Tuesday/Thursday Class:
For Thursday 05 September: Answer those 4 questions + "who, what, when, where, how, why?"+ outline or brainstorm-- in other words, begin the writing process. Also, bring in a "visual narrative"-- this could be a personal photograph, a still image from a film or TV show, a painting, an ad or cartoon, etc. It does NOT have to have anything to do with your essay topic-- but it can.
For Tuesday 10 September: Completed Rough Draft Due
For Thursday 12 September: Narrative Essay-- Revised, Final Copy Due
MWF Class:
F 06: Narration Outlines-- answer the questions! [Begin the writing process!]
M 09: Ch. 14 & Descriptive Narratives in various forms (visual, music, TV, etc.) – Bring in Images
W 11:Narration Draft Due for Peer Editing
F 13: Narration Essay Due
For Thursday 05 September: Answer those 4 questions + "who, what, when, where, how, why?"+ outline or brainstorm-- in other words, begin the writing process. Also, bring in a "visual narrative"-- this could be a personal photograph, a still image from a film or TV show, a painting, an ad or cartoon, etc. It does NOT have to have anything to do with your essay topic-- but it can.
For Tuesday 10 September: Completed Rough Draft Due
For Thursday 12 September: Narrative Essay-- Revised, Final Copy Due
MWF Class:
F 06: Narration Outlines-- answer the questions! [Begin the writing process!]
M 09: Ch. 14 & Descriptive Narratives in various forms (visual, music, TV, etc.) – Bring in Images
W 11:Narration Draft Due for Peer Editing
F 13: Narration Essay Due
The Personal Narrative
Narrative: An account of an experience or event that can be true or fictious. A personal narrative is based on a personal experience.
Look at the picture. What story does it tell? Can you describe the scene? Can you imagine the emotions of the kids in the picture? Can you relate in any way? The snapshot is a brief moment in time. A narrative would bring the photo to life, recalling the experience of the moment.
What is narration? Narration is a type of writing that “tells a story by presenting events in an orderly, logical sequence” (Kirszner and Mandell 71). A picture can also tell a story. Through narrative writing, one can record those pictures like a director records images to tell a story on film; however, you will tell the story with words.
Chapter 4 of your textbook addresses narration; it is entitled "Recalling an Experience". Read the chapter.
Notes: Plan your narrative-- include enough detail.
* Vary your sentence structure so that not all of your sentences sound alike.
* Maintain a clear, narrative order. This may mean sticking to a strict, chronological order or beginning in the present and using flashbacks. Whichever you choose, make the narrative order clear & flowing.
* Use accurate verb tense. Some shifts may be necessary (from present tense to an actual past event), but avoid all unwarranted shifts, as they may confuse the reader.
* Structure your essay: You will follow a 5 paragraph format with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph must contain a minimum of 5 sentences.
* Revise your essay. * Use the checklists on pages 73 & 74 for revisions.
After you decide what to write for your narrative, ask yourself:
1. What was important to you about the experience?
2. What did you learn from it?
3. How did it change you?
4. How would you reply to a reader who asked, "So what?"
TUTORIAL-- NARRATION: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwqEkgOI-3k
Read the following essays in your book for reference: "The Art of Eating Spaghetti" (60) & "What is a Hunter" (63).
Here's your graded assignment: [You have 2 options for writing, so read this all the way through!]
First, read the following poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost (1915)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
This famous poem is about a "traveller" who comes upon a fork in the road; he has two paths to choose from. After choosing one, he contemplates what would be had he chosen the other path.
We are all travellers on the road of life. I want you to think of a time in your life when you had to choose between two paths and write an essay about that decision. Many students will choose a BIG decision -- like starting college, becoming a parent, etc. However, do not overlook the LITTLE decisions as well; little decisions can have as much impact on our lives as the big ones do, and the big ones can be predictable and, well, boring. Do you remember "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words"? I will expect you to write about big, major decisions. SURPRISE ME! BE CREATIVE! Feel free to paraphrase the poem in your essay.
Also, you are not being asked to write your life story; you are being asked to focus on ONE event that impacted the course of your life-- one even, big, or preferably, small. Focus on the details of that SINGLE MOMENT. When did you take the road not taken? What happened? What did you learn?
You will NARRATE the story of your decision. In formal writing, the first person should be avoided; however, since this is a NARRATIVE essay, writing in first person is okay (if you choose to). Your essay should be thoughtful, descriptive, and gramatically correct.
Or, you can choose to write about the "magic of a moment". Think about one, small, singular, brief moment in your life that you later came to realize impacted you more than you could ever have known at the time. Describe the moment in detail; use your senses. Include the "lesson" you have taken away from that moment. Feel free to allude to the following poem in your narrative.
What did you feel? Hear? Smell? Sense? Use metaphors, similes, personification, allusion, etc. to paint your picture with words!
A Magic Moment I Remember:
I raised my eyes and you were there,
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all that's beautiful and rare
I pray to mute despair and anguish,
To vain the pursuits world esteems,
Long did I hear your soothing accents,
Long did your features haunt my dreams.
Time passed. A rebel storm-blast scattered
The reveries that once were mine
And I forgot your soothing accents,
Your features gracefully divine.
In dark days of enforced retirement
I gazed upon grey skies above
With no ideals to inspire me
No one to cry for, live for, love.
Then came a moment of renaissance,
I looked up - you again are there
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all that's beautiful and rare
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin
The requirements of the essay are as follows:
MLA formatted (upper left header, centered title, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, times new roman font in 12 point, 5 space indentions between paragraphs...), 5 paragraphs (at least 5 sentences in each), balanced paragraphs, approximately 2 pages in length.
Sometimes students who are visual learners do storyboards. Here are some details:
A storyboard should contain at least 5 pictures (drawn or cut out) with multi-sentence captions explaining how the image relates to the story you are telling. Here's an example (although it isn't great): http://www.umass.edu/wmwp/DigitalStorytelling/Shark%20Sample%20Storyboard.htm
http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/pdf/storyboard.pdf
OUTLINE:
Thesis:
Topic 1:
Point A:
Point B:
Point C:
(Do this for all body paragraphs)
Conclusion: Message?
Also try to include an allusion, some description (using the 5 senses), quotes, details, symbolism, metaphor, etc. in your essay. Not all of these elements are necessary, but the attempt at several is appreciated.
There are SEVERAL different ways to go about this essay. I will accept both a more formalized, structured essay format or a story format (please still structure this -- 5 paragraphs, approximately 5 sentences per paragraph, etc.).
For narration, sequence words can be effective:
Again, Also, And, Besides, Finally, First, Second, Third, Furthermore, In Addition, Last, Moreover, Next, One, Still, Too...
Time words can also be effective: Afterward, As Soon As, At First, At the same time, Before, Earlier, Eventually, Finally, Immediately, Later, Meanwhile, Next, Now, Simultaneiously, Since, Soon, Subsequently, Then, Until...
Concept Tutorial: Varying Sentence Structure Varying Sentence Structure:
Types of sentences: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hby4NBOwf7E&feature=related [Texas A&M]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsq2n4VOdzI&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMZtsSl4H3U&feature=channel
Independent Clause: part of a unit (sentence) that CAN stand on its own. Dependent clause: part of a sentence that canNOT stand on its own; it is imbedded in the sentence and used as an adv., adj., or noun.
Example: Unpon entering the class, the student quickly sat at the first available desk.
Dep. Indep.
Fragment: Incomplete sentence; it is missing either a complete subject or predicate.
Example: A great show with a great cast.
Run-On/Fused Sentence: Two independent clauses run together without any punctuation.
Example: The movie was great however it was too long.
In order to understand what I mean by "vary your sentence structure", you first need to understand the different types of sentences. This can be found in Ch. 24 of "Little Brown" (your handbook), pg. 211. There are 4 types of sentences, and sentences consist of clauses.
First, there are 2 types of clauses: MAIN- makes a complete statement and can stand alone in a sentence: The sky darkened.
SUBORDINATE is just like a main clause except that it begins with a subordinating word: When the sky darkened, [this signals that more information will follow]. This reduces a complete statement to a single part of speech (an adjective, verb, or noun). We use them to support the ideas in the main clauses.
4 TYPES of Sentences:
1. SIMPLE- consists of a single main clause and no subordinate clause. Examples:
A. My dad was mean. B. My mom and I left. C. We had no place to go.
2. COMPOUND- consists of two or more main clauses and no subordinate clause.
A. My dad was mean, so my mom and I left. B. It was hard, and we had no place to go.
3. COMPLEX- consists of one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. & 4. COMPOUND-COMPLEX: has the characteristics of both the compond sentence (two or more main clauses) and the complex sentence (at least one subordinate clause).
A. When I was little, my father was abusive to my mother, and as I grew older, I experienced abuse as well.
B. Although leaving was difficult because we had no place to go, it didn't take long for us to realize that it was the right decision.
What is important to note is that compound-complex and complex sentences pack a harder punch than complex sentences alone; simple sentences should be used sparsely in writing --usually for effect. Notice how sample sentences 3a and 3b are far more detailed and engaging than the other examples.
I also want to point out that just because a sentence is LONG does not mean it is COMPLEX! Many longer sentences in student writing end up being run-ons or contain such vast grammatical/mechanical errors that the essence of the point being communicated is lost amongst a "sea of words". Do not make that mistake.
EXAMPLE:
Here's an entry from a student essay. I love how he creates a circle with the imagery of planting a tree: In 1996, I was eleven years old and in sixth grade. My Dad had been in Boy Scouts as a kid and got me started in it also. Our troop was planting a tree in front of my elementary school for a Boy Scout project. My Dad and I were the only people who showed up to plant the thing, but we decided to do it anyway. It went pretty smoothly, but toward the end my Dad started to feel a little sick, so he got back in the car while I finished packing down the dirt and cleaning up. When we got home, I immediately ran off to soccer practice and when I returned home practically the whole neighborhood was in my living room for no apparent reason. I finally got an answer that my parents had gone to the hospital because my Dad was really sick. I still did not understand why that meant everyone could just hang out at my house, but I just naively went upstairs and messed around on the computer. I was still in my room when my Mom got home and came in. She was crying, which made me a little suspicious, and she called my brother and me over. She told us that our Dad had suffered a heart attack. We asked if he was okay and she told us he had died. I refused to believe it at first but after a while it sort of settled in, and I started to get worried. I didn't know what it would be like without a dad and didn't want to know. "Daddy's Hands," by Holly Dunn, probably sums up what I remember about him. He was a very sensitive guy who worked and loved his fun but when it came time for business, he got it done and done right. As a testament to the way he lived his life, that tree still stands in front of my old elementary school, and although I am long gone from there, I drive by often and remember what my Dad's hands helped create.
NARRATIVES IN GENERAL
Exercises:
1. This is a scene from the Showtime TV show "Queer as Folk". Brian and Justin have just danced at Justin's HS prom, which is "the best" experience of Justin's life. The clip shows "the worst" experience of Justin's life (they happen in the same night). The clip tells the story with very few words. How might Brian recall his experience if he were to write it? How would Justin? Would they recall it the same? Ask yourself, what are your feelings at the beginning of the clip? The middle? The end? How do your emotions change once the "story" progresses? Evoking a change in emotion in your reader is one key to a successful narrative.
2. The second video tells basically the same story as the first. Melissa Ethridge narrates Matthew Shepherd's story and uses the "scarecrow" as the guiding symbol in her story. Try to use symbolic imagery in your narrative. Make sure your story has some message, big or small.
3. Finally, the image also tells the same basic story.
**How would a narrative essay about the "prom" moment be organized? What details would be included?
** We will cover both visual narratives and song lyric analysis later on in the semester.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-AkTzcFnFs -- PROM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4yX9RjPtvM -- MATTHEW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0 -- MACKLEMORE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBA6qlHW8po -- Russell Brand vs. Westboro
http://unfinishedlivesblog.com/2013/05/26/gay-activist-attacked-in-wave-of-hate-crimes-against-new-york-citys-lgbtq-community/
HATE 2013
Look at the picture. What story does it tell? Can you describe the scene? Can you imagine the emotions of the kids in the picture? Can you relate in any way? The snapshot is a brief moment in time. A narrative would bring the photo to life, recalling the experience of the moment.
What is narration? Narration is a type of writing that “tells a story by presenting events in an orderly, logical sequence” (Kirszner and Mandell 71). A picture can also tell a story. Through narrative writing, one can record those pictures like a director records images to tell a story on film; however, you will tell the story with words.
Chapter 4 of your textbook addresses narration; it is entitled "Recalling an Experience". Read the chapter.
Notes: Plan your narrative-- include enough detail.
* Vary your sentence structure so that not all of your sentences sound alike.
* Maintain a clear, narrative order. This may mean sticking to a strict, chronological order or beginning in the present and using flashbacks. Whichever you choose, make the narrative order clear & flowing.
* Use accurate verb tense. Some shifts may be necessary (from present tense to an actual past event), but avoid all unwarranted shifts, as they may confuse the reader.
* Structure your essay: You will follow a 5 paragraph format with an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph must contain a minimum of 5 sentences.
* Revise your essay. * Use the checklists on pages 73 & 74 for revisions.
After you decide what to write for your narrative, ask yourself:
1. What was important to you about the experience?
2. What did you learn from it?
3. How did it change you?
4. How would you reply to a reader who asked, "So what?"
TUTORIAL-- NARRATION: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwqEkgOI-3k
Read the following essays in your book for reference: "The Art of Eating Spaghetti" (60) & "What is a Hunter" (63).
Here's your graded assignment: [You have 2 options for writing, so read this all the way through!]
First, read the following poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost (1915)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
This famous poem is about a "traveller" who comes upon a fork in the road; he has two paths to choose from. After choosing one, he contemplates what would be had he chosen the other path.
We are all travellers on the road of life. I want you to think of a time in your life when you had to choose between two paths and write an essay about that decision. Many students will choose a BIG decision -- like starting college, becoming a parent, etc. However, do not overlook the LITTLE decisions as well; little decisions can have as much impact on our lives as the big ones do, and the big ones can be predictable and, well, boring. Do you remember "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words"? I will expect you to write about big, major decisions. SURPRISE ME! BE CREATIVE! Feel free to paraphrase the poem in your essay.
Also, you are not being asked to write your life story; you are being asked to focus on ONE event that impacted the course of your life-- one even, big, or preferably, small. Focus on the details of that SINGLE MOMENT. When did you take the road not taken? What happened? What did you learn?
You will NARRATE the story of your decision. In formal writing, the first person should be avoided; however, since this is a NARRATIVE essay, writing in first person is okay (if you choose to). Your essay should be thoughtful, descriptive, and gramatically correct.
Or, you can choose to write about the "magic of a moment". Think about one, small, singular, brief moment in your life that you later came to realize impacted you more than you could ever have known at the time. Describe the moment in detail; use your senses. Include the "lesson" you have taken away from that moment. Feel free to allude to the following poem in your narrative.
What did you feel? Hear? Smell? Sense? Use metaphors, similes, personification, allusion, etc. to paint your picture with words!
A Magic Moment I Remember:
I raised my eyes and you were there,
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all that's beautiful and rare
I pray to mute despair and anguish,
To vain the pursuits world esteems,
Long did I hear your soothing accents,
Long did your features haunt my dreams.
Time passed. A rebel storm-blast scattered
The reveries that once were mine
And I forgot your soothing accents,
Your features gracefully divine.
In dark days of enforced retirement
I gazed upon grey skies above
With no ideals to inspire me
No one to cry for, live for, love.
Then came a moment of renaissance,
I looked up - you again are there
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all that's beautiful and rare
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin
The requirements of the essay are as follows:
MLA formatted (upper left header, centered title, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, times new roman font in 12 point, 5 space indentions between paragraphs...), 5 paragraphs (at least 5 sentences in each), balanced paragraphs, approximately 2 pages in length.
Sometimes students who are visual learners do storyboards. Here are some details:
A storyboard should contain at least 5 pictures (drawn or cut out) with multi-sentence captions explaining how the image relates to the story you are telling. Here's an example (although it isn't great): http://www.umass.edu/wmwp/DigitalStorytelling/Shark%20Sample%20Storyboard.htm
http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/pdf/storyboard.pdf
OUTLINE:
Thesis:
Topic 1:
Point A:
Point B:
Point C:
(Do this for all body paragraphs)
Conclusion: Message?
Also try to include an allusion, some description (using the 5 senses), quotes, details, symbolism, metaphor, etc. in your essay. Not all of these elements are necessary, but the attempt at several is appreciated.
There are SEVERAL different ways to go about this essay. I will accept both a more formalized, structured essay format or a story format (please still structure this -- 5 paragraphs, approximately 5 sentences per paragraph, etc.).
For narration, sequence words can be effective:
Again, Also, And, Besides, Finally, First, Second, Third, Furthermore, In Addition, Last, Moreover, Next, One, Still, Too...
Time words can also be effective: Afterward, As Soon As, At First, At the same time, Before, Earlier, Eventually, Finally, Immediately, Later, Meanwhile, Next, Now, Simultaneiously, Since, Soon, Subsequently, Then, Until...
Concept Tutorial: Varying Sentence Structure Varying Sentence Structure:
Types of sentences: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hby4NBOwf7E&feature=related [Texas A&M]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsq2n4VOdzI&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMZtsSl4H3U&feature=channel
Independent Clause: part of a unit (sentence) that CAN stand on its own. Dependent clause: part of a sentence that canNOT stand on its own; it is imbedded in the sentence and used as an adv., adj., or noun.
Example: Unpon entering the class, the student quickly sat at the first available desk.
Dep. Indep.
Fragment: Incomplete sentence; it is missing either a complete subject or predicate.
Example: A great show with a great cast.
Run-On/Fused Sentence: Two independent clauses run together without any punctuation.
Example: The movie was great however it was too long.
In order to understand what I mean by "vary your sentence structure", you first need to understand the different types of sentences. This can be found in Ch. 24 of "Little Brown" (your handbook), pg. 211. There are 4 types of sentences, and sentences consist of clauses.
First, there are 2 types of clauses: MAIN- makes a complete statement and can stand alone in a sentence: The sky darkened.
SUBORDINATE is just like a main clause except that it begins with a subordinating word: When the sky darkened, [this signals that more information will follow]. This reduces a complete statement to a single part of speech (an adjective, verb, or noun). We use them to support the ideas in the main clauses.
4 TYPES of Sentences:
1. SIMPLE- consists of a single main clause and no subordinate clause. Examples:
A. My dad was mean. B. My mom and I left. C. We had no place to go.
2. COMPOUND- consists of two or more main clauses and no subordinate clause.
A. My dad was mean, so my mom and I left. B. It was hard, and we had no place to go.
3. COMPLEX- consists of one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. & 4. COMPOUND-COMPLEX: has the characteristics of both the compond sentence (two or more main clauses) and the complex sentence (at least one subordinate clause).
A. When I was little, my father was abusive to my mother, and as I grew older, I experienced abuse as well.
B. Although leaving was difficult because we had no place to go, it didn't take long for us to realize that it was the right decision.
What is important to note is that compound-complex and complex sentences pack a harder punch than complex sentences alone; simple sentences should be used sparsely in writing --usually for effect. Notice how sample sentences 3a and 3b are far more detailed and engaging than the other examples.
I also want to point out that just because a sentence is LONG does not mean it is COMPLEX! Many longer sentences in student writing end up being run-ons or contain such vast grammatical/mechanical errors that the essence of the point being communicated is lost amongst a "sea of words". Do not make that mistake.
EXAMPLE:
Here's an entry from a student essay. I love how he creates a circle with the imagery of planting a tree: In 1996, I was eleven years old and in sixth grade. My Dad had been in Boy Scouts as a kid and got me started in it also. Our troop was planting a tree in front of my elementary school for a Boy Scout project. My Dad and I were the only people who showed up to plant the thing, but we decided to do it anyway. It went pretty smoothly, but toward the end my Dad started to feel a little sick, so he got back in the car while I finished packing down the dirt and cleaning up. When we got home, I immediately ran off to soccer practice and when I returned home practically the whole neighborhood was in my living room for no apparent reason. I finally got an answer that my parents had gone to the hospital because my Dad was really sick. I still did not understand why that meant everyone could just hang out at my house, but I just naively went upstairs and messed around on the computer. I was still in my room when my Mom got home and came in. She was crying, which made me a little suspicious, and she called my brother and me over. She told us that our Dad had suffered a heart attack. We asked if he was okay and she told us he had died. I refused to believe it at first but after a while it sort of settled in, and I started to get worried. I didn't know what it would be like without a dad and didn't want to know. "Daddy's Hands," by Holly Dunn, probably sums up what I remember about him. He was a very sensitive guy who worked and loved his fun but when it came time for business, he got it done and done right. As a testament to the way he lived his life, that tree still stands in front of my old elementary school, and although I am long gone from there, I drive by often and remember what my Dad's hands helped create.
NARRATIVES IN GENERAL
Exercises:
1. This is a scene from the Showtime TV show "Queer as Folk". Brian and Justin have just danced at Justin's HS prom, which is "the best" experience of Justin's life. The clip shows "the worst" experience of Justin's life (they happen in the same night). The clip tells the story with very few words. How might Brian recall his experience if he were to write it? How would Justin? Would they recall it the same? Ask yourself, what are your feelings at the beginning of the clip? The middle? The end? How do your emotions change once the "story" progresses? Evoking a change in emotion in your reader is one key to a successful narrative.
2. The second video tells basically the same story as the first. Melissa Ethridge narrates Matthew Shepherd's story and uses the "scarecrow" as the guiding symbol in her story. Try to use symbolic imagery in your narrative. Make sure your story has some message, big or small.
3. Finally, the image also tells the same basic story.
**How would a narrative essay about the "prom" moment be organized? What details would be included?
** We will cover both visual narratives and song lyric analysis later on in the semester.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-AkTzcFnFs -- PROM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4yX9RjPtvM -- MATTHEW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0 -- MACKLEMORE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBA6qlHW8po -- Russell Brand vs. Westboro
http://unfinishedlivesblog.com/2013/05/26/gay-activist-attacked-in-wave-of-hate-crimes-against-new-york-citys-lgbtq-community/
HATE 2013
Lyrics to Melissa Ethridge's "Scarecrow":
"Scarecrow"
Showers of your crimson blood
Seep into a nation calling up a flood
Of narrow minds who legislate
Thinly veiled intolerance
Bigotry and hate
But they tortured and burned you
They beat you and they tied you
They left you cold and breathing
For love they crucified you
I can't forget hard as I try
This silhouette against the sky
Scarecrow crying
Waiting to die wondering why
Scarecrow trying
Angels will hold carry your soul away
This was our brother
This was our son
This shepherd young and mild
This unassuming one
We all gasp this can't happen here
We're all much too civilized
Where can these monsters hide
But they are knocking on our front door
They're rocking in our cradles
They're preaching in our churches
And eating at our tables
I search my soul
My heart and in my mind
To try and find forgiveness
This is someone child
With pain unreconciled
Filled up with father's hate
Mother's neglect
I can forgive But I will not forget
Scarecrow crying
Waiting to die wondering why
Scarecrow trying
Rising above all in the name of love
The examples above are very serious narratives. Your narrative can be serious, or it can take a lighter tone. Consider these narratives as examples:
1. "Boy Named Sue" is about a boy who is given an unfortunate name but makes the best of it.
2. "Sliver" is the story of a young boy who hates being sent to his grandparent's house when his parents go out. I think some of us can relate?
3. "Harper Valley PTA" is the story of a woman shunned by the PTA and takes revenge by calling them all out at a meeting.
4. "City of New Orleans" is narrated by a train car and tells the story of the train's daily journey and all the history that it witnesses.
5.
I know you can think of a lot more examples. MANY songs tell stories. Feel free to post your favorite music narrative to our Facebook page!
Allusions: An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, a place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication. Good narratives often contain allusions.
Examples: "Scarecrow" alludes to the murder of Matthew Shepherd. "Harper Valley PTA" alludes to the novel "Peyton Place". Etc.
For the essay you are writing, it would be wise to ALLUDE to Frost's poem or the other poems in the directions section of this assignment page.
Examples: "Scarecrow" alludes to the murder of Matthew Shepherd. "Harper Valley PTA" alludes to the novel "Peyton Place". Etc.
For the essay you are writing, it would be wise to ALLUDE to Frost's poem or the other poems in the directions section of this assignment page.
Sample Narrative Essay
Header Goes Here
Name
Essay 1-- Narrative
Freddy’s Impact
1984 was a significant year in my upbringing; it was the year I was introduced to what is now my second home: the movie theater! Sure, I had been to a movie theater prior to 1984, but seeing a movie was a rare occasion for a small town girl who had to be driven 30 minutes to the nearest big screen. In 1984, I had that opportunity in abundance because it was a great year for movies! Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Gremlins, and even Purple Rain were all released that year, so the movie theater became a frequent outing for my cousins and I. On a cool fall day in November of 1984, after running a quick errand in “the big city,” my mom and aunt decided to take my cousin and I to the movies. As we approached the ticket desk and scanned the movie times, my mom and aunt proceeded to have a discussion, the outcome of which would shape my life in a profound way. Little did they know that they were creating a moment of magic for me that would leave a lasting impact on my life. My cousin and I were bursting with excitement as our tickets were torn to enter the experience of our young lives—the screening of Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Tracey and I thought we were “big girls”—surely we could handle a little monster movie. We convinced our parents to allow us to sit several rows down from where they were to prove our bravery. As the lights dimmed, and the popcorn bucket waned, we giggled in anticipation of our moment of transition from childhood to adulthood. This was it! If the training bras we had asked for to go back to school that year hadn’t proven our maturity, sitting through this movie surely would! We survived the first part of the film, bladders intact. The theater was fairly empty, as it was the middle of the day—the most uncool time to watch a horror flick. Every now and again we’d look back at our mothers to reassure ourselves that we were, in fact, safe in that dark theater. And then Nancy gets a phone call on an unplugged phone; it was a phone call that would change everything—for her and for us!
As Nancy picks up the phone, a large, nasty tongue spews from the phone and licks her face! In an instant, Tracey and I were three feet in the air, headed to the aisle, running for our dear lives! My heart was pounding like a drum, and I’m pretty sure I broke a sweat. When I finally calmed down, safe in the seat right next to my mother, I could hear the laughter. My own aunt, and my own mother for that matter, were making fun of us! They knew in that moment that they had us—that we would never live this down. Our days of convincing them we were “mature” were over. After we left the theater that day, all agreed on one point-- that this was one entertaining film!
I suppose one reading this might think that the lesson learned from that day in the movie theater is that kids are not mature enough to handle horror movies. On the contrary, what Freddy Krueger did for me that day was turn me into a horror movie fanatic! Fear creates an adrenaline rush, and when that rush is experienced in the confines of a safe display of fiction, it is quite satisfying. The next summer, Tracey and I videotaped the movie on HBO and watched it over and over again. We memorized every scene, every line. We longed for our mothers to walk in on us watching Freddy so that they would understand that we had grown; we had matured. Who knew that one magic moment in a movie theater in 1984 could shape my personality? Who knew that a fictionalized monster by the name of Freddy Krueger could write so boldly on my slate? Who knew that he would inadvertently lead me down a path of sharing my love of fiction and the thrill of storytelling? Thanks for the impact, Freddy… just don’t visit me in my dreams!
Name
Essay 1-- Narrative
Freddy’s Impact
1984 was a significant year in my upbringing; it was the year I was introduced to what is now my second home: the movie theater! Sure, I had been to a movie theater prior to 1984, but seeing a movie was a rare occasion for a small town girl who had to be driven 30 minutes to the nearest big screen. In 1984, I had that opportunity in abundance because it was a great year for movies! Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, Gremlins, and even Purple Rain were all released that year, so the movie theater became a frequent outing for my cousins and I. On a cool fall day in November of 1984, after running a quick errand in “the big city,” my mom and aunt decided to take my cousin and I to the movies. As we approached the ticket desk and scanned the movie times, my mom and aunt proceeded to have a discussion, the outcome of which would shape my life in a profound way. Little did they know that they were creating a moment of magic for me that would leave a lasting impact on my life. My cousin and I were bursting with excitement as our tickets were torn to enter the experience of our young lives—the screening of Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Tracey and I thought we were “big girls”—surely we could handle a little monster movie. We convinced our parents to allow us to sit several rows down from where they were to prove our bravery. As the lights dimmed, and the popcorn bucket waned, we giggled in anticipation of our moment of transition from childhood to adulthood. This was it! If the training bras we had asked for to go back to school that year hadn’t proven our maturity, sitting through this movie surely would! We survived the first part of the film, bladders intact. The theater was fairly empty, as it was the middle of the day—the most uncool time to watch a horror flick. Every now and again we’d look back at our mothers to reassure ourselves that we were, in fact, safe in that dark theater. And then Nancy gets a phone call on an unplugged phone; it was a phone call that would change everything—for her and for us!
As Nancy picks up the phone, a large, nasty tongue spews from the phone and licks her face! In an instant, Tracey and I were three feet in the air, headed to the aisle, running for our dear lives! My heart was pounding like a drum, and I’m pretty sure I broke a sweat. When I finally calmed down, safe in the seat right next to my mother, I could hear the laughter. My own aunt, and my own mother for that matter, were making fun of us! They knew in that moment that they had us—that we would never live this down. Our days of convincing them we were “mature” were over. After we left the theater that day, all agreed on one point-- that this was one entertaining film!
I suppose one reading this might think that the lesson learned from that day in the movie theater is that kids are not mature enough to handle horror movies. On the contrary, what Freddy Krueger did for me that day was turn me into a horror movie fanatic! Fear creates an adrenaline rush, and when that rush is experienced in the confines of a safe display of fiction, it is quite satisfying. The next summer, Tracey and I videotaped the movie on HBO and watched it over and over again. We memorized every scene, every line. We longed for our mothers to walk in on us watching Freddy so that they would understand that we had grown; we had matured. Who knew that one magic moment in a movie theater in 1984 could shape my personality? Who knew that a fictionalized monster by the name of Freddy Krueger could write so boldly on my slate? Who knew that he would inadvertently lead me down a path of sharing my love of fiction and the thrill of storytelling? Thanks for the impact, Freddy… just don’t visit me in my dreams!