Introduction
In the Narrative Unit of English, we wrote and created our own lyrical essays based on the concepts we learned from the Lyrical Listener unit. In short, the Lyrical Listener unit was based off of a class our teacher, Mr. Greco, participated in at Stanford, and the award winning novel, American Lyric. Because Mr. Greco was on paternal leave during this unit and we had a substitute, our class did not do many of the things that seniors typically did for this unit. To be able to demonstrate a knowledge of how to explain research and convey what we have learned through a way that is audibly and visually pleasing, smooth, and artistic is a very important skill that I absolutely loved exploring.
Process:
Our process for this project was very straightforward and largely self-taught. We were expected to research a topic, and then write a lyrical (or poetic) essay based on what we had learned, and then include that into the dialogue we have written using citations. My topic, a timely one to say the least, focused on the butterfly affect and the fear of seniors in high school during the college admissions process. Based on my topic of choice, I then went and researched about the college admission process, how anxiety affects students, and how the butterfly affect relates to anxiety in young people. Based on what I learned, I then began drafting my essay.
Below is my final result:
Reflection:
Butterflies in the Wastebasket is a piece about the anxiety of being a senior in high school who is applying to universities and colleges. We are living on the brink of an entirely new life that we cannot even begin to imagine. Many of us do not even know this time next year where we will be living, who we will be friends with, what we will be studying. And while ACT scores and essay writing and every aspect of this process are very competitive, I could see many reasons why any of my peers deserve to go to whatever university they want. So while this is related to my own experiences, the essay goes beyond me.
I displayed my writing in phrases similar to a poem to help the reader understand the rhythmic way I intended the essay to read. For example, on page two I created a triangle with my words to show how anxiety builds and spirals. I chose to use specific language (i.e. damage control, sweat, a blink of an eye, and spiral) to show an increase and decrease in anxiety as it progresses. I wanted my essay to feel like a rant because honestly, it is one. I also used nature-related metaphors of butterflies, the oceans’ waves, and the change in the wind throughout my essay to describe the largely uncontrollable realities of each person’s future, and how it is impossible to foresee what is to come.
My research sources were especially helpful when talking about the actual college admissions process (Do you close your eyes and point or is it more like bingo?) and about the normalization of high stress and anxiety relating to applications from students (We as students start to worry). I thought it would be more interesting to write about it in a discussion format rather than listing and citing statistics traditionally because it makes it feel more personal and more relatable to the reader.
The most helpful feedback I received focused on how to increase the number of citations in my essay while retaining its lyrical tone. I adjusted plenty of my phrases to make them sound less choppy and more natural with my other points.
I was so inspired by the way Claudia Rankine writes American Lyric as though it is a personal discussion rather than a statement of knowledge. The incorporated usage of rhetorical questions and emotional language made her work interesting to me, so I wanted to emulate it in my essay.