Kimo Gray 2.17.09

Kimo Gray
2.17.09
English 9
Hamilton Salsich



There are many forces of nature, be them wind or fire, love or loss. Humans also have their own forces, ranging from steamrollers to electric stoves. But there is one force both created and appreciated by nature and humans that produces pure emotion. Music is a strength that is shared with everyone who listens, including Caliban.
TS There are many types of drugs. There are legal drugs that treat you for sickness, illegal drugs that alter your state of mind, and then there are personal drugs, things in our life that simply make us feel good. SD1 For Caliban, music is a drug.(Short Sentence) CM He finds comfort in the “thousand twanging instruments” that echo in his ears. CM The sweet symphony of the Island supports him. SD2 In The Tempest, music is seen as a recurring theme, more often as a weapon than a pleasure. CM But Caliban, the monstrous, wretched beast that he is, feels love for those few stanzas that flit through his mind, and when he dreams true bliss, “[He] cried to dream again.” CM Caliban is confined to the music, as it is his only freedom from his detestable life. SD3 What Caliban does not know, is that this music, this wonderful source of joy he clings onto, is actually just Ariel, performing Prospero’s bidding. CM This music is not real. CM It is just another ploy to control Caliban, to control the Island, to control Prospero’s world. CS1 Caliban truly is a pawn in Prospero’s game, but his hatred runs deep, and the music is the only thread that holds Caliban to humanity.( Appositive as a Sentence Opener) CS2 Once Caliban learns of the music’s true purpose, than he will be singing a different tune, not the refrain of servitude, but the cacophony of revenge.
TS Music is a force which induces varying affects on me. SD1 Depending on many factors, such as mood, place, or time, music can be a soothing agent, something to take my mind off everything. CM When listening to music, I can go to my own world, where I can find peace and clarity. CM It can help me focus on my tasks at hand. SD2 But music can have an opposite effect, one in which excites me more than everything. CM I love music, and when it is pounding in my ears all I want to do is dance. (Compound-Complex Sentence) CM Music, unlike for Caliban, is a release for me, a key to my chain to reality that lets me roam free. SD3 Most importantly, music is a way for me to deal with everything. CM Cope with loss, with pain, with stress,(3 prepositional phrases) music is all these things. CS Life is hard, and whether I’m listening to one of my childhood country favorites, or just the sweet sounds of nature, music is my bubble, my liberator, and my strength.
One song I listen to often is “Riding with Private Malone,” by David Ball. It is a country song that tells the story of a man who experiences visions of a long-dead soldier, who even saves him from a car crash. This song had a lot of meaning for me when I was younger, so it still holds that special place in my heart. This is just one of the many ways the force of music moves me.