Authors craft

Jasper Townsend Class 707

3/24/14

            The 2 poems “aquatinted with the night” by Robert Frost, and “we grow 

accustomed to the dark” by Emily Dickinson both both use authors craft for showing 

depression. In Frosts poem, there is no hope and the speaker is lost in depression. In 

Dickinson's poem, we learn that the speaker is experiencing depression, but the 

speaker still has hope. Between these poems, the authors express depression 

differently by using different structures, point of views, and imagery.

             In these 2 poems, the point of view affects the way the speaker is feeling. In the 

poem by Frost, he only uses “i”, which says that he is alone. In Dickinson's poem, she 

uses the “we” voice, which indicates that there are more people, that the speaker isn't 

by their self. In Dickinson's poem, the speaker says  “We uncertain step for newness of 

the night.” This is showing the reader that the speaker is not alone. In Frosts poem, the 

speaker says “I have walked out….” This shows the reader that the speaker is alone. 

The “i” voice makes the reader feel isolated and depressed. On the other hand, when 

an author uses the “we” voice, it makes the reader feel like they are not alone and there 

is still hope. The “we” voice also is more comforting than the “i” voice.

In these 2 poems, depression is also shown in the structure. In Frosts poem, the 

structure is very compact and organized, consisting of rhyme schemes. This shows that 

the speaker is used to being in the dark, used to being in a state of depression, and it is 

not a new experience. The author says that “down the saddest city lane...dropped my 

eyes, unwilling to explain.” This is an example of one of the multiple rhyme schemes. In 

Dickinson's poem, there are multiple dashes in each stanza, making the poem very 

choppy and  awkward. This resembles a new experience for the speaker- depression. 

The author demonstrates this by saying such as “A moment - We uncertain step…

Darknesses…” This is showing that the speaker is stepping into a new feeling of 

darkness. 

            These 2 poems also use imagery to create a picture of depression and what the 

speaker are feeling and seeing. With Frosts poem, all of the images are sad and 

depressing, representing the speakers feelings. the author uses imagery such as 

“...outwalked the furthest city light.” This is showing the reader that the speaker has out 

walked the last light of hope. This is also showing that the speaker has no hope in 

himself, that there is no way to make himself happy again. Dickinson's poem insinuates 

that there is still a flicker of hope in the distance. She creates this feeling by using 

imagery such as “...Life steps almost straight.” This means that life is almost normal

again, how the speakers life used to be. The author also shows hope in imagery by 

saying “...Darkness alters-….” This is showing that the speaker is changing, and is 

seeing hope once again.  

            All in all, the poem “aquatinted with the night” is insinuating that when someone 

is sucked into a state of depression, they need comforting and loving. “we grow 

accustomed to the dark” shows us that people need to believe in themselves when they 

are depressed, and they cannot give up and let depression win. this is also showing us 

that we are not alone, and there are always helping hands. 

two poem essay

The two poems “My Papas Waltz” by Theodore Roethke and “Those Winter 

Sundays” by Robert Hayden both show a child and father relationship. In “My Papas 

Waltz”, we see an evening with a father and son who are waltzing around the kitchen, 

showing a close relationship. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays” we see a child who 

doesn't realize how much he loves his father. 

In “My Papas Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the father comes back from work, has 

a drink, and with his child, “we romped until the pans slid from the shelves...” This 

sentence is showing a son and dad waltzing around the kitchen, and having a good time 

with each other. The speaker is showing the reader how much affection the dad has 

towards his son. When the son and father are dancing, the “...mothers continence could 

not unfrown itself.” The speaker is telling us that the mother is annoyed because pans 

were falling from the shelves and they were dancing in the kitchen. When it was time for 

bed the dad “then waltzed me off to bed, still clinging to your shirt.” This shows that the 

child was exhausted after a pleasant and entertaining evening dancing with his father. 

In “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, the father even “sundays too...got 

up early... cracked hands that ached from weekday weather made banked fires blaze” 

This shows the reader that even on his day off, the father still gets up early to heat the 

house so his family would be warm. “No one ever thanked him.” the speaker is showing  

shows that his family took what he did for them for granted.Later as an adult the son 

realizes all that his father had done for him. He “had driven out the cold...polished my 

good shoes as well.” Looking back at all of the things his father had done for him, “what 

did I know, what did I know...” This shows that he should have been grateful for 

everything his father had done for him, and he shouldn't have ignored that. 

These two poems shared many things in common. both families were working 

class, and both fathers did many things to help their children. Both fathers showed their 

love for their children in different ways, such as dancing with them, or keeping them 

warm in the morning by waking up early to make a fire. 

character similarities and differences

          

           I have been reading the book allegiant in the divergent series by Veronica Roth. Ever since the first book the two main characters Tris and 4 (his real name is Tobias), have had many similarities and differences. In this blog i will be telling you what they are!

differences

           First off, 4 is a horrible lier. Nobody ever believes his fibs and canards. On the other side, Tris is phenomenal when it comes to lying. She always gets away with her bogus stories and bluffs. Another major difference is that Tris cannot pull a trigger on a gun without remembering shooting one of her best friends, Will. On the flip side, 4 doesn't even think before firing a bullet. 

similarities

           Since both people started off in Abnegation, the factor of selflessness, they put other peoples lives before their own. Another character trait both 4 and Tris have is that they are both very stubborn and often behave like smart alecks. This always gets them into heaps of trouble, and even sometimes their actions almost get them killed. This character trait also makes them want to rebel and leave the confines of the city, and no one knows what lies outside.

Should College Athletes be Paid?

By Jasper Townsend Class 707

While college athletes earn their schools millions of dollars a year, they are not 

given an actual paycheck. Instead they receive an academic scholarship, which pays for 

school, but not all living expenses, and this this has caused much debate between the 

NCAA and many college athletes across the nation. College sports is big business in 

the US and for all that these players do for their schools, they deserve some of these profits 

on top of their scholarships to ease the burden of daily living expenses.

One reason that college athletes should be paid is that many of them are living in 

poverty. According to www.ncpanow.org, “University of Texas football players’ fair 

market value was $513,922 but they lived $778 below the federal poverty line and had a 

$3,624 scholarship shortfall.” This shows that while they were generating money for 

their school and becoming stars, they were living under the poverty line. Another piece 

of evidence found by www.dailyfinance.com proves this point even further. “The report 

also found that the room-and-board provisions in a full scholarship leave 85% of players 

living on campus and 86% of players living off campus living below the federal poverty 

line.” This shows that athletes need paychecks so they are not living in poverty or at 

the very least, they should receive a stipend for living day to day. 

Another reason college athletes should be paid is that they do not have enough 

money for daily necessities. As said by www.theweek.com, “Because even full-ride 

athletic scholarships don't cover the full cost of attending school, athletes are often short 

a few thousand bucks for ancillary expenses on top of tuition, room and board, books, 

and fees: Money for gas, shampoo, and, yes, maybe a few beers.”  This quote shows that many 

students do not have enough money for basic objects and activities. In another source, 

www.dailycamera.com says “Miller, from Littleton, sympathizes with his out-of-state teammates 

who have to stretch their stipends even further to pay for flights home.” This shows that these 

players need to stretch their stipends so much thay even have to use it for airplane tickets to visit 

nephews.

Some may say that college athletes should not be paid because the athletes are 

not eligible for any other support. Students can be supported by their schools by 

receiving stipends. As said in an interview with Julian Hayes on the Hawks on 

www.usatoday.com, “There are simple things like gas money, toiletries, clothing — things that 

people take for granted. A student who is on an academic scholarship has time to bring in some 

extra income, whereas a full scholarship player most likely is not able to do that.” If the 

student receives a stipend, it is legal and helpful. 

College athletes should be paid living wages. Many of them are struggling to meet their 

daily needs, and these talented, young stars of tomorrow deserve better . They generate millions 

for their school, and  they deserve some of the profits.

Works Cited 

"Boulder DailyCamera.com: Colorado, News, Business, Sports, Homes, Jobs, Cars & Information - Boulder Daily Camera." Boulder DailyCamera.com: Colorado, News, Business, Sports, Homes, Jobs, Cars & Information - Boulder Daily Camera. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.dailycamera.com/>. 

"DailyFinance." .com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.dailyfinance.com/>. 

"Home | National College Players Association." Home | National College Players Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.ncpanow.org/>. 

"USA TODAY: Latest World and US News." USA Today. Gannett, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/>. 

"The Week Magazine: Political News and Cartoons, Current Events and Entertainment Online." The Week. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <http://www.theweek.com/>. 

drums girls and dangerous pie

        In the book Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, the main character Steven Alpers character changes greatly. When this book begins, Steven is a kid who is barley noticed by his teachers or classmates. He thinks his little brother Jeffery is very annoying and so he ignores him. Steven makes jokes and doesn't take anything seriously. Stevens character changes when Jeffery is rushed to the hospital from getting an extreme nosebleed but when he returns, Stevens mom tells him that his little brother has cancer. After hearing this Steven matures greatly. He starts caring for his brother much more than before. An example of this is when Jeffery has to be taken to the hospital but his mom can't go because she is sick. For support, Steven misses school and goes to the hospital with jeffery. Another example of Stevens character changing is socially. When his brother is diagnosed with leukemia, he goes up socially in school. For example, Rene Albert who is supposedly the prettiest girl in the school becomes very good friends with Steven. When this happens everyone in the school knows him.

         Overall, Stevens character changes a lot in this book. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because the book seems very repetitive. I would recommend this book to people who like realistic fiction.

Should Juvenile Offenders be Prosecuted as Adults

                                                                      No
            When juveniles are 13 and 14, their minds are not fully developed. By placing them in a prison with other adults, this would probably cause more harm then good. It is scientifically proven that 90 percent of teenager offenders actions do not effect their adult life. If placed in prison as an adult even though you are a child, your punishment will be much more severe. this includes more prison years, harm from other adults, etc. as a child, these punishments would not been as harsh.

                                                                      Yes

              If a juvenile does a very bad crime, such as first degree murder, then they should be sentenced as an adult. This can teach them lessons on how not to be a criminal and how it is bad for you. There are very harsh punishments for improper actions. After the crack and cocaine epidemic, laws were changed so juveniles could be charged as adults.

The Thing About Luck

       In the book i have just started to read, the two main characters named Summer and Jaz are very different. This blog post is going to be about their similarities and differences. Lets start off with Summer. Summer has lots of friends and is a normal kid. She always ttys to help other people and look on the bright side of life, even though she hasn't had much herself. Summer had gotten malaria, which was very rare that year.

       Jaz, on the other hand has no friends. He spends hours building amazing lego sculptures in his room, alone. He is a child who concentrates very hard, works very hard, but everyone acts like he is different from everyone else. He and summer are brother and sister, even though they are nothing alike. 

     The only things they have in common are that they both are brother and sister, and they both care for each other. They both do not have the greatest amount of luck, but they are still grateful for what they have.