Personal Narrative: Diverse Perspectives

Diverse Perspectives “Blessed are the weird people. Poets. Misfits. Writers. Mystics. Painters and troubadours. For they teach us to see the world through different eyes” stated by Jacob Norby. Learning about the world through poets and writers inspired me to become a writer, myself. Students are able to interpret the world in a variety of styles performed by poets and writers. Writers and poets expand students’ knowledge upon the world by teaching it through different perspectives and styles. I became fascinated with the many interpretations of the world through writers and poets at a young age. When I would go to the library with either my friends, family, or classmates I would bolt over to the poetry section and check out all the poetry
books that interested me. I usually checked out Shel Silverstein because, his poetry styles and rhymes were so unique and creative that I couldn’t help reading his poetry more than once. I also took an interest in R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps books due to the mystery and horror that were lurking upon every page. I had so many late nights just laying in bed with a flashlight turning page after page just trying to figure out the ending to one his books. One of my favorite styles that he used was the “Chose your own ending” books because, I would be able to read multiple endings rather than just one which kept my curiosity flowing every time I would re-read the book. After becoming intrigued with their works, I began writing short stories and poems containing the mystery and horror presented R.L.Stine’s writing but also incorporating the lose creativity demonstrated in Shel Silverstein’s poetry. Writers and poets inspired me to become a writer through teaching me how to interpret the world in various styles and perspectives and they can do the same for others. Poets teach students to experience the world from different perspectives through the multiple styles of poetry that they write. When students read poetry they are not only learning a variety of poetry terms and poetry styles but, they are also getting another insight of the world from someone else’s viewpoint. Students learn a range of poetry terms such as simile, metaphor, rhyme, and meter from the poets they read throughout their English or Language Arts classes such as Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein, and Maya Angelou. They also gain an intake on the world from the poets they read such as Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” or Shel Silverstein’s poem “Masks”. In the poem “The road not taken” by Robert Frost, Frost speaks about his observations of the world around him by stating how society is becoming more like another rather than being genuine or unique. In the poem “Mask” by Shel Silverstein, Silverstein talks about his experiences in world by stating how many people hide behind mask so others are not able to tell what true emotions they are feeling. Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein, and Maya Angelou are able to give students several viewpoints upon the world through the styles of poetry that they use throughout their poems. Now writers as well have just as much an influence as poets do upon students.
Writers teach students to comprehend the world from a mixture of standpoints through the various styles of literature that they write.
Students gain knowledge towards several literary terms and see the world from different stances presented through the short stories and books they read in class. Students learn terms such as protagonist, antagonist, and dialogue through the books they read in their English or Language Arts classes such as John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, and Sandra Cisneros. Students also get other opinions upon the world from the writers they read such as Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird” and John Steinbeck’s book “Of Mice and Men”. In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Lee writes about her background on the world through the characters in her book stating how in her world people, places, and neighborhoods were segregated just due to the color of a person’s skin. In the book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck writes about the world from his stance by stating how people don’t end up living the life they want to live but, instead live the life they have to live for others. John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, and Sandra Cisneros further develop students’ knowledge upon the world through the literary styles they use throughout their writings.
Students’ enhance their knowledge upon the world through a mix of styles and perspectives demonstrated by writers and poets. Everyday students including myself learn more about the world through the styles of poets and writers. Students learn about the world from multiple viewpoints and write about the world in diverse styles that are both presented by poets and
writers.