|
| |
" Do As I Say, Not As I Do"
We have all grown up hearing our parent's advice "Do as I say, not as I
do". When your parents give this advice you do not always listen at first,
but later on in life you may catch yourself using it. I believe it is very
important value, respect and listen to what your parent's say; their experience
with life is their major tool in shaping their children into adults.
Parents have lived life longer than their children that is a fact. And what they
have gained is wisdom. Through out their lives they have learned from their
personal experience and can use these experiences to try and guide their
children in the right direction in a similar experience. In the poem "A
Song In The Front Yard" (Gwendoly Brooks, Bridges 44) it gives us a picture
of a child wanting to explore more of the world than her parents think she
should. "I've stayed in the front yard all my life,"(Line 1) this line
tells us that the child was a little sheltered. Not able to go out of the front
yard the child was kept in away from the rest of the world. "I want a peek
at the back" (Line 2) in this line the child wants to explore more than
just the front yard, just to go into the back yard would be great. "To
where the charity children play. I want a good time today. They do some
wonderful things. They have some wonderful fun. (Lines 8-10) In these lines they
show how the child sees the surroundings outside the fence. The child sees that
the other children are doing fun things that the child wishes he or she could
do. He or she sees the activities of the other children as wonderful. The other
children are probably doing things that the child in the front yard doesn't get
to do. "My mother sneers, but I say it's fine how they don't have to go in
at quarter to nine. My mother, she tells me that Johnnie Ma will grow up to be a
bad woman." (Lines 11-14) In these lines the poet depicts the mother's
feelings of the other children. She doesn't think that they are the best crowd
for her child to be influenced by or maybe the activities they are doing are
quite appropriate. It says that the children don't have to go in at a quarter
till nine. They might not have as much discipline from authority figures to tell
them when to go to bed at an appropriate time. "But I say it's fine.
Honest, I do. And I'd like to be a bad woman, too, and wear the brave stockings
of night-black lace And strut down the streets with paint on my
face."(Lines 17-20) In these lines it shows how the child may not be
carefully listening to the parents. The child doesn't seem to see the other
children's influences. And when it talks about they child wanting to be a bad
woman maybe even as bad as a hooker with black lace stockings. The child doesn't
see maybe the entire pictures or maybe the consequences that could happen from
being bad. The child sees it how much fun the other children are having now. The
child isn't looking at the consequences later. The parents see the later
consequences though. This is why they are keeping their child in the front yard.
Away from what they see as not so good influences on their child. The parent has
the experience and the wisdom of already experiencing peer influence and they
try to show and tell their child why the child must stay in the front yard.
In the poem "Photograph of My Father In His Twenty-Second Year"
(Raymond Carver, Bridges 45) it also depict a child looking at what his father
has experienced and how just a picture of the experience can influence him.
"I study my father's embarrassed young man's face. Sheepish grin he hold
sin one hand a string of spin yellow perch, in the other A bottle of Carlsbad
beer. "(Lines 2-5) In these lines it tells us how the father too can relate
to his child. He was young once and did things like fishing, and drinking some
of the same things his son may enjoy. This is important in family, the parents
must relate to their children and their children's age. The child may not take
the advice if it doesn't seem credible. If the parents can relate to their child
it makes it easier for everyone. "All his life my father wanted to be bold.
But the eye give him m away,." (Lines 11-12) In these lines I believe the
poet is telling us that the child sees that the father is trying to make all the
good decisions. He wanted to, but he probably didn't make all the right ones.
Other people influenced the father not his parents, but you could see that in
his eyes. "and the hands That limply offer the string of dead perch And the
bottle of beer. Father, I loved you, Yet how can I say thank you," (Lines
12-15) In these lines is shows that the father who only caught perch and was
drinking may not have been perfect. He may not have made all the right decisions
when growing up, but he tried. And he eventually did become a father, who had a
son that loved him very much. And maybe the son wants to thank his father for
being so great. His father had influenced him enough that the son turned out to
be responsible as well. "I who cannot hold my liquor either and do not even
know the place to fish?" (Lines16-17) I think the poet is saying that the
son has turned out like his father, but he wants to thank him for it. He turned
out to be like his father who raised him, but he is glad that his dad was a good
influence and that his father was their to influence him with his wisdom.
A good influence from your parents is essential in raising a family. I believe
that with the wisdom of parents a child can be influenced to grow up to be a
good person. But if a parent tries to control the child and push too hard that
could be devastating as well. In the story "Two Kinds" (Amy Tan,
Bridges 28) it tells how a mother pushed and pushed her daughter to do all these
things to be a big success. The mother was trying to live through her daughter
and the daughter just became upset and tired of her mother. If parents push too
hard it can cause problems, their needs to be a happy medium of influence from a
child's parents.
Post Script: This paper was really awesome to write. I have read it a lot and
I enjoy it every time because the message is very important to me. I am sure
there are still many errors that need to be fixed with this essay. But the
general message really got to me! I love the poems that I chose as well.
|