1) Which of the poems had the most meaning for you personally?
The poem which meant the most to me was "As I Grew Older" by Langston Hughes, as it states how people can get lost in the shadows while on the path to their dreams. The person in the poem encounters a wall, tall and sturdy enough to block light, engulfing the person into the shadows. This wall, tall and sturdy, stands in the path of the person and his or her dreams. I, personally, have this experience myself. My dream university is Waterloo, which I'm hoping I will get in, but standing between me and my dream are my parents. Tall enough to block the light, and definitely sturdy in their decision! However, in the poem, the person managed to use their 'dark hands' to break through the wall, shattering the darkness. This allowed her to 'break the shadow, into a thousand lights of sun' allowing them to reach their dream. For me, I must gather information and evidence about Waterloo that might convince my parents, which in turn, would become me breaking through the wall.
2) What ideas or feelings seem most significant to you? Why?
An idea or feeling that is most significant to me derives from "As I grew Older" again. Never lose sight of your goal, and never let anyone tell you "you can't". This idea simply states that you should always stick to your dream, and never let anyone tell you you can't achieve it, or if it's a stupid dream. You have to prove them wrong, and to do that, you must achieve your dream. In "As I Grew Older", the person was stopped by a wall, making him lose sight of his dream. However, he managed to break the wall, which allowed the light/his dream to shine through towards him.
I chose Skyscraper by Demi Lovato, as it is a song about self empowerment, and self confidence. In the song, she mentions to "try to tear her down" but instead, she's "rising from the ground, like a skyscraper." The skyscraper is a symbol of Lovato, as she is standing tall, and over the people who have hurt her. The chorus states "You can take everything I have, You can break everything I am, like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground, like a skyscraper." Lovato is stating that people have hurt her before, thinking she's weak, like glass and paper, but in turn, she will rise above into a strong structure such as a skyscraper. This relates to identity, as Lovato is finding her true identity. In the past year, she has struggled with problems such as anorexia, and self harm. With this song, comes proof that Lovato will stay strong, and grounded, no matter who tries to harm her.
