Personal Symbol Assignment

This activity plays with the concept of symbols. The truth is symbols are not just something we talk about in literature class. Every day of our lives we are surrounded by symbols. A green light tells us it is our turn to go; a bell may signal the beginning of a school day; and a gold cross on a necklace suggests the wearer is a Christian. Most important life events are charged with symbolic significance--from the color of the clothes we wear (white at weddings and black at funerals) to everyday symbols like a wedding ring as a symbol of eternal love or a driver's license as a symbol of freedom. Schools and sports teams fill mascots with symbolic significance and states select certain symbols as embodiments of cherished values or ideals. Indeed, as human beings we are all symbol makers. The very language we speak, reduced to its most rudimentary level, is made up of simple symbols. Since we are so immersed in symbolic expression, this assignment shouldn't seem too foreign. I'd like you to select an object that symbolizes who you are and what you're about. Think figuratively, not literally. This should NOT be a picture of you, but rather some thing that gets at the essence of who you are or what you're about beneath the skin. Look around you. Go beyond the surface and seek for some concrete thing that seems to appropriately represent you. Ask yourself if you were an animal, a beverage, an instrument, a fruit or vegetable, a car, a breakfast cereal, a tree, or anything else, what would you be? Note that there's a big difference between being a Porsche, which might suggest boldness and confidence, and a Pinto, which seems to embody failure and inadequacy. (My apology to any Pinto owners out there) Another way to approach this assignment is through a web simile. Write your name in the center "bubble" and then brainstorm words that describe you. Then try to think of objects or things that seem to embody the descriptive words. For example, perhaps you are goal-oriented. Ask yourself what object might embody such a trait? A compass maybe? Perhaps a map? Either would be a great personal symbol for you. Thinking about ourselves in non-literal ways requires a sort of poetic creativity. By selecting a metaphor to represent you, you can convey your thoughts more powerfully. For example, if you write "I am frustrated" or "I feel inadequate" you give your readers nothing to do--they say "so what?" On the other hand, if you say, "I am a firework that didn't ignite," your readers can think about and choose from many possible meanings. Along with your symbol, you will need to compose a written piece--either poetry or prose--that explores or comments on the significance of the symbol you've selected. The requirements here are fairly loose. Your piece should clearly establish your connection with the object, and it should also try to give some insight into your voice or personality.

How will you be graded?

A completed visual with color and obvious effort: 25 pts.

Type 3 FCA’s 1 – Clear symbol choice in intro. Paragraph/stanza - 20 2 – 3 reasons with examples in paragraph/stanza - 20 3 – Correct Form - 10 Burning Like a Fire by Brianna

I am like a fire, first timid and small. Soon growing, and finally, not timid at all. Bright and glowing lighting up the dark, With a warm touch I leave my mark. Growing bigger and stronger each breath I take. I leave an impression no one can mistake. I’m like a fire, very complex you see. There are so many elements that make up me. Though times I am dim and need a little fuel. A chain reaction of smiles seems to be the tool. I blaze though life with both happiness and strife, But, I burn like a fire never giving up on life.

I am a Rock in a Rock Tumbler

I choose to compare myself to a rock in a rock tumbler. As with all teenagers, I try to find where I fit in, and often I don't know which way is up. In trying to find myself, I bump shoulders with a lot of people. But every time I run into someone else, my sharp edges wear down, just a little at a time, untill I'll eventually smooth out and find out who I've become. People bumping into me find themselves getting smoother as well. Growing up in a tumbled world, everyone helps smooth out everyone else, whether we like it or not. In rock tumbling, the coarseness of the grit used determines how much of the original material comes off. Coarser grit smooths edges faster than fine grit. In life, some experiences will shape me more than others. Those experiences which cause me to rethink my attitudes or change my course in life are like tumbling with coarse grit, while the smaller, day-to-day experiences may be less tramatic but provide fine tuning, allowing me to be my best. Not everyone affects me positively, and from time to time others take a nick out of me. I may nick others when I don't mean to. Sometimes I realize later that I've knicked someone unintentionally, and sometimes I know at the time that I will mar them. As rocks tumble, occasionally a rock breaks, cracks, or simply grinds down to nothing. It isn't the outcome I'm looking for, but it happens anyway. When that happens, I try to salvage what I can and start with the smaller pieces. There are times, however, when I just have to scrap the project and start over. That happens in real life, too, and starting over is possible but not very fun. Polishing stones takes time. So does polishing people. The people I meet every day--my family, friends, neighbors, or the person who sits next to me in class--all have an effect on me. By going through lifes ups and downs, I will eventually emerge as much as an individual as rocks in a rock tumbler, whether rough or smooth or somewhere in between.

I am a Feather by Greg G.

I am a feather Soft but fragile to one’s touch I used to be safe in a warm nest, But now all alone in a cold world. I can be lifted up with a slow exhale, Or be crushed with the slightest grasp. Some can use me to tickle them with laughter, While others see me as an annoying itch. The wind easily picks me up, And blows me to wherever it wants to. But if you hold on to me tight, Then I can make you fly too.

I am a Cocoon by Mckenna Sargent

I am a cocoon, Created by life's pain, fear and guilt. This surrounds my being, By my will, transforming me. I am changing and developing, Becoming aware of a new life beyond these walls. I must continue to grow yet It still seems so vast. Life up to this point was so easy and free. I had no worries, and little pain. I did not know of the game I was playing. With all these trials and continual fears, This is my growth of mind, body and soul. Though hard at times to see, I know of this positivity. I am a cocoon Transforming into something so beautiful and pure. At the end of this road I will be ready to fly. Because I will know what I am... I will be, a Butterfly!

I Am an Old Running Shoe

I am an old running shoe, Comfortably worn. My insole contoured by countless poundings, My flashy colors tamed by time. Rugged and uneven, my tread greets the asphalt, Driven by a stride persistent but unsure. I am an old running shoe. My days of split-second glory are gone and missed only barely. The race is no more a sporadic frenzy Of energy, unbridled and boundless. Now, it is a sustained effort of endurance Measured by teaspoons Tempered by challenges at once inviting and unfathomable. I am an old running shoe. I prefer paths friendly and familiar And yet, am tempted by beckoning dusty trails That crave exploration and taunt with the allure Of possibilities unrealized, potential unfulfilled. I am an old running shoe. Time's calculating digits sneer at me From an illusory finish line That evaporates and reappears In regions distant and foreboding. Seasoned by experience, I plod onward, Driven by dreams of a destination Ungoverned by the relentless ticking of sinister stopwatches. A place governed by the gentle rhythms Of butterfly wings and ocean waves.

Jill Haslam September 3, 1999

JUST ME AND MY.....SHADOW

Only seen when I want to be seen, but somehow I am always there. I might change sides or shapes, but I always return to my original form. I am secretive and stealth, and you're never quite sure what I am up to. Never sure where I go when I leave, but I always return without fail. Dark and mysterious, you are not sure what truths lie within me For I am not sure what truths lie within me. I don't talk much, But I always listen. Whether you notice me or not, I am always there for you. And when everyone is gone, and there is no one left to talk to, I will still be there to listen. Christine Heim

Why I am Like the Corvette

The Corvette, one of the most beautiful works of art, second only to my girlfriend, is a symbol of me because it is a dream that progresses and becomes greater with every passing year. There once was a dream of what the Corvette could become and with much hard work and determination, it has become a dream come true. I am a 17 year old junior taking extra high school classes so that I can graduate this year. This is part of my goal of joining the Navy and becoming the leader of the most highly motivated SEAL team ever. This almost impossible goal requiring 200% improvement is much like the goal of the Corvette which has met and surpassed itself. My motto is, don't cheat when playing in the game of life, it could cheat too. Jeffrey Benson