Choosing a Path in LIfe

            Why do people do what they do? Is it for the money, the fame, or is it because they love what they are doing? Everybody has their own motivations, whether they are good or bad. The character in “After Apple Picking” may have loved his job in the beginning but now longs for something more. By using hyperbole and metaphors, Robert Frost conveys the message of choices that people can make in their lives.

            Through the use of hyperbole Frost shows that there are many paths to choose from. There are countless jobs in the world that people can choose to do. Some do it for the money, others because it is what they love. Frost says “There are ten thousand fruit to touch” (L. 30). Some may be rotten, there will always be that chance, but that is life. In life there will be risks but it is worth it for happiness. There is no saying that another path can not be taken if the one that is currently being followed does not work anymore. The important thing is to follow one’s dreams.

            Metaphors have a strong importance in “After Apple Picking” because they give a path to follow. Frost states “And I could tell / What form my dreaming was about to take” (L. 16-17). In the poem, this is referring to a nightmare because he is stuck in a job that does not please him. However, this could take on another characteristic. What happens in a dream may be able to translate into life. If something is strong enough to be a dream, then it is important. If it is a pleasant dream that brings joy, make it real and live a life that is fulfilling.

            There are many paths that can be chosen in life. Paths can change, like in the poem when he is no longer satisfied. Since there are thousands of jobs, there is bound to be one that brings joy, so my advice is to go and find it.

What would I change in my life and would it really be worth it?

     This is a really hard topic because there are so many things that I wish I could have redone in my life. I think that one that would not just affect me but others in a positive way is not to have let my sister move back in. This sounds harsh and I do not mean to be cruel, but it would benefit everybody in so many ways. My sister married and had a child while she was living elsewhere. They fell on hard times and now they live with us and my sister had another child. I love my niece and my nephew but living with them is a pain. They are loud and disruptive and I am constantly watching them so they do not kill each other, not just my niece and nephew I might add. My sister is the main problem because she does not take care of her children and that adds so much stress to everybody else because we have to pick up her slack. She barely pays rent so we are in some serious debt and I am the one my mom talks to about everything. I have enough in my life and my mom adds to it, I do not complain though because she has to let it out to somebody or she will explode. Had my sister not moved back in life would be so different, so much easier. My mom would not be as stressed and could go back to work so we could get caught up. My dad wouldn’t have to pay for three extra people under his roof as he does now. My aunt would go home to her own house because she does not have to help with the kids and life would be so much better. Not only for them and myself, but it would help my sister as well. She does not have a very good bond with her children because she is never there for them, had we not been there, they would have had that bond. That and my sister would have more responsibility, I would hope. Last, I would be able to focus on my future. Having screaming children, and adults, around me constantly really grates on me. I have to worry about so many things other than what I should have to and it is a mess.

A family actually getting along

Reality

What I like to do...

            My favorite hobby is to read. I read everything and anything for the most part and I enjoy it immensely. I prefer realistic fiction for pleasure, non-fiction for concentrating, and fiction when I want to get away. My life is not always something that I enjoy living and sometimes I need to get away. Reading is my escape. When I read I can be anybody, anywhere, at any time and for a while and not have to worry about the stresses of life. When I am angry, happy, or just need to get away, books will always be there for me and will either make me forget or make everything that much better. I read all of the time and my mom makes fun of me when I go to the library and can not find anything that I want to read. Unbeknownst to her, that is when I start writing instead of reading.

    My favorite band is Florence and the Machine. The group is an Indie rock band from England. They are my favorite because they are different in their style and the instruments that they use. They incorporate many styles to make their own, so they have some classical, gospel, rock, and pop included. The end result is a smash of of bass, piano, and the harp, a a better combination could not be made. Florence Welch is a unique person and she translates that into her music. She writes what she feels at any given moment, and albeit a little strange, to me it makes much more sense than what others write. Whether it is guilt, remembrance, or dreams, there is always so much meaning and feeling in her songs that it is impossible not to relate in some way. That is the most important thing to me. It also inspires me because most artists me because most artists now use so much editing that they are never being themselves. With Florence and the Machine, when they perform live it sounds even better than what it does on a record and that is something special.

"Whenever I get depressed, I listen to this song. When I'm happy, I listen to this song. When I'm angry, I listen to this song. When I'm sad, I listen to this song. Whenever I can, I listen to this song, because Florence puts so many emotions into it, that I can relate to it at any time, and get blown away."

XiarraZ