Hannah's Polished Essay

Hannah Staley
Mr. Salsich
English 9
11 May 2009

Parting is Never Easy:
An Essay on Two Poems and My Life

OP: Parting forever- an awful combination of feeling and emotion is something no one should have to deal with(Loose Sentence). Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is say goodbye, especially to the ones you love most. The poem “My life closed twice” by Emily Dickinson, “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye and my life have a lot to do with this parting process and what it really is and means.

TS: Leaving something important is not an easy thing. In the poem “My life closed twice” by Emily Dickinson, the poem talks about parting with the earth. SD: The poem states that life is “so huge, [and] so hopeless to conceive” all at once, so we should take time to realize the joys that it brings. CM: She seems to be saying that if all you do in life is rush, then you will never have the time to enjoy it. CM: You will never have time to learn and be human, instead your life closes. SD: The last way this poem relates to parting, is death. CM: In the end of the poem Ms. Dickinson states “Parting is all we know of heaven, and all we need of hell.” CM: This statement is saying that there is a place for everyone in the afterlife and that parting is a stage of life that everyone must go through whether you think it is pleasant or not. CS: Parting can mean different things. It can be about parting with your feelings in life or it can be about parting this very earth. But even if you haven’t felt that sense of parting, you will because it’s a part of life.

TS: Adios in Spanish means goodbye and goodbye could be said in many different contexts. TS2: In the poem “Adios” by Naomi Shihab Nye, there is a lot to do with parting. SD: In the poem, Ms. Nye states that “the word explains itself.” CM: I agree with Ms. Nye because parting and adios do have the same meaning, and in the same situation, they could have the same effect. CM: Both words could be taken lightly or could be taken quite harshly, but in the end they are the same word. SD: The last way this poem relates to parting is when Ms. Nye writes “it is a good word.” CM: I agree with this statement because in some cases saying goodbye is a good thing even though it may not be easy. CM: I know that coming up in June it is going to be extremely difficult to say goodbye to all of these wonderful people, but maybe our distance will bring us closer. CS: Whether it is saying adios or simply parting, it is all part of your life and you simply must deal with it even though it may not be the easiest thing in the world.

TS: In my life I have had to part with many people and objects, and it’s never easy. SD: Since I was born I lived in the big town of Stamford, Connecticut and I knew this place as nothing other than home. CM: In June of 2004, I can remember being dismissed from my fourth grade classroom early and making my rounds around the school to say goodbye to all of the people I have come to known and love. CM: As I strolled diligently through the hallway, it became clear to me that I was never going to enter the doors of Newfield Elementary School and I was now on my own. SD: Another event that required me to part was when I had to give up my stuffed animal dog named Snuggles, due to me becoming a “big girl”. CM: Snuggles was not only a friendship dog, but a companion. CM: I can remember the night before coming to Pine Point and just squeezing Snuggles hoping he could turn my pain into something positive. CM: Although he didn’t have that power, I knew he was by my side. SD: Lastly, a situation that caused me to part was when my best friend Elena moved to California. CM: Elena and I were basically brought together at birth. CM: We learned to walk together, we talked a secret language together and even created a T.V. show together, we were sisters. CM: I still look back on those memories and miss Elena dearly. CM: She was the definition of a true best friend and I showed true exemplary behavior when we had to part. CS: Parting can be a difficult thing, especially when from your hometown, your stuffed animal and your best friend. But sometimes it is those types of pain that help you learn.

CP: Whether it’s leaving, parting or saying goodbye, no one wants to talk or think about it (Periodic Sentence). Writing this essay made me realize that even though I have a nice life now, that could all change and I am glad I have the experiences I had so they can help me get through those tough times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SELF ASSESSMENT:

1. Writing issues I am continuing to work on: I am continuing to work on using my FAST words aptly. Lately I have been falling back into the habit of having them not make sense and I think this is something that can be easily fixed.

2. Some strong points I see: I really liked the quotes I used, those were very apt. I also liked the chunk I wrote about Elena. I feel as though it flows quite well.

3. Some weak points I see: A weak point I see is my transitions. I feel as though I could have done a better job inserting them into my paper. Hopefully in my next essay I can use more transitions and enhance my writing.

4. Grade I would give myself: B+