Rena Childers Assignment 2

Four Years in the Life of Rena

My feet hit the hallway floor

Fear of eyes on me

Look down, never ahead

Brisk pace until you reach “safety”

My feet hit the party floor

Hands, awkward and gangly

Laughs too loud, but still sincere

Night after night, forgetting the weight

My feet hit the library

Endless work, paper after paper

Movies galore, with the ones I adore

One last round of love in all its forms

My feet hover

Caught in a state of confusion

Fear, sadness, but joy, and hope as well

All will be okay.

I set this poem up as a chronological progression through my high school years. The first stanza deals with the uncomfortable nature of freshman year. I used the word “safety” as a metaphor for my classes with people I had come to know, in juxtaposition with the hallway where I knew nearly no one. This opposition helped me to establish a tone that seems at first to be anxious. The next stanza illustrates sophomore year and my transition into a more social person. The word “weight” references the difficulties I experienced as a part of this transition. The third stanza talks about junior year and the endless workload I experienced. Despite this though, the phrase “love in all its forms” deals with my strong friendships and relationship with my boyfriend. Both things I cherished and still cherish deeply. The rhyme in the third line is meant to mirror the newfound light-heartedness I came across my third year in high school. Finally, the last part discusses senior year and all the mixed emotions that come along with it. The adjectives used to describe it shows the contrast and contradictions we as seniors face. Each stanza begins with the same phrase in order to explain a theme of my life every year. The last on is still up in the air because I cannot look at senior year with the mindset of someone who has already concluded it. Each segment is around the same length, which represents the equal time spent in every grade. The tone by the end of the poem is simply matter of fact. Many occurrences in high school are fantastic, but just as many are trying and difficult. It is an insight I have come across over this past year, and one that influenced this poem. The final line includes a period, signifying the completion of both the poem and my time in high school.