieving a purpose-- a purpose I gave you a mind to find.

Character Bio:

Julius Caeser: Julius Caesar is considered to be one of the greatest leaders in the history of mankind. Though he may have been ruthless, his citizens respected him, and he controlled Rome with a spirit only a few can display. His strength of spirit was a key aspect to ruling Rome. In Shakespeare's play depicting the tragedy of Caeser's death, Caesar was killed from within his close circle of friends, showing that no man could defeat Caesar's powerful mind, except the people who he trusted most, namely his friend Brutus.

Brutus: Brutus, convinced by a revolutionary group that Caesar is evil, shows almost no strength of spirit, obviously overcome by the beliefs of others, while seemingly disregarding his own beliefs. Brutus, as the play and historical tales go, kills Caesar, and feels that he has done a justice to Rome. But that does not justify his lack of strength of spirit, giving into the beliefs of others so easily.

Postcard (Tale of Two Cities)

Dear Lucie,

In jail, I can see how so many people lose hope. This place is so desolate and bleak, and I have no idea how your father stayed in one piece, though he suffered most obvious trauma. The strength of spirit he had must have been tremendous. The isolation and despair I have gone through over my time in jail has shown me how to rely on hope-- that inkling of inspiration that could propel me through my last days here in prison. Your father, I have realized, was such a brave man. Extend my warmest regards towards him and our lovely daughter.

Your Love,

Charles Darnay

Motivational:

I have been a workout enthusiast for at least five years, and since that first step I took towards having a stronger body, I have felt a whole lot better about myself. I find not only strength in my body, but also more emotional strength to tell the world how I feel. I have found so much self-confidence in the positive energy I receive while exercising, that It affects my performance at work, at home, and while interacting with other people. This self-confidence is definitely the biggest benefit of my new body. Not only is exercise important, but getting plenty of sleep is also a big factor in my energy level. I suggest at least eight hours of sleep with no exception. Also, never underestimate the strength of a power-nap to recharge your batteries in the middle of the day, increasing your performance and focus wherever your attention is needed. Nutrition is another big factor in staying fit and being a healthier individual, both physically and emotionally. You can never go wrong with organic fruits and vegetables, and lean or low-fat meats are your best friend. Be sure to monitor your calorie intake everyday to make sure you are keeping track of every spec of food you consume. All these changes in my life have allowed my strength of spirit to increase ten-fold compared to when I was just out of college, about thirteen years ago. I feel I can emotionally stand up for what I believe in, not to mention physically. The benefit of diligent exercise goes far beyond health benefits, it directly affects your strength of spirit, and forms you into, on the whole, a stronger, happier, and healthier person all together.

Essay Strength

English 8

Mr. Salsich

April 19, 2011

TS Power to move things out of the way

CM people/things

CM always room for more strength/ physically/ emotionally

CS strength in JC

TS strengths, significant

SD Cassius

CM age brings wisdom

CM grey hairs purchase good oppinions

SD Portia

CM standing up to Brutus

CM letting him know she's human

SD lack of strengths in brutus

CM giving into the idea to destroy his friend

CM giving into strength of others, wife, cassius

 Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

April 20, 2011

The Power Within:

Power, Strength, and How We Use It.

Every person on this earth has the power to exert strength upon others, using that power to lead, to fight, or to stand up to others. Power does not just stop at moving things out of the way; it consists of having the emotional strength to tell people what’s really on your mind, and be unafraid of what they have to say back to you. No matter how much power you have mustered in your body or mind, it seems that there is always room to learn how to use it. The characters in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, each have their own way of using their energy, sparing its use in some places, and greatly using it in others.

Each character in Julius Caesar has their own level of strength. One example is the character Cicero, experienced and cut out for the job, who is leading a conspiracy against their ruler, Caesar. Cicero, with “his gray hairs,” shows strength in leadership, one of the most notable and honorable types of power. With Cicero's age comes much wisdom, wisdom that will strengthen his group to bring down Caesar. Brutus, on the other hand, does not seem to have yet found his inner power. Brutus succumbs to the overwhelming devotion and power of others, namely Cicero and Caesar, but never lets himself unleash the power within. He gives in to the idea of killing his long-time friend and master, exposing his sparing use of strength to many others, including Porsia. Porsia, Brutus' wife, at one point in the story, stands up for her own strength like Brutus had never seen-- stabbing her leg to show her power. Porsia, before this, stood up for herself by asking Brutus if she was only needed to “talk with [him] sometimes, or “comfort [his] bed”. Brutus, after this display of raw vigor, realizes how strong she really is, and seemed to have given up some of his power. All of these characters have their own type of strength and power, using it in their own way.

The strength of the human mind and body is not used equally from person to person. Shakespeare’s character, Brutus, doesn’t seem to be able to unleash the power within. Porsia and Cicero, strong, conducted, and able, on the other hand, can very easily control this power, saving it for situations that need it most. All of these characters have their own way of using their strength, which gives each of them a special personality.

Self-Assessment:

I believe that this is an okay essay. I particularly like my use of special effects, especially the adjective appositives. One weak point I see is the repeated use of strength or power. I really hope I did not overuse these words, for this would make my essay sound totally repetitive. I really need to work on using synonyms to decrease the use of the same word.
Personal grade: A-

Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

April 6^th, 2011

TS we all make millions of decisions

CM I tell myself, body reacts

CM We all have the power

CS no one/thing tells what to do

TS influences are put into place by making our own decisions

SD influence of “random situations”

CM sometimes helpless, but letting decisions flow

CM underneath your river, bad ones clog Destiny Bridge

SD other people don’t influence if you don’t let them

CM the “master of our fates” mustn’t be our decision makers

CM powerful minds keep their beliefs on a firm foundation,

 But are open to new ideas

SD making the right decisions

CM humans get better at determining their future with age

CM to figure out what’s best for them now (learning lessons)

TS playing along, going with the flow

SD “playing along” often best to do

CM though your mind screams, go with the flow

CM best way to keep the peace, not making big decisions for

yourself

SD when the time is right your power will kick in

CM TELLING PEOPLE ENOugh is enough
CM make choices for yourself
SD the followers go with the flow
CM take instruction and take it well
CM don't have the voice to say otherwise
CS leaders say whats what

TS millions of decisions
CM flow under bridge
CM influences don't decide who we are
CS finding voice= master of fate

Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

April 6^th, 2011

Masters of Our Fates:

Who is Really in Control?

         Every day, the human mind makes millions of choices that all shove our bodies down a new avenue of events. These events open up opportunities for new decisions, and even more after that, all of which are made by nothing other than your brain, your mental power to disentangle what’s good for you and what should not be done. This kind of responsibility can be handled only by the human mind. The only "master of my fate" is my own brain.

        The world that we touch, and feel, and enjoy, and experience shoves infinite influences in our path, and the mind, paired with the body, is the only mechanism that can choose whether to absorb these influences, or to let them flow over our heads. Most of these influences are spur of the moment, happening on a whim. The randomness is sometimes unavoidable, but getting into the groove of choosing what's right for you allows for the decision making process to flow like a river under a stone bridge. During times of life, this river is so flooded with decisions to worry about, like school, work, or family, that, without knowledge of it ever being there, it is easy to let a terrible choice slip past . These influences, the water under our bridge, will not flow past you if you don't let them. Now, with experience, our bridge becomes a dam, blocking the bad choices from flowing to the other side, where the good choices go. If the dam is strong, then it will be very easy to keep bad influences at bay. When you give in to the bad influences, and subsequently make bad decisions, you learn from what you should not have done. With age and experience, these lessons build up to create a great decision maker, knowledgeable about right and wrong. The experience with decisions and choices influences others to follow you, for they look up to you. It is not possible, however, to be perfect.

        Going with the flow is the alternative to making decisions for yourself. Playing along is best for some people, people who prefer for others to take charge. Though their minds might scream, they keep it to themselves. For those people, so common is society, it may be the best way to keep the peace. For those who go with the flow, the power within themselves will kick in eventually. It will be a breakthrough moment when they choose to say “enough is enough and I need to be in charge of what I do”. At this point, they can finally have their own voice, not only to stand up for themselves, but to tell others what they really think. The followers are the ones who need that voice. They are the ones who take instruction, mind their own business, and who don't have a big impact on the world. The followers are the people who make few decisions, the people who are delegated, allowing others to tell them what to do, leaving their fate up to someone else, randomly, senselessly(FAST), and foolishly throwing their destiny to the voracious(FAST) crowd of the world. Leaders are these people who have found their voice.

        The millions of choices we make in one day, life changing or unnoticeable, affect the path that our life travels. That flow of decisions under our stone bridge will, once again, overflow with endless choices, some good, some bad. The influences we come across every day affect who we are, but are not the deciding factor of our lives. Only our minds, for those of us who have found our voice, can be the master of our fates.

Self-assessment:
This essay had lots of very complicated sentences, but with the help of my classmates, I was able to make them a bit more clear. I particularly enjoy the extended analogy of the stone bridge and the river, for it fits perfectly into the entire paragraph of the essay. I am afraid however, I may have, and may always have trouble getting my point across. It is hard, with such deep topics, to communicate what I am really thinking

Personal grade: B+

Essay #15

Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

February 16, 2011

Unforgettable:

The Unforgettable Characters, Scenes, and Ideas in A Tale of Two Cities

The writing and style of A Tale of Two Cities create some of my favorite moments and techniques in literary history. Charles Dickens is such a professional writer, that in A Tale of Two Cities alone, there may be endless scenes or themes to cherish and applaud. The story itself, along with the themes and motifs, offers boundless moments of creative writing to call your favorite. My favorite unforgettable moments in the book, however many I enjoyed or appreciated, are whittled down to just a few.

One of the most memorable moments in this book was the emotion that the ending wrung from the towel of our souls. Sydney Carton sacrifices himself to save the husband of the woman he loves, and to let her live her life in peace and harmony. If I had only read the ending of the book, this action would have comparatively little meaning. However, when put together with the drama, former attitude, and previous personality of Sydney Carton, there is not a better way to show that a he has changed, and to create an unforgettable scene. Moreover, I think that the ending lines of the book are remarkable. These lines explain the peaceful death of this man who sacrificed his life, not only to save Darnay, but to save Lucie from the pain of being a widow as well. The lines perfectly describe this man whose life is ended without a bang, and who was willing to die for what he thought was the best thing to die for. Sydney Carton's legacy will never slither out of my memory.

The use of themes in this book surpasses that of any other book I have read. One of my particular favorite themes is colors. Over and over again, Dickens uses the color red to describe blood or wine, and, throughout the book, continues this analogy. Whenever there is a scene with blood, you will most likely see the word “red” and “wine” repeated. Another favorite theme of mine that I will never forget is the use of mist. Mist, in many scenes in the book, expresses mysteriousness of the situation. The many uses of mist and fog obscure the scene to make the reader think that something bad could happen at any time. This theme, along with many others, reoccur throughout the book to tie together loose ends, and bring the book in a circle.

There are many things in this book that I will never forget. From themes and motifs to characters and scenes, many ideas and situations are hard to let go from your brain. The drama and intense emotion of the book sticks to my mind like sap sticks to a tree, and is hard to pry apart. This book is certainly unforgettable in and of itself, but the many smaller ideas and scenes inside it will be in my mind until I die.

---------------------------------------------

Self Assessment. 

One of the troubles I had with this particular piece of writing was thinking of my favorite unforgettable moments in the book, for there were so many to choose from. I do like my paragraph, in particular, about Sydney Carton, for he was my favorite character in the book. I need to get better about not repeating my own ideas over and over again, which sounds redundant and takes away from the quality of the writing.

Personal grade: B

Essay #14

Cooper Feltes
Mr. Salsich
English 9
February 9, 2011

Respectful Advice:

The Advice I Would Give to Create a Better Future

What would we say, if the entire world were listening? What would we say if we had only a short moment to let the universe know what we would like to see in the future? If I had this opportunity, I would say that, in order for the world to be acceptable by anyone, it must be respected by everyone. People nowadays are battling others because of history they never actually saw, experiences they never knew, and lies they never considered. To fix the wrongs of ancestors past and to protect the future we think of so dearly, we must all forget what happened in our history. Yet, this won't ever happen, for we are too arrogant. If all the people in the world had their minds erased of all stereotypes, all experiences, all human history, and all lies and betrayal they have ever had the misfortune of being on the bad side of, frankly, we would be kids once more, uninfluenced by the negativity we see in the world today, and would, subsequently, automatically respect those around us. We wouldn't see hatred of others anymore, for we wouldn't know how to hate yet and hadn't had that experience. This mind-erase theory would be great, but it would only take one person to mess things up. All people in the world are born to create. Somewhere down our ancestor's road, someone was a little too mischievous, and had Ideas of killing, and hating. These ideas spread and tainted the pure minds of the people he knew. From that one person, stemmed maybe thousands of years of human fighting, battling, and disrespecting. This is only a hypothesis, though, and what sort of shame this person would have if he were to confront the modern world. The important words I would say in front of the whole world would be to respect one another, and to put aside the past, to create a better living environment in the future.

Essay 13

Cooper Feltes
English 9
Mr. Salsich
February 3, 2011

Integrity:

Be True to Yourself

Integrity is an aspect of human nature that adds the touch of wholeness, respectability truth to a persons life. Integrity, if a person knows how to follow its rules, keeps their personality consistent and moderately predictable. It is a quality that insists that people be true to themselves, stay down a path that is somewhat comfortable for them, and not waste time with unnecessary things. Integrity is a value that can be seen often in Tale of Two Cities, but may be even more noticeable in my life.

The unfathomable integrity in Tale of Two Cities is an aspect of many of the characters that is hard to ignore. We see many cases of honesty and integrity in Mr. Lorry. He is an honest person teeming with integrity, yet his personality has changed over the course of the story. In earlier chapters, he was nothing but "man of business," yet now, he is the protector and leader of the Manette family, a personality change at its most apparent state, yet he is still, on the whole, a truthful person that has just learned a few new things about life. Mr. Carton is a character that has turned into a respectable man over many years. At the beginning of the book, he was nothing but an unhappy person, drifting through time like "a useless piece of furniture", unconcerned with the unfortunate happenings of others. Now, he has turned into an honest man, respectable not only for his new-found dignity, but for his ultimate self-sacrifice to save Lucie's dearest husband. Dr. Manette is known by the reader to have a weird sort of integrity. He has a static(FAST) personality-- a personality of leadership and honesty-- yet is quite unpredictable. When he is in a state of shock or despair, maybe in "need [of his] bench", he has a personality as if his soul had just fallen into a pit, to which there is no escape. His personality is teeming(FAST) with integrity and is respectable when he is upbeat, but as a person, he is not true to himself, letting his feelings get the best of him. Many of the characters can be trusted and respected, and in my life, this is the case as well.

 Integrity is a virtue(FAST) that I see in my life all the time. I myself know that I consistently have a similar personality in all situations I am in. I have been told that I am positive and enthusiastic person. I don't show different sides of my emotions in different environment. I also try to be true to myself, and stay honest with what I do. Not only am I honest, a requirement for being a person of integrity, but I keep promises, and don't kid myself when thinking about the future. I do what I know I can do, and what I know is right, and let that basis(FAST) guide me. I believe that my emotional strength makes me a respectable person. I have never, thankfully, been able to let things get to me; if someone start telling me how dumb I am or how stupid I look, not only does that lessen their image in my mind, but I tend to respect their opinion, though it may be said out of hate. If they were really testing my integrity, they would physically hurt me, instead of throwing words at me. I know that to live an honest and respectable life, integrity is a necessity.

The measurement of integrity in your soul allows people to see who you really are, and appreciate who you really are. To be able to care for yourself, while caring for others shows that you know what your goals are, and will not change your personality to achieve those goals. Stay true to yourself, know what your limitations are, though always try to breach them, and know who you are, and never let someone tell you different. This integrity builds trust with you and your community for the growth and development of your human frame.

Self Assessment:
In this particular writing of mine, I enjoy the heart-felt comments about being yourself and being true to yourself. Yet, after explaining that, I think it is easy to point out in my writing that I struggled to describe integrity beyond that point. I have trouble, in this essay especially, explaining myself properly, choosing the right words carefully, and painting a picture inside the reader's head.
Self grade: B

Essay 13

Cooper Feltes
January 31, 2011

TS Integrity keeps a person whole and true
CM ensures their personality in consistent
CM quality- makes them true to themselves
CS makes a keeps them in balance and a whole person


TS Integrity in To2C
SD Mr. Lorry
CM used to be a “man of buisness”, now, a protecter of the family
CM treats everyone the same, but changes his attitude to a more emotional one
SD Mr. Carton
CM keeps to his word, and does what he thinks is right
CM though pretty much killing himself, he is aware, and making a conscious decision, and keeping his word
SD Dr. Manette
CM wierd sort of integrity, same personality/unpredictable
CM does the right thing, but switches personalities
CS makes the characters “whole” and trusted


TS Integrity in my life
SD stay the same personality
CM positive and enthusiastic to every person I see (not selective)
CM no personality changes in different environments
SD True to myself
CM i keep promises, don't kid myself
CM I do what I think is right, and let that guide me
SD emotional strength
CM I keep my head up when I’m put down
CM don’t let other people get to me, they cant bring me down
CS i try to live a balances life with integrity being important


TS integrity lets people see who you really are and appreciate it
CM keeping true to your own needs, while catering to those of others
CM staying true to yourself and keeping your head up
CS builds trust with everyone

Essay #12

Cooper Feltes
English 9
Mr. Salsich
January 25, 2011

Circles:

The Connection of Old Memories to New Ones

          TS Life is one giant circle. CM At no point in the process of life does one thing start without ending, give without taking, or challenge without rewarding. CM The circle of life closes all doors that are opened and makes sure that it returns to all creatures what it took from them. CS In Tale of Two Cities and my life, the world curves itself to reconnect old memories to new ones and to make experiences whole.

          TS In Tale of Two Cities, many themes have been reoccurring to bring the story together. SD One of these themes is colors, namely the color red. CM The red wine or the blood that Dickens uses again and agian returns whenever something like La Guillotine, murderous and brutal, unrelenting and catastrophic, forceful and devilish, a killer and a butcher,  is mentioned or whenever it is in use (parallelism/cumulative sentence). CM The use of red throughout the book usually refers to death or pain, as people "turn to blood." SD The evil that people commit   keeps the reader reminded of the suffering of the French people. CM The torturous prosecution of innocent Charles shows the relentless(FAST) mindset of the revolutionaries. CM A little earlier in the book, we saw the unrelenting attitude of the Marqui as he ran over a small child, worrying more of his horses than of the little child. SD Another reoccurring theme is short, happy scenes. CM One of these happy moments includes Charles temporarily reuniting with Lucie. CM Only for a few hours was he able to be in her presence before three men came to capture him again, quickly ending the happy scene. CS Many of these themes repeat themselves again and again to reconnect memories of past chapters to make a circle in the book.

            TS Circles not only are prevalent in many books, but they also are common in my life. SD The tides of my life are in  constant motion, my spirits lifting and falling again, in an unending tidal movement. CM When I am feeling sad, my brain recollects moment in my past when I was feeling down to sow my memories into a circle. CM When I am feeling happy, similarly, my brain falls back on other times when I was happy in the past. SD Liveliness(FAST) also reoccurs often in my life. CM When I am upbeat and smiling, other people tend to feel the same way, and subsequently people they see later in the day feel similarly. CM When I am feeling down, the smile of another person, that may have originated from the smile I gave to someone earlier, creates a never-ending circle of smiles that ripples throughout the world. SD On the other hand, pain is something that digs up old memories of past struggles. CM Only when I am struggling in life do I recall these memories.CM When pain is halted, and comfortable living resumes, these memories, memories of misfortune, of mourning, of depression, and of distress (alliteration) are packed up again in my box of memories, only to be opened again when I am struggling and in need of them(parallelism/cumulative sentence). CS These repeating themes that recall memories in my past help me get through life.

             TS Circles in the world are everywhere. CM These circles sow together the stitches of memories, and tie together experiences. CM The connections we make with past experiences keep these memories alive, and let our past be remembered, where as otherwise, they would be forgotten. CS These ties keep the past alive, and help create a perfect circle connecting our past and our present.

essay #9 Carton

Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

November 30, 2010

Emotionally Cornered:

The Path the Emotionally Fearful Must Take

          What opportunities do people have when they hide in their emotional corners, not allowing themselves to live their life to their full potential? These people are destined to live limited lives, not becoming what they want because of this emotional fear. This same emotional fear feeds itself, in many cases becomes the chains that slow and stop people from becoming acceptable citizens of society(alliteration). Many of these people, unfortunately, never find the right path in life, and in Tale of Two Cities, this person is Sydney Carton. 


          Sydney Carton is one of those people who you have to spend a lot of time with to understand. More often Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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an not, he wants to spend time by himself, and begs the world to leave him alone. He "care[s] for no man, and no man cares for [him]", which shouts that he has spent much time of his life sad, and alone, and away from other people(polysindeton). All he wants is to be "taken no notice of" and to drift past the lives of others, just as he has allowed others drift pass him like a man sitting on the bench of a mall, waiting for someone to ask him what is wrong. Carton has lived most of his life sad, and separated, and languished(FAST), and lonely, but he occasionally makes an attempt to be sympathetic. In chapter thirteen of the book, he tells Lucie that he is "undeserving" and "weak", definitely displaying (alliteration)sorrowful attributes in order to make Lucie feel bad for him. Spending most of his life without much emotional strength, he resorts to making others sympathize(FAST) for his loneliness, which, in his case, probably was not the best approach. Carton does, however, show promising signs of emotional growth. Trying to win Lucie was a hopeful sign that is trying to start a significant life-- a life full of meaning and purpose(appositive). He seems to be taking advice from his colleague and comrade(alliteration), Stryver, one step further, finding somebody to love, instead of finding someone to "take care of [him]." Carton is, on the whole, a misunderstood and growing person.


            To help Mr. Carton, all he needs is some quality advice to guide him down a new path of life, away from his comfort zone. For most of his life, he has been as unnoticed as a "useless peace of furniture." Even Stryver suggested he move on from his habitual(FAST) attitude. Being more social, in contrast with his normal misanthropic mindset, will give him a positive point of view towards his life. I would also suggest Carton get a new job. Although he is good at what he does, it seems to be a depressing occupation for him, and is dragging his life down, holding him like a steel chain holds the yearning prisoner from breaking out of the metal bars that keep him in(Coordinate cumulative with simile). If he had "used his talents better", he might not be in such a sorrowful situation(alliteration). Carton likes to remind people how sorry of a situation he is in, but he needs to find a different way to grab attention. His trip to the manette's house to win Lucie's love, making her aware of all his weaknesses, is testimony(FAST) to the need of a different change of pace in his way of thinking. Hopefully he will, at some point, learn that his way of thinking does not work for him. Carton needs to be social, and strong, and, most of all, smart(polysindeton/alliteration).


          Carton seems to have many good qualities, but, on the whole, needs some improvement. He acts and talks as if he knows he needs help, but doesn't act upon it, he looks and lives(alliteration) as if he hasn't had one hour of fun in his life, and he grabs his love as if he was a desperate man in need of repair. He is, in fact, in need of a repair that will take years, not only to reverse his sorrowful life of being a "lifeless drudge," but to create out of him a proper and acceptable man. The "useless piece of furniture" he hopes to be is not working for him and to find his path in life, he must let go of this idea completely.


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Self Assessment:


I do not like this essay, although I worked hard on it. Since I began to write essays, I knew that I have had trouble writing about text, and I think that shows in this essay. Writing about text, to me, is boring, dissecting a book or examining a sentence, both are miniaturized by my love for writing about feelings and happenings that I can relate to. In this individual essay, I see that I skillfully kept similes and quotes popping up throughout the essay, to keep it stitched together.
Personal grade: A-

Essay #8

Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

November 16, 2010

Eye in the Sky:

What Are “Sublimer Intelligences” Able to See?

             Ever since humans first started to walk the Earth, the horizon has restricted us from easily seeing what lies beyond its barrier. Because of this, we imagined. We imagined what those points of light were in the night sky, and found out; we imagined skyscrapers, and built them; we imagined technology, and made it real. Now, we look upon what we have done and wonder what others, any sort of being that can have an opinion, maybe a “sublimer intelligence(Dickens,183)”, might have to say about it.

             To gain a sense of what is happening around us, humans rely on some sort of “eye in the sky”. Our vision only allows us to see what is around us, and, unless placed at a high vantage point, is limited by the barrier of the horizon. The only things we can know are restricted to the “rays of light [we] analyze(Dickens,183)”. The universe is bursting(FAST) with striking, explosive, vivid(FAST), and colorful figures, yet to be unseen by the human eye. The “eye in the sky” is the only thing that we can rely on to tell us what these things—creations of the universe that wait and wait for something to notice them (appositive)—are. It is debatable whether the human race will ever be able to discover and understand all of these happenings, however many thousands or millions of years it may take to survey the vast distances of the universe. Maybe the "eye in the sky" limits our  view on purpose, barring us from the amazing spectacles that occur outside of our area of concern, or maybe the people who are able to see the colors among and beyond the stars are too ignorant to realize that they aren't the only thing in the universe that matters.

             Today, many people wonder about what "sublimer intelligences" might think about us, or what they are able to see that we can't. When they study the human race, do they see the population of a prospering, flourishing(FAST), and expanding society, or do they see a dull, dwindling, and dying society? Down here from the surface of our home, the answer is debatable, but up there in the heavens of the universe, the answer might be obvious.  We all hope for the best, namely that we are doing the right thing; the "eye in the sky", though, might be trying to tell us different. The superior beings that dwell in the stars may, in the eyes of some, be trying to push us towards a perfect society-- no crime, no hate, no pain or suffering in sight(coordinate cumulative sentence). This effort is futile. The  utopian(FAST) society that "sublimer intelligences" may be trying to steer us towards is reliant on envisioning the outcome of every decision , and making the choice that will benefit the world, but we can't see the future, so the ideal society that the world and the "eye in the sky" dream of will, in the near future, remain a dream. In due time, the superior beings among the stars will achieve their dream. Maybe( purposeful sentence fragment).

          

               For centuries, people have been relying on an “eye in the sky” to see things beyond their view. That same idea has, over time, enlarged itself to influence the lives of its slaves. Not only can that superior being let us see beyond our vision, but we now depend on it to tell us right from wrong. The “sublimer intelligences” that live among the stars may look upon us in joy or dismay(FAST), and in subtle, almost unnoticeable ways, let us know.

Self Assessment

             This essay, I hope, will be the best I have written. Although making sentences clear and understandable was a challenge for me, especially while writing about such a complicated topic, I think that, since I read over the essay multiple times, I tackled this confusing, ongoing problem. I think that I masterfully exhibited my points in this essay, especially in the second paragraph.

Personal Grade: A+