Whitman & Dickinson Imitations

There Was A Daisy Went Forth

There was a child went forth every day;
And the first object he looked upon, that object he became;
And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of
the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years.

The early Spring breezes became a part of this child,

And rain, and fresh smells of dew, and life,

And the meager glow on the window pane

Shimmering and luminous.

The amicable melody of the robin birds,

And the faint smell of the roses,  (10)

White, red, and pink,

And the distant rumble of the far-away planes,

And the jagged edges of the unpaved sidewalks,

And the occasional journey of the migrating butterfly,

Lingering, confused, and wild

Became a part of this child.

The continuous proverbs and advice became a part of this child,

And the concerned, maternal looks of disappointment,

The withered hands,

Folding, making, fixing, cleaning, (20)

And the constant emotion, and seldom jests,

And the aroma of supper, and stress

Became a part of this child.

The everlasting smile became a part of this child,

And the unbreakable wall of serenity and peace,

And the weekly schedules and meetings,

Strenuous, consuming, and long,

And the gentle chuckle of relaxation,

And the undeniable benevolent bond of friendship and honesty

Became a part of this child. (30)

The frantic panic of feelings became a part of this child,

Sudden and cowardly,

And the remote clattering of the brand new shoes on the laminate floors,

And the statuesque walls,

Plain, white, and somber,

And the soothing call of the teacher’s song,

And the vibrant colors and crafts,

Distracting and convivial,

And the mindless and unaltered thoughts of the rest

Became a part of this child.  (40)

The persistent rumors and downfalls became a part of this child,

And the anticipated departure from that 9 year home of learning,

Dead, boring, and lifeless,

And the long, last year of memory making,

And the photographs, and the trips, and the brunches,

And the words of wisdom,

And the fulfillment of goals,

Determined and concise,

And the last walk down the aisle,

The speech, the tears, the regret (50)

Became a part of that child.

The familiar feeling of helplessness became a part of that child,

And the endless hallways and classrooms,

And the boom of the loud speaker,

Distant and unheard,

And the struggle for acceptance,

And the hour long commute,

And the gradual assimilation of life and mind,

And the conversion of lifestyle,

The caring, the needing, and the wanting (60)

Of the best and only the best

Became a part of that child.

The news reports not understood became a part of this child,

And the worried and pale faces,

The smoke, the buildings, the debris,

The shrieking yells of the lost and not so found,

And the unstoppable terror and tears,

Painful and confused,

And the bright sides of life,

The country’s first African American president, (70)

And the step forward in the candidacy for women

Proud and unquestionable

Became a part of this child.

These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now
goes, and will always go forth every day. (75)


There's A Certain Touch of Breeze

The breeze, still, yet so strong, came to visit every day.

Mist, leaves, and thoughts flew alongside that early spring breeze—

Serenity.

The morning sun called its distant counterpart,

Allowing the wind to shine like so,

Releasing that beautiful creativity that’s hard to find.

The day continued to linger, and the wind continued to blow.

The words on my paper spoke in over drive, and endless.

My thoughts came so smooth, and so connected to my mind, body, and soul.

My heart yearned for more. (10)

It wanted a never ending notion of that beautiful breath.

Not a single lover could equalize my heart’s satisfaction.

The perfect day came hand in hand with this unique feeling.

It talked to the windows like it spoke a language,

And talked to my soul like it spoke two.

It seemed as though the breeze carried confessions.

My journal yelling uncontrollably changed page after page.

My mind remained clear and content.

The grass rustled and danced,

Meanwhile the flowers breathed and grew, (20)

Both soaking in the long awaited mist of air.

The sun became dormant, but the breeze remained still.

The song of the birds grew faint, but the rustle of the grass grew stronger.

My mind remained at peace.

As the breeze calmed down,

My heart sank low.

My thoughts shut off like a light switch.

Yet there was no fret.

The daily breeze would return tomorrow hence.

And the creative journey would once again begin. (30)

A Raisin In The Sun vs. The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun are two moving novels that both truly embrace the infamous “American Dream” throughout many scenarios. Although both stories portray different ideas through different situations, they share a stronger similarity. The superficial aspect of the American dream is seen through the selfish and thoughtless acts made by characters in both the novels. Yet, at the end of both these stories, the reader experiences the true emotions and wants of these same characters. It’s almost as though the true meaning of life has suddenly burst into their thoughts.

In A Raisin in the Sun, a working class, African American family struggles with their finances, identity, and even family ties. Walter, a potential business man does everything in his nature to assure that his poor struck family will be able to maintain themselves moneywise. He invests much of his time and money into a liquor business so quickly, that he didn’t even stop to consider anyone else’s opinion. While doing this, he selfishly gave up all the money in his name, as well as all the money in his sister, Beneatha’s, name. To his horror, the man he trusted with this money for his business ran off with no explanation. The family was then left with nothing. Walter then desperately acted, and wanted to accept a large sum of money from a neighborhood official that had offered to pay the family not to move into a white neighborhood. Despite the family’s wishes, Walter insisted he was going to regain the money this way. Having lost all of his pride and nature, Walter calls the man with the check for a visit. Once the man arrives, Walter ends up telling him that his family and himself cannot accept the check, and will be moving into the new neighborhood shortly. An act of revelation and certainty allowed the family to bond closer together, realizing that money was never going to be more important than their own family matters.

Coinciding with these ideas, The Great Gatsby also revolved around characters that were struggling between the life of money and the life of love. The main character is a man named Gatsby, who lives a lavish lifestyle of fine things and riches. No one really knew what the man was really about, until one day he confides in his neighbor Nick, and tells him that he has been secretly in love with his cousin, Daisy, for some years. Although it’s clear that all Gatsby truly wants is to live his life together with Daisy, he is somewhat blinded by his luxurious lifestyle and persona that he has set up for himself. We come to realize at the end of the book that Gatsby was running a crooked business with alcohol bootlegging, and this is how he acquired all of his money. This corruption leads him into some serious trouble when Daisy and he kill Mrs. Wilson together. Mr. Wilson then comes seeking vengeance and shoots Gatsby. Ironically, Gatsby’s long lost love, Daisy, didn’t even react to this situation, and remained in her false romance with her current husband.

It’s clear that both stories portrayed the ideas of love versus money, and how easily superficial things can blind a person. In both cases, the characters are faced with the decision of choosing between riches, family, and love. The big difference here is that in A Raisin in the Sun, Walter was able to redeem himself and come to his senses. He came to the realization that the American dream was not about having loads of money, but by being with those whom you love and trust. On the other hand, in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby allowed his superficial circumstances to drive his entire life. He continued his bootlegging business secretly for years, despite the fact that he knew all he really wanted was to be with Daisy.

WORD COUNT: 648 

Thomas Paine vs. Patrick Henry

When it came to initiating a war with Great Britain during the 1700's, I'm sure many liberationists and nationalists gave petitions to the head rulers of the time. Out of these declarations, Thomas Paine's "The Crisis" and Patrick Henry's "Speech in the Virginia Convention" proved to be moving works of speech and influence. Although both petitioners write to the king in favor of a war for the democracy of Great Britain, both men had a distinct writing style in which they expressed their similar beliefs. After analyzing both works, I reached the conclusion that Patrick Henry had a much more persuasive speech to give. As Paine's "The Crisis" lightly expresses the country's need for freedom with lines such as,"Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon it's goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated." Yes, the desire for war is expressed, but in a much calmer manner. Pain mainly describes the consulate in which the people are living under, and how war is going to be a needed solution. On the other hand, Patrick Henry expresses his want for war in a much more powerful way. Using lines like, "We are not weak.....Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us," Henry strongly emphasizes the power of the force of the people, and how their last resort is war. Also, concluding the speech with the famous lines, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" really hits the spot.

WORD COUNT: 274

The American Dream

What defines that so widely spoken of American dream? Is it studying and pursuing the career of your dreams? Is it making inexplicable amounts of money? Or is it being able to have complete and total freedom of speech and opinion? Although all of these things are proficient joy producers, what is most important at the end of the day? Sure, you can buy yourself the world, and have millions of dollars, but does that really fulfill this so-called American dream? In my supposition, I think the true key to living the American dream is living in happiness. Despite all the cliche aspects of the idea, if you really think about it, there's not much else you can really ask for in life. Take into consideration that material things come and go. All of those fancy cars, the huge mansions, the prime rib steaks, and even your pride and joy yachts eventually get old. You could be the wealthiest person alive, and still feel that something is missing. So what happens then? You're left with nothing; you're left lonely and empty. All of this can be avoided when you've mastered the complicated art of just truly being happy; that is, being happy with yourself, your job, your friends, your family, your pets making messes, the traffic you're stuck in, the dollar you misplaced. All of it remains unimportant. Why is that? It's because you're happy, and you're able to accept the occurrences in your everyday life. Happiness is the global meaning to living an outstanding life. This is especially promising in a country with so many opportunities and freedoms. There's no need to worry about controversy, or pleasing anyone else but yourself.


WORD COUNT: 282