Dramatic Monologue

A speech?
I am truly not in the mood.
But I sure am hungry,
And I need to return to my roots.

My Papi is all alone,
Worn down, beaten up.
And I am here,
Speaking my heart out as if this show is something more than charisma.

My clock is perplexed.
I can’t even understand that so I don’t expect them to.
Nevertheless, my time is now,
And yet my time is passing with every breath I disappoint.

Where is my heart man?
I am Willie Stark.
For now, I don’t even desire to speak,
But yet they nag, as they always will.

Seriously though, I will triumph,
As will good.
The end justifies the means,
Except maybe when referring to death.

But death is a long ways off.
Death is not frightening.
For I have life,
And life I will give to my people.

But must they have a speech?
Do they not enjoy there meal as much as I?
Fiends I tell you,
But my people all the same.

Allusion Paragraph

In All the King’s Men Robert Penn Warren makes clever use of allusions to parallel Cass Mastern and the Greek mythological character Cassandra, as well as relate Telemachus, son of Odysseus, to Jack Burden. Cassandra received the power to foretell the future from Apollo, the God of the Sun. But later, Apollo summoned a curse upon her that no one would ever believe her claims. In relation, Cass Mastern was never truly heard by Jack Burden. Elements of the times and mistakes in Jack’s life can be spotted through Cass Mastern, but Jack is too stubborn to realize that truth. That is until he finds he was not the creator of the spider web theory, because Cass invented it long before his time. In addition, both Telemachus and Jack Burden were incapable of recognizing who their fathers were, all while they stared them square in the face. An allusion is implemented to represent the similarities between these two characters. Even after Odysseus shot the infamous bow and arrow that proved he was indeed Telemachus’ father, the young man still had trouble believing the news. By comparison, Jack Burden always looked upon Judge Irwin as a Father figure, but never his real Father. Ironically, Jack opened the can of worms that eventually led to the death of the Judge, discovering that all of his life his old man was just up the road, and he hadn’t the slightest inkling.

College Essay

Its dinnertime on a harsh February night in 2006. I remember how dark it seemed for that early in the evening. The sky was a blank nothing as Dad emerged from the basement, as was the expression on his face. He opened conversation blankly about his promotion to another branch of his company, in Florida. Tears welled up in my Mom’s eyes, I could sense the pain in my father’s voice, I felt it as well, but I fought against mightily.
Seymour, Connecticut is unlike any small town that I know. It’s a place where everyone knows each other, and where the town shuts down on Friday nights when the high school football team is playing. The perfect town for 15 years of my life, a close knit community, where my pre-school friends resided, and all things so close to my heart. I would miss the community, and I would miss the beautiful change of seasons. In Florida, I would have no family, much less love surrounding me, but time slowly changed that. I could think only of being strong for my family, who had never lived outside of Connecticut, knowing they were hurting more than I was. This focus on coping and strength sustained me through the move, until we arrived in our new home.
As I was immersed in this foreign setting, I made a conscious effort to show the new people in my life who I truly was. Speaking to everyone I could, I slowly became involved in more school activities, and I ultimately became the person I am today. I opened my heart to new friends, while the only friends I’d ever loved were many miles away. Through meeting the amazing group of people I now know as my brothers and sisters, I have experienced many more life changing and character forming experiences than I would have if I had not been strong, and looked upon our bad hand with cynicism, rather than optimism. Soon thereafter I took part in my first retreat, where I learned a great deal about myself and the people around me. I connected with people like I never thought I would, changing my life completely. Strength is part of my make- up, but hard work is my advantage. Before the move I had never played football. I took on the challenge, and met it head on with determination and persistence. Recently, I have been elected captain of the team, and I like to think it’s not because I’m the best player out there, as I’m surely not, but because I outwork my teammates. I learned that from living where I had all my life. That anything gained easily, isn’t worth anything. I may not be the smartest, the biggest, the best looking, or the most talented. I can’t build bridges, save thousands of young children in third world countries, or protect my parents from the ugly truth that they don’t love where they live anymore, but I promise that I will try, and I have learned about that from the experiences in my new home. I will stop at nothing. I love, I care, I miss, yet I endure, and better my life. Embarking on the next chapter of my life as a hopeful UF student, my attributes and qualities will impact the university in very positive ways, for I have learned so much, and I will never stop doing so.

The Glorious Burn

Gimmie, gimmie, my name is Jimmy.
Did you know I am a Jew?
A language of schoolroom propriety.
I long to leave what you call me,
I long to be what they call you.
The 8 the 10 the 20 the 40.
No matter what, I am nothing, except maybe what I want to be.
But even then, what am I?
A being, closer to being, a separate being from myself.
A ray of the sun, but nothing like a shining star of sorts.
I laugh and love, you don’t.
Who are you?
Which is the way?
Or is the way nothing but a road with no signs, or a man with no soul.
Summer, Spring, Fall, Winter, what season is it?
Uncle Sam will be gone by April, I’m sure of it.
That was a picnic I never forgot.
That was before the day of mr. sen- sen puckett,
Who is that?
Who cares?
Have they got holes in the knee?
Well if so, walk slowly,
Or the shadows of age and wear will grab hold of you, and take me where?
Time is wasting.
But does anyone really mind?
It is an imagined burden,
But yet, it runs out.
Who says?
I shall die, and shall be spared the end,
And that last bitterness of war.
To burn is certain, but will it not be scalding
Will it warm our hearts and leave us in a tight knit pile of what?
Who knows?
Who cares?
May a common salvation lift us both from the dust,
And if we burn, who will burn along side my charred remains.