Chris Essay 22
May 6, 2010
Mr. Salsich
English

Discovering Beauty:
An Essay on Finding Beauty in My Life and in A Poem 

(TS) Nothing is ugly just because someone says so. (CM) To one person something may be the most beautiful thing ever, but to others, it’s as ugly as ugly gets. (CM) Find the beauty you want, and don’t let others’ opinions influence you. (CS) Everybody looks at things differently, and everyone has, at one point, found beauty where others have not.

(TS) Today’s world is so focused over looks, that often the character of a person becomes obscured. However, Naomi Shihab Nye teaches us in her poem, “A Valentine for Ernest Mann,” that we must look past appearance to the true qualities of a person. (SD) We must look past what other people see about things to see their true personality, this theme is apparent in the poem, “A Valentine for Ernest Mann.” (CM) In the poem Ms. Nye talks about a man who buys two skunks for his wife, but when she screams he says, “I thought they had such beautiful eyes.” (CM) The man looked past the fact that people thought the skunks were revolting (thesaurus), and saw their true beauty, he saw the skunk’s true identity. (SD) There have been many instances in my life where I have looked past what everyone else thought, and have seen the true character in people. (CM) People may have labeled someone as “outlandish (thesaurus),” or “different,” but I have taken the initiative to look past these labels, and have met some pretty amazing people. (CM) With these many experiences I have learned one thing, “Nothing [is] ugly [or weird] just because the world [says] so.” (CS) If you act like the man with the skunks you will find it’s not about what everyone else thinks of something, it is solely about what you think of something. (purposeful repetition)

(TS) Everyone is different, and everyone sees things differently. In my life I have had many experiences where I have found beauty where others have not. (SD) One example of me finding something good where others do not is music. (CM) I sometimes listen to heavy, rock music, which some people find repulsive (thesaurus). They simply hear loud bashing and yelling, where I see skilled guitar playing, and difficult vocals. (CM) I hear marvelous music where others hear trash. (SD) Another example is that I have had many instances where there has been a person people think is aberrant (thesaurus), but I see them differently. (CM) Many of these people only looked at what was on the outside of the person, but I took the initiative to look past their appearance and see their inner beauty. (CM) All of us are different; there are no two of the exact same people in this world. Some people may be more different than others, but if you try to look past these differences, you may find a splendid person; a truly good friend. (Purposeful repetition) (SD) Another example is that sometimes I am forced to do something by my parents, like mow the lawn. (CM) At first I may be angry, but after I have finished mowing the lawn, I marvel at how beautiful it is. I do not see two hours of time wasted anymore. I see the sun reflecting off a luscious (thesaurus), freshly cut lawn.  (CM) I had to reinvent the situation, and make it beautiful. (CS) Everyone sees the world differently, and sometimes, you need to open your eyes up a little, and see the world from a different perspective.

(CS) At some point in their lives, everyone will find beauty where others don’t. (CS) It may be hidden in a poem; it may be in a person, or it may be stowed away in an object, but one day you will find it. (CM) Others may not see it, so it is your job to cherish this beauty for what it is. (CS) Beauty is everywhere, in everything, so what are you doing reading this essay? Go out and find it.

Self Assessment:

 One problem I see in this essay is that it is all about one topic and both paragraphs are similar. This means things can get a little repetitive. A strong point is that I feel really strongly about the opinions I presented. I think they make the essay personal. My biggest weakness would probably be my first body paragraph. The second chunk is completely about the poem, it strays from the topic slightly. Overall, I would give myself a B+ on this essay.