Th e St rug gle

for S uc ces s
Abram G. Gomez

Mr. Heyne

Period 5

April 14, 2004

 Tabl e of Contents
Theme Composition ………………………………....................................................Pg. 1
So Far Away, by Abram Gomez ………………………………..................................Pg. 2
Analysis ………………………………........................................................................Pg. 3
Lives Complications, by Abram Gomez ……………………………….....................Pg. 4
Analysis ………………………………........................................................................Pg. 5
Where There Is a Will, by Tupac Shakur ………………………………..................Pg. 6
Analysis ………………………………........................................................................Pg. 7
The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur ……………………………Pg. 8
Analysis ……………………………….......................................................................Pg. 9
If I Fail, by Tupac Shakur ………………………………..........................................Pg. 10
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 11
Success, by Ralph Waldo Emerson ………………………………...........................Pg. 12
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 13
Don’t Quit, by Edgar A. Guest ………………………………..................................Pg. 14
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 15
Success is counted sweetest, by Emily Dickinson ……….......................................Pg. 16
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 17
Eldorado, by Edgar Allan Poe …………...................................................................Pg. 18
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 19
Harlem, by Langston Hughes ...........….....................................................................Pg. 20
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 21
The Journey, by Mary Oliver…………….................................................................Pg. 22
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 23
Good Riddance (Time of your life), by Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day ...........Pg. 24
Analysis ………………………………......................................................................Pg. 25
Bibliography Page ………………………………......................................................Pg. 26
 The me Comp os it io n
There were many topics that I’ve written poems about that I could have chose,

such as anger, loneliness and sadness among other negative things. However, I

wanted to pick a topic that would help myself as well as others. The struggle for

success, that we all go through and experience in our daily lives, is the topic that I’ve

chose. Everyone has goals or dreams that they want to accomplish to succeed in life,

and we all ensounter similar obstacles whether they be others, you yourself,

emotional distress, opposition or disappointment. I also think that we all need a little

motivation, therefore I would like most of these poems to motivate the readers as well

as myself.
 So Fa r Awa y
by Abram Gomez
Success, so sweet yet so far away
So inconceivably accomplished anyway
When all I see is the struggle of today
And the constant pressure of traditional ways
They say, “It’s a road, not a destination”
So since this road is all but an achievement
Somebody must have showed me the wrong way
But it must be obstacles that I have encountered
So this ongoing path -fueled by motivation
Chosen once again, Success is so far away
Analysis for: So Far Away

In this poem the main emphasis seemed to be more on the struggle than the
success, which is why my theme statement for this poem was “Success is so far away.”
There still, however, is some motivation that can be extracted from this. I wrote this
free verse knowing that success, for me, is promised but it’s just so far down the road.
What I really want the reader to do is look past the struggle of today and realize you
need to fight through it and see the success of tomorrow, no matter how far away it
is.

The poetic device I chose to use was alliteration with the repetition of the “s”
sound. I basically built this around the first line to let everything else fall into place
and also to end the poem with the same sounding pattern - Success is so far away.
This device works well because it is common in free verse poems and creates a simple
sound in this poem.
 Lif e’ s Compli cati ons
by Abram Gomez

My life is complicated like a game of chess

It’s hard 2 answers the question, what got me in this mess?
I pray every night for God to help me in my life
To help me see things more clearly through my eyes

But no matter how much I pray

All my problems don’t go away
So I think to myself, how’d life get like this?
Could it be my parents, myself, or just punishment for my sins?

Now I know I must go on and be strong

4 if I don’t I will just be a casualty of lives arms
So next time I have to go through those hard, heavy durations
I’ll know it’s just a problem I have to conquer in lives complications
Analysis for: Lives Complications

In “Lives Complications” I wanted to emphasize my theme statement which

was, “Whatever obstacles you encounter, you rise above them to succeed in life.”
Even mistakes that you make shouldn’t hinder you from reaching your goals. So don’t
let this world get you down, just keep praying, keep striving and you’ll realize that no
problem lasts forever.

This was the first poem I ever wrote, so when I wrote it I used the only device
I knew how to use -rhyme. The rhyme scheme I used is actually an end rhyme
because the words at the end of each two lines rhyme. The device was simple and
effective for me to get my point across.
“W he re Th er e Is A Wil l…”
by Tupac Shakur

Where there is a will

There is a way
2 search and discover
A better day

Where a positive heart

Is all you need
2 rise beyond
And succeed

Where young minds grow

And respect each other
Based on their deeds
And not by their color

When times R dim

Say as I say
“Where there is a will
There is a way!”
Analysis for: Where There Is a Will…

The authors theme statement in this poem was what the poem is built around
and is also the valued judgment of the poem, “Where there is a will there is always a
way.” In relation to my topic, the poet tells us that all we need to succeed is a positive
willing heart. The author suggests a will to change to improve society and succeed
not only individually but also as a whole.

This poem uses excellent rhyme in the second and fourth line of each stanza.
The poem begins with and ends with the thematic statement and everything in
between supports it. The author uses a device that was simple but could also lead you
to see things his way to motivate you to succeed. The simple rhyme in this poem also
represents the simple formula for success.
 The Ro se T hat G re w Fr om Con cr et e
by Tupac Shakur

Did u hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature’s law wrong it learned to walk without having feet
Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams it learned to breathe fresh air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared!
Analysis for: The Rose That Grew From Concrete

Tupac’s theme statement for this poem is “People surrounded by trouble and
failure can still live and succeed.” This is almost an exact reflection of the struggle for
success. People who come from broken homes, troubled youth, failed pasts or any
other tough backgrounds in general still have much hope to succeed and make
something beautiful of their life.

Tupac uses personification to catch you attention to his subject. If you know
about Tupac’s past you would probably think this poem represents his life. Though
this is probably true, this poem can also represent whoever the reader is. Therefore,
Tupac also uses personification to motivate the reader.
If I Fa il
by Tupac Shakur

If in my quest 2 achieve my goals

I stumble or crumble and lose my soul
Those who knew me would easily co-sign
There was never a life as hard as mine
No father -no money -no chance and no guide
I only follow my voice inside
If it guides me wrong and I do not win
I’ll learn from mistakes and try 2 achieve again
Analysis for: If I Fail

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” That is the theme statement of
this poem but this poem also reminds us to learn from our failures and mistakes. If
you ask anybody who became a real success in life, they will probably tell you that
they’ve failed just as much as they’ve succeeded if not more. Don’t ever let a mistake
or failure hinder you from achieving your goals.

In my final choice of Tupacs‘s poetry, Tupac uses slant rhyme that is also end
rhyme in this poem. Each two lines of this poem form couplets. Tupac used this so
that every first line has a clear connection that concludes each first line. He does this
until he reaches his final conclusion in the last line of the poem.
Succ es s
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection

of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the

betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty,

To find the best in others,

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy

child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you

have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

Analysis for: Success

In Emerson’s poem of Success, the theme statement is “To succeed is to be

happy and make a difference in the world.” This is one of the few poems I have
chosen that really define what success is or at least what Emerson thought it was.
The only struggle in this poem is the betrayal of false friends in life; this is something
everyone must endure sometime in life. Whatever you go through in life, you must
remember to look on the bright side and be positive in order to succeed.

Repetition is use in this poem of the first word in each line. The repetition in
this free verse is used to define what success really means. The author wanted to
leave the reader thinking, “To be like that,” is to really succeed, and also leave the
reader agreeing with him after every line.
Don’t Quit
by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

when the road your trotting seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the depts are high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must,
but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.

As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it
out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with
another blow.

Often, the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the
victor’s cup;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit -it’s when things seem worst,
you must not quit.
Analysis for: Don’t Quit

In “Don’t Quit,” the emphasized theme is, “When things seem worst, you must
not quit.” You can’t be a success if you decide to quit along the way. This poem
reminds me of something my coach has always said, “When the going gets tough, the
tough get going.” There will always be tough times along the way but you must fight
through the rain and the pain in order to succeed.

In this poem the device chosen by the author was rhyme, but there is no
official rhyme thou out the poem. There is end rhyme, internal rhyme and slant
rhyme. The author uses these different rhymes to give us different scenarios and
situations of how tough life can get at times.
Succ es s i s co unt ed sw ee te st
by Emily Dickinson

Success is counted sweetest

By those who near succeed
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host

Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition
So clear of Victory

As he defeated-dying-
On whose forbidden ear
The distant trains of triumph
Burst agonizing and clear!
Analysis for: Success is counted sweetest

Emily Dickinson’s theme statement in this famous poem is “Those who never
succeed value success the most.” This poem deals with Dickinson’s feelings about
success and her struggles with the world. It is within the mindset of having to always
encounter failure but truly wish to succeed as others do. It is the feeling of
disappointment when we’re struggling to succeed but can’t seem to accomplish our
goals. This is the common mental obstacle that gets us all.

Imagery is just one devices used in this poem. It is used to create the images of
success from both sides of the battle. Images of victory come to mind that the purple
Host cannot see but in the final stanza the failure finally sees everything more clearly.
Eldorado
by Edgar Allan Poe

Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

But as he grew old-

This knight so bold-
And o’er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot on the ground
That looked like Eldorado.

And, as his strength

Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow-
“Shadow,” said he,
“Where can it be-
This land of Eldorado?”
“Over the mountains
Of the moon,
Down the valley of the shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,”
The shadow replied, -
“If you seek for Eldorado!”
Analysis for: Eldorado

In Edgar Allan Poe’s poem of Eldorado the thematic statement is this, “The
road to success is not for the faint of heart.” Weariness along the road is just another
obstacle in the struggle for success. The success we truly desire is not to be taken as
New Year’s resolutions, the path is intense but not impossible.

Edgar Allan Poe uses the same sequence of repletion of shadow and Eldorado.
This repletion not only gives the poem a main idea but also an understanding. The
poem may not have worked if there wasn’t a clear connection from the setting to the
conclusion, such as this repetition.
Harl em
by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?
Analysis for: Harlem

In Langston Hughes’ famous poem, “Harlem,” the thought is provoked that “If
you don’t work today to make your dreams happen, they may not be there
tomorrow.” If you just expect for your dreams to come true one day or expect to
become a success someday, it won’t happen. You must continually work to
accomplish the success you desire.

Hughes uses excellent similes in this poem to tell what happens to a dream
deferred. In fact, the entire poem is a group of similes put after a question. Hughes
uses this device to create metaphorical images and comparisons in order to get the
readers attention and make the reader consider his own dreams.
The J ou rne y
by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice-
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations-
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice,
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do-
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Analysis for: The Journey

The thematic statement for, “The Journey,” says this, “When you find out
what you have to do, do what you need to do in life and don’t let anybody stop you.”
The Journey is similar to the path to success in that when you set your goals, only
your determination will really help you succeed. This poem is mainly about
determination and determination is essential for success.

Symbolism is used through out this poem of a difficult journey. It is used

mainly to describe how the world tries to get you to do things you don’t need to do
rather than do what is necessary for yourself. The author wanted to make the
journey as real as it could sound and the symbolism in this poem does just that.
Goo d Ri dd anc e ( Ti me o f your lif e)
written and performed by Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road.

Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right.

I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind.

Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time.
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial.
For what it's worth, it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right.

I hope you had the time of your life.
Analysis for: Good Riddance (Time of your life)

In this famous song by Green Day, the author is reminiscing and writing from
experience to the listeners, his main point is this, “Make the most of your life and
make the best of what it is, and in turn, life will reward you.” To me this song is
about remembering life’s struggle but not regretting it because in the end the struggle
breeds success. When you accomplish a goal and appreciate your memories you will
realize the struggle was worth it all along.
This was written in poetic form with not only its rhyme and its pattern but
more to me with its imagery of metaphors. For example, a fork stuck in the road
represents a turning point in our life. This imagery describes how life is
unpredictable with its twists and turns and also life’s memories that remind you that
it was worth it all the while.
 Bibl io gr aph y P ag e
In alphabetical order
1. Armstrong, Billy Joe
Nimrod (album), Good Riddance, 1998

2. Dickinson, Emily
Williams, Oscar, et. al. ed., Major American Poets, Success is counted sweetest, New American
Library, Inc.1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, 1962

3. Emerson, Ralph Waldo

Armstrong, Brian, et. al. ed., Selected Poems, Success, Henry Holt and company, Inc., 115 West 18th St.,
New York, New York, 10011, 1979

4. Gomez, Abram, not yet published

5. Gomez, Abram, not yet published

6. Guest, Edgar A.
Randolph, Arthur, et. al. ed., Motivational Poems For Young People, Scribner Poetry Inc., 1230
Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, 2002

7. Hughes, Langston
Rosenberg, Liz, Earth Shattering Poems, Henry Holt and company Inc., 115 West 18th St., New York,
New York, 10011, 1998

8. Oliver, Mary
Sime, Richard et. al. ed., Elements of Literature, Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1120 South Capital of
Texas Highway, Austin, Texas 78746-6487, 2000

9. Poe, Edgar Allan

Williams, Oscar, et. al. ed., Major American Poets, Eldorado, New American Library, Inc.1301 Avenue
of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, 1962

10. Shakur, Tupac

Smith Allan, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Where There is a Will, Double Day Publishing Inc.,
1540 Broadway, New York, New York, 10036, 2001

11. Shakur, Tupac

Smith Allan, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Double Day
Publishing Inc., 1540 Broadway, New York, New York, 10036, 2001

12. Shakur, Tupac

Smith Allan, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, If I Fail, Double Day Publishing Inc., 1540
Broadway, New York, New York, 10036, 2001