Crayons, life, peace, heart, and dreams!

1. "Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you`re really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. I fancy myself to be a 64-color box, though I`ve got a few missing. It`s ok though, because I`ve got some more vibrant colors like periwinkle at my disposal. I have a bit of a problem though in that I can only meet the 8-color boxes. Does anyone else have that problem? I mean there are so many different colors of life, of feeling, of articulation.. so when I meet someone who`s an 8-color type.. I`m like, "hey girl, magenta!" and she`s like, "oh, you mean purple!" and she goes off on her purple thing, and I`m like, "no - I want magenta!" -John Mayer

I love this quote! I think it's really important to be colorful and have lots of emotions. People should express their selves more. Growing up is all about being unique while also being true to yourself. I think it is crucial that people understand how many more "colors" there are out there!

2. "A life lived in love will never be dull." - Leo Buscaglia

This is a great quote because it is so important to love and be loved. Love is one of the main components of life and happiness. The feeling of love is so great and it feels even better to know you are there for someone and that you love them. I agree with this quote because love definitely makes you happier!

3. "Peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no trouble, noise, or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." -Lady Gaga

I think this quote is amazing. I think in life you have to be peaceful. Without peace in your life, you would go crazy everyday. She is basically giving you her definition of peace. I love this definition because it is true and relates to everyone. I wish everything could be peaceful and filled with less stress.

4. "You're only as tall as your heart will let you be and you're only as small as the world will make you seem."-Christopher Drew

These are actually lyrics from a song by Christopher Drew. This is such great advice, though. If you believe in yourself, you can do anything. You have to decide who you want to be and who you will become. No one else can tell you how much influence you will have on the world and others!

5. "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." -James Dean

I love this quote because it expresses a great way of life. You should always dream for a better future. If everyone had hopes and dreams of becoming better, our society would become better. Also, you need to take risks sometimes. You should get done what you need to get done, as if you will not live another day.

Poetry!

1. "Red Wheelbarrow" by William Williams

"so much depends upon a red wheel barrow"

The simplicity of this statement is amazing. The writer knew exactly what he was going to say and he stated it without confusion. Obviously, this wheelbarrow meant a lot to William. He knew how much depended on it and described it beautifully and to the point. He didn't need many words to describe his thoughts and that's the wonderful part.

2. "Harlem" by Langston Hughes

"We remember the job we never had, Never could get, And can’t have now. Because we’re colored."

This quote describes the sadness and misery of colored people back in that time. They want to let people know they do remember when things were like this. They had to suffer through those horrible times. This poem shows how much they went through and the struggles of daily life. That's the power behind poetry and expressing yourself.

3. "somewhere I have never..." by E.E. Cummings

"nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals the power of your intense fragility."

This whole poem is comparing a person to small and fragile things. It shows the writer's compassion for this person and how much they love him/her. Poetry is a great way to express feelings about something or someone. Whoever this poem is about must have known for sure how much the writer cared for them.

4. "Go Down Death" by James Weldon Johnson

"Go down, Death, go down, Go down to Savannah, Georgia"

I like this quote for a couple of reasons. First, this line contributes to the title of the poem, so it already has special meaning. Also, it depicts a great way to describe death coming upon someone. These words in the poem are the words of God. It really shows the beauty in poetry.

5. "America" by Claude McKay

"Darkly I gaze into the days ahead, And see her might and granite wonders there,"

This poem is all about America and the things McKay likes about it. He loves the country and appreciates everything about it. Even when times are hard, he is optimistic about the future. This quote tells about that fact. He loves America!

Non-fiction!

1. "The Philosophy of Composition" by Edgar Alan Poe

''The death ... of a beautiful woman, is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world."

I think this quote really goes well with Poe's style of writing and his ideas. He is known for the many stories about death and disaster, so this quote talks about his favorite subject. Poe is stating how beautiful the idea of death is and how poetic it is. He loves death!

2. "How Schools Fail Democracy" by E.D. Hirsch

"For American English is not a purely formal system. Proficiency in its use requires possession of widely shared background knowledge."

I really like this quote because it tells of how we need to be well-rounded in our educations. I think this is very important. We can't be knowledgeable in the world if we've only been taught one subject, or a strict version of a subject. This applies to reading and writing. We need to have background knowledge to be able to have sophisticated conversation.

3. "The Strenuous Life" by Theodore Roosevelt

"A life of slothful ease, a life of that peace which springs merely from lack either of desire or of power to strive after great things, is as little worthy of a nation as of an individual."

This is a great quote. I agree with the fact that we shouldn't be lazy or "slothful." It won't get us anywhere in life at all. We should always be productive and striving to be better. We should desire to do more and achieve more.

4. "Of Studies" by Francis Bacon

"To spend too much time in studies is sloth…”

At first I did not agree with this quote. I thought it was stupid to not want to study more and learn more. Now, though, I agree with this. You should always be learning but not too much time should be put into studying. You should be a well-rounded person and experience all you can experience. You might be wasting your time studying too much.

5. "Rules by Which..." by Benjamin Franklin

"In the first Place, Gentlemen, you are to consider, that a great Empire, like a great Cake, is most easily diminished at the Edges."

This quote is basically telling them that the provinces of their country around the edges will be the first gone. Those are the easiest places to get rid of first. Franklin is basically making fun of the British because that is what was currently happening. The British were losing their outside provinces. Benjamin Franklin is saying they should not let this happen.

Fiction!

1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, chapter 22

“Mother,” said Pearl, “was that the same minister that kissed me by the brook?”
“Hold thy peace, dear little Pearl!” whispered her mother. “We must not always talk in the market-place of what happens to us in the forest.”

This passage shows the difference in settings in The Scarlet Letter. While in the forest, things are much different than when in the town. There are many secrets that have to be kept during this book and this helps explain this to Pearl. I think this also shows the dishonesty of society and the different sides to certain stories.

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, chapter 1

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

This is a great quote because it is so very true. First of all, you should never criticize anyone in the first place. But also, you really have to put yourself in other peoples' shoes. You never know what others are dealing with. Most of us have life so easy and we should not take it for granted.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, chapter 2

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."

I like this quote because it is very easy to relate to. It's true that you don't appreciate something until you lose it. Scout was afraid of losing the ability to read so she learned to love it. I think that if we were told we might lose our ability to read or write, we would love doing those things more than ever.

4. Huck Finn by Mark Twain

"Please take it," says I, "and don't ask me nothing – then I won't have to tell no lies."

Huck is basically saying he will have to lie if you ask him anything. This sets the tone for the book because they lie a lot throughout the story. Also, this shows that people don't want to lie if they don't have to, but sometimes think they have to. That is one thing wrong with the mentality of society.

5. "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Alan Poe

"True! - nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?"

This is coming from a man who has killed someone. He is saying how he is nervous but not mad at the moment. This is weird to say since he has just wrongfully killed a person. You can tell he's nervous by the words Poe chose and the manner that they are portrayed by. I think this statement shows a lot of emotion and was written very well.