ThePen.

SofiaRaoM301

Thereareandweremanyissuesinthisworld,allconsistingofpeopletakinga stand.Thatistheissuemypoemisrespondingto,beingdifferentfromtheothersand takingastand.TakeinmindfamouslyknownRosaParks,whosatdowntoprotesther belieftowardsthesegregationatthetime.ThiswasonDecember1stof1955,andisstill verymuchrememberedtoday,becauseshetookastandunlikemanyothers.Another personwhotookastandwasMalalaYousafzai,whowasaPakistanigirlwhowanted aneducation.Shewasshotfortryingtohaveapropereducationlikemanyotherboys, becausethiswasthoughtwrongly.Surprisingly,thiswasnt68yearsago,butonlylast year.Shetookastandinwhatshebelievedin,andultimatelywasheard. Ithinkthispoemtalksmoreabouttheprocessofbuildinguptotakingastandina majorissueyoubelievein,becauseoneoftheissuesIbelieveispeoplenotdoingso, becauseiftheydont,theissuemightcontinuetogoonwithoutanystopduetoeveryone nottellinganybodytostop.Imconcernedthatwithmoderndayissues,eveniftheymay belittleritsimportantthatpeoplearevoluntarytostandupandshouldbetaughtthis becauseitwilleventuallyhelptheminlifeanditwillbuildconfidenceandbydoingso, youdbehelpingothers,notonlyyourself. Ichosethistopic,becausetherearestillbigissuesgoingonintheworldthatare seenasunfair.Thepeoplesometimesaresimplyafraidofstandingupforwhattheyare afraidof,becausetheyareafraidofbeingignoredorlookeddownofbecausetheythink differentlyfromtherest.Ifinditinteresting,becauseithinkthatthisisasimpleactionthat morepeopleneedtocontributein,itsrathersimpleinsomeways,thoughdifficultin others.

Iamtheonetheybattleagainst. Theyshovemeintomyseat, andstickthepeninmyhand. Justliketherestofus. TheBluejoltsmeawake, energizedandhyperactivetospeak. Iamexpectedtoremaincalm. TheSilvertellsmetowakeup, outofwhatImtold. Iamexpectedtoremaincalm.

Itoldthem, nomore

TheTurquoiseshapedme,

intowhoIam, toclearmymind. Iamexpectedtoremaincalm. Iamtherainbow, ofclarity. Givemethepen, towritewhatIwant andputmeinthechair, tositandstare butmylifeisyoursnomore.

Thereareandweremanyissuesinthisworld,allconsistingofpeopletakinga stand.Thatistheissuemypoemisrespondingto,beingdifferentfromtheothersand takingastand.TakeinmindfamouslyknownRosaParks,whosatdowntoprotesther belieftowardsthesegregationatthetime.ThiswasonDecember1stof1955,andisstill verymuchrememberedtoday,becauseshetookastandunlikemanyothers.Another personwhotookastandwasMalalaYousafzai,whowasaPakistanigirlwhowanted aneducation.Shewasshotfortryingtohaveapropereducationlikemanyotherboys, becausethiswasthoughtwrongly.Surprisingly,thiswasnt68yearsago,butonlylast year.Shetookastandinwhatshebelievedin,andultimatelywasheard. Ithinkthispoemtalksmoreabouttheprocessofbuildinguptotakingastandina majorissueyoubelievein,becauseoneoftheissuesIbelieveispeoplenotdoingso, becauseiftheydont,theissuemightcontinuetogoonwithoutanystopduetoeveryone nottellinganybodytostop.Imconcernedthatwithmoderndayissues,eveniftheymay belittleritsimportantthatpeoplearevoluntarytostandupandshouldbetaughtthis becauseitwilleventuallyhelptheminlifeanditwillbuildconfidenceandbydoingso, youdbehelpingothers,notonlyyourself. Ichosethistopic,becausetherearestillbigissuesgoingonintheworldthatare seenasunfair.Thepeoplesometimesaresimplyafraidofstandingupforwhattheyare afraidof,becausetheyareafraidofbeingignoredorlookeddownofbecausetheythink differentlyfromtherest.Ifinditinteresting,becauseithinkthatthisisasimpleactionthat morepeopleneedtocontributein,itsrathersimpleinsomeways,thoughdifficultin others.

Ithinkinmypoem,Iusedalotofmetaphors.Ametaphoriswordsbeingusedto representsomethingbesidesitsliteralmeaning,abiggerpicture.Oneexample,was howiwasusingcolorstodescribeemotions.TheBluejoltsmeawake,Isaid,because generallyblueisconsideredacalm,soothingcolors,whichiswhyIusedthecolorblue asametaphorforsomeonebeingpreparedtotakeastand,thoughnotthereyet.Iused tocolorsthroughoutthepoem,connectingthepartsofthepoemtogetherwithonelarge metaphor.Anotherexample,wasturquoise,becauseitsthecolorofclarity,whichIfound outaftersomeresearch.Italkedabouthowtheturquoiseshapedme,intowhoIam, whichwasametaphorbecausetheturquoise,thecolorofcommunication,wasa metaphorfortheemotionsofcommunicating. Aswellasmetaphors,Ialsousedrepetitioninmypoem.Repetitionisrepeatinga wordorphrasethroughouttheentirepoem,oronlyonepart.Iusedrepetitionmostly withthelineIamexpectedtoremaincalm.Ididthis,becauseifeltitconnectedallthe partsofmypoemtogether,likerhymingdoes.Ialsohopeditwouldkeepanimageinthe readersmind,ofhowoneisexpectedtobeeveniftheyarenothopingtoremainthat way. Inmypoem,Ifindthemessageeasytofind,beingthepoet.Thepoemisina schoolsetting,adailysettingmanypeopledothrough,andthisisbecauseinschool, manyclassesconsistofdoingwhatonestold.Thisisadailylifeexampleofsomething youhavetodo,whichisntbadbecauseyourelearningvaluableskills.Iusedthe schoolsetting,becauseitgaveasituationofdoingwhatyouretold,whichiswhenone shouldstandupiftheydisagree.Thecolorsandtheiroriginalmeaningsareoppositesof theirdescriptioninthepoem,allexceptfortheTurqouise.Ithinkthismeansthatthe poemistryingtoexplainhowpeopleshouldbedifferentthanwhattheyremeanttobe. Overall,thispoemisabouthowyoushouldspeakyourmindandopiniononissuesand tobedifferentthanwhatyouretold,whichisO.K.

ThesongIchosethatIthinklinkstomypoemisAmericanIdiotbygreenday. Mostpeoplemightfindthissurprising,becausethissongisabitharshandhasheavy rockinfluences.Thechorusgoes: Welcometoanewkindoftension. Allacrossthealiennation. Whereeverythingisn'tmeanttobeokay. Televisiondreamsoftomorrow. We'renottheoneswho'remeanttofollow. Forthat'senoughtoargue. Ithinkthechorusrelatestomymessagethemost,aswellasmypoint.Inthesecond line,theyrefertoAmericaasthealiennation,meaningtheyreallthesame,andina way,brainwashed.Thisreferstomypoint,becausestandingupforwhatyoubelieve in,requiresyoutobedifferentthanothersintheiraliennation.Theyalsotalkabout howWerenottheoneswhoremeanttofollow.Thisisalsoimportant,becausethey talkabouthowweremeanttobedifferentand,inaway,takeastand.Inoneofthelater verses,theysay: Don'twanttobeanAmericanidiot. Onenationcontrolledbythemedia. Informationageofhysteria. It'scallingouttoidiotAmerica. Thisversecanalsorelatetomypoem,because,theytalkabouthowamericaisall controlledbyonesourceintheiropinion,whichItranslateintopeoplebeingcontrolled byopinionsthatmightnotbetheirs.Eventhoughthispoemseemstoberudeand

insultingattimestoAmerica,ifeelthatitdoesprovethemessageofmypoembecause ofitswordingwhenyoudopaycloserattentiontoit,thissongdisplaysawider,more meaningfulmessagethatconnectstomypoemwell.

SofiaRaolikeswritingpoetryinherfreetime,andhasbeenforafewyearsnow.Inher freetime,shelikestowritefiction,readdystopias,andplayandlistentomusic.Shelives inNewYorkwithherparentsandbrother,andgoestotheUnitedNationsInternational School.Sheisinseventhgradeandis12yearsold,andisaspiringtowritemoreoften.