After Apple Picking

This poem at first seemed kind of pointless and boring to me. It basically was about a guy who picked apples so much to the point where he began dreaming about it. Apple picking is not the most exciting thing to do in the world and for someone to do it so much that shows that their life is not so entertaining. As I thought more in depth about the poem I realized that this poem was written to show people who do live llife to the fullest how others live and that maybe they can help them out and get them doing thiings more creative and productive throughtout the day. It can also change someone's whole life and personality dramaticallly. This poem was very touching!

The Road Not Taken

This poem to me came off as very complicated. It's about a man who doesn’t really know which path to take and someone who is very indecisive. It actually made me had me getting kind of irritated because of the fact that he took forever to choose a path to take, but at the same time I believe that aspect in the poem is what keeps the reader glued to the poem anxiously waiting for what was going to happen next. In the end he finally decides and he picks the road that seems like no one else has taken yet because it doesnt seem worn out or anything and the leaves are still fresh! I believe the meaning behind this poem is that life gets to a standstill for us and we have to make huge decisions at some point in our lives that may change our life gradually and forever, but the downside is that sometimes we may never know how it will turn out in the future so it's a big risk! "You win some, you lose some" motto. I liked this poem a lot because it remindind me of a mystery being very unpredictable and it also kept my attention!

We Real Cool

This poem is very life learning to my judgement and I also believe the appropriate audience would be young teens to young adults (ages 16 - 21). This poem talks about real situations that teens go through that are not so positive. "We Real Cool" reflects on teen bad behavior which I believe is inflicted upon peer pressure or not being raised in a decent environment. I believe the poem talked about drinking, sex, crime, and everything else that was negative that teens do "for fun" or to feel as if they "fit in" with the "popular people". Some learn fast and stop the behavior while others learn the hard way like the teens in this poem who to my attention die because of all there rebellious actitvies and end up suffering, paying for everything they've done. The phrase "you reap what you sew" comes to my head when I think about this poem. Teenagers throughout the world become inflluenced by negativity everyday of there lives and im saying this because I am also a young person who know what it's like to be pressured by things that were not good influences so I know others have as well. Its just a part of life I guess and its our decision to make the right choice or not,  bu tsadly for those kids in the poem that didnt happen, well at least to me I don't think they got a second chance.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fishfight in Heaven

This short story was about how a Native American Indian did not get along  with society. He felt alone and like everyone (European Americans) looked down on him just because he was a different race. The Indian began having hatred towards them because it was so many of them and they all beated him in something. He felt as if he could never win anything. This situation happens alot. People get misjudged and treated horribly. I don't believe in racism at all because it can really mess a person up. The people who do it dont really understand but it does have an effect on that individual. Some people are very weak who get treated differently and it can resort them into harming those that hurt them or even harming theirselves because they may feel like they are not good enough. I really liked this short story because  it revolves a topic that is serious in today's society. It's also a facor of bullying. People that come to United States from anywhere should not have to feel like they are less important than anyone else and they shouldn't have to feel like they don't exist to others because every human being matters. We make up the world and without us there would be nothing so everyone should be treated with respect.

Aristotle

This poem was very interesting and I liked it a lot. I believe it was about life and the stages that we as human beings go through that determine who we each are as an individual. It made sense about the very first beginning of life being so easy and a breeze. I compare that part to childhood, when we are young and don't even know what the word "complicated" means. When the worst thing we've witnessed is getting a bruise on the knee or something minor like that. Then as the poem goes along it reminds me of our early teenage years when the "boys" get in the picture and the "best friend" term comes up. After that we get in our late teens which in my opinion is when life begins to become a little more challenging because you may lose friends and gain different ones , or college comes up and people have to end up paying tuition. That point in life is when things become a bit more complicated. In our early adulthood to me is the most challenging stage of life because of the fact that we leave home in search for our own ways and that's when life gets real, because you begin taking care of yourself, paying your bills , having to get a job and make more responsible decisions. Once we reach late adulthood, like senior citizen age range is when life gets easier again. People retire and realize all the hard work they have done pays off and they just do as they please, spoiling grandchildren or just taking up a hobby. That explanation on life is what I believe the poem was saying. It gets easy at first, then there's going to be some struggle but once we overcome that struggle we can relax and that's when we realize who we really are, because life has brought us a ling way and shaped us they way we are supposed to be!

A Good Man Is Hard To Find

This short story was one of the most craziest ones I have read so far. It was very mind blowing and intriguing. The grandmother who came off as one of those strict grandparents was very questionable to me. I had a lot of questions when it came to her role. She came off as very caring in the beginning of the short story when she was warning her family about the "The Misfit" but towards the end when they get accompanied by the bad guy and his two friends the grandmother acts if her family dying doesn't really bother her because she didn't seem to show any remorse all she tried to do was save her own life. One part of me also thought that the grandmother knew where she was taking them because it was too ironic that the"bad guys" would be there. I felt really sad for the rest of the family because they were all innocent victims in the crime. I was also kind of wishy washy when it came to "The Misfit's" character. When he told them he was innocent and falsely charged for killing his father I could see that happening and I felt some sympathy for him but when he got his two accomplices to kill their family it also made me feel like he could be guilty because if someone innocent why would they do something that would actually get them in trouble if they weren't in trouble in the first place. This short story was very confusing but i liked it in a way. 

The Cask of Amontillado

Edgar Allen Poe did a fantastic job with creating such a mysterious short story. He is  nothing but a genius and will forever be a legacy. This story as all about pain and revenge. Montresor is doing the evil things, he plays this character that has a dark side, and even at the carnival he was said to be dressed in all black. Fortunato, who is the victim in this story seems to come off as a people person and with a lot of confidence and unlike Montresor he was wearing all bright colors at the carnival. Purposely Edgar Allen Poe dressed them the way they were supposed to play their role. The way Montresor went about seeking revenge to kill Fortunato was well planned out and he knew exactly what to say to lure Fortunato in his "web". In the story it says that Montresor's family motto is a serpent and that's exactly how he acts very sneaky, evil, silent and dangerous. Mr. Poe knew how to embrace his character's personality very well and he also had a lot of significant points in this piece that showed his marvelous writing skills. This story was very captivating because as a reader it kept me glued because I had no idea what was going to happen next! Great story.