Narrative 2: English

Lyrical Essay

A lyrical essay is an essay which uses many poetic and rhetorical strategies in order to tell a story or send out a message to the audience. For our lyrical essays, we were tasked to focus on a social identity, and write about a micro-aggression or stereotype that often harms the person. For my lyrical essay I chose to discuss the topic of masculinity and how it may affect one’s life, actions, and perceptions from others. Here is my essay:

Just do it. They barked.

Why?

If you don’t do it you’re not our friend.

Why?

If you don’t do it you’re not a man.

What is a man? A leader. A dominant predator. A vicious beast.  And why does this define your friendship? Must you prove yourself as part of the pack? Does being in the same species not prove your worth? How does hunting make you a man? Do you want to be labeled as so?

Tired of asking questions. Tired of being tough against the alpha. You submit. You approach her cautiously, amiably. Letting their words pull you, control you. You open your mouth.

She screams.

Creep! Pervert! Predator.

With no house to protect her, no cloak of red to shield her, she runs.

Hi

My name is

Friends

All you wanted to say. Were told to say. Never said.

You were benign. But because of the stories, you appeared sinister.

Aesop said you would win in the end. Said you would gain your feast. But why do you feel like you lost?

Lost your friends. Lost your power. Lost your identity.

Men are wolves. And you are not a wolf.  And you are not a man. You are the boy who feared the alpha. You are the girl the wolves feast on. You are the pig they chase.

You are left alone. Excluded from your pack. An enemy to all others. Because you could not be tough. You forget who you are. You lose. You become forgotten.

They say you do not cry. Cannot cry. Because crying is weakness. Because emotions are weak. Because you are strong. But you are not. And you succumb to both the strength of others and the weakness of yourself. You cry. And cry. And cry. And cry. And the rain drenches your vulnerable self.

And one question remains in your mind. Why? Why can’t you feel? Why can’t you be weak? Why can’t you just be you? Why must you prove yourself? It is not to stay in the pack. Because the pack will leave you when she screams.

Just do it. They barked.

If you do it you are not a man.

You are a puppet.

Research Paper

For English we were also tasked to write a research paper where we would exercise our Social and Civic responsibilities. I chose to focus on the topic of beauty and the Asian culture, more specifically Korean Cosmetic Surgery, because it was something I was interested in and connected with one of the things I love most: KPOP.

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