Mr. Sullivan's English III students:

Personal narratives about our day in Amherst, May 2, 2002.

We will be reading these poems together to see if we followed Robert's advice in his essay, "How to Say Nothing in 500 Words." Does each essay use colorful language instead of colorless? Also read the essay to see if the topic avoids obvious content. Click here for anothter copy of Roberts' essay: http://www.apostate.com/writing/nothing.html


Clues of Passion

There was a frayed sheet music on the old dusty piano. The sheet music was opened to the last piece of music that Emily Dickinson played. The white keys have turned to a yellowish and dusty color and two keys were broken. As our tour guide described Emily as someone who loved to play and compose her own music, I imagined an enthusiastic young girl playing the piano with all her emotions into the music. I suddenly wanted to touch this fragile looking piano a great poet once played as a way to feel the poet.

There were many portraits hanging on the wall, but one caught my eye. It was a portrait of three children who looked exactly the same. Two of the children were dressed in black but a young girl, whom I thought was Emily Dickinson due to her gentle appearance, was in blue. I was surprised when the tour guide told us that the girl in the black dress was Emily. She had bright red hair, which was cut short like a boy and was holding on to a book. Although she was only a child, she looked passionate. From her closed mouth, I could feel the obstinateness. From her bright blue eyes, I could see her desire to accomplish something.

Throughout the tour, we were able to see and feel the life of Emily Dickinson. As the tour guide told us more of Dickinson's personality and experiences, I became interested in her life. The white dress that she always wore, the bed that she slept on and the dresser that she kept all her letters and poems in showed her presence in the house. I was walking around the house that Dickinson had walked in fifty years ago. Now the house has turned into a museum. I could feel the emptiness in the rooms because people did not noticed the value of Dickinson's poem until mid 1950s and therefore failed to preserve her house as it used to be.

Rain was tapping on the window as if asking for a permission to come into the bus. Tires were splashing water as it fights its way forward against the heavy rain on the road. I could hear the squeaking of the tire, swishing of the windshield, and mumbling of the students at the back of the bus. All these sounds combined to compose a harmonious music. As the bus was leaving the Amherst, a town where many great poets such as Emily Dickinson lived and wrote, I understand more about the poet and the atmosphere in which she wrote her famous poetry.


Trip to Amherst

In Emily Dickinson's house I saw some of her first published poems, a white dress she had worn, and her bedroom which had the same basket she used to send goodies out to the children and the original bed and bedcover she had used. The strange thing that I felt, however, was the awkwardness of standing in the same room Emily Dickinson had died in. It was awkward only for the fact that someone actually spent their life there and the house was preserved just so we could get a feeling for what her life was like. For some reason, my stomach seems to twirl when I think about being in the same place as where someone had died. In this case of Emily Dickinson, since I believe ghosts to be peaceful in some way, the atmosphere seemed a lot more laid-back for some reason.

Amherst is an interesting historical place to visit for an English class. Visiting Emily Dickenson's house and viewing both Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost sites helped me learn different things. Emily Dickenson is well-known for using themes such as death and religious symbols within her poems. I found it interesting that there is still a mystery today for why Emily wrote such poems and what her motivation was or what had inspired her to write. Being in her home, although refurnished, was somewhat intriguing because I was able to capture the feeling of what it was like for Emily to live in that house. Likewise, many of Emily's poems make you feel something before trying to find the meaning behind it. This is why Emily Dickenson left dashes after her words instead of commas, and this could possibly symbolize the result of leaving Mt. Holyoke at such an early age, after nine months, and secluding herself from social life. Since she was offered remarks about changing her dashes to commas and using different words, this encouraged her more to go with what she felt she wanted to do.

Overall, I think taking a trip to Emily Dickinson's house was a time well spent, learning about her life before and after she began writing poetry. Emily Dickinson's poetry is a little more interesting to me now because I can, in some way or another, relate to her better. I think this trip is supposed to be fun, but at the same time one is supposed to learn something and I felt as though I had.


Li-Ju Chen

Mr. Sullivan

English III

May 15th, 2002

Amherst Jone's Library

My first impression of Amherst was tranquil, restful, and relax. Since it was raining, the streets were empty and not many people were outside. The town seemed like it was in a deep sleep and motionless. I was very excited that I had actually come to see Emily Dickinson's works, but I also wanted to calm myself because I was afraid to disturb the stillness of her environment. Amherst College is an open space where we could see most of the buildings with one look. There were many trees in the middle of the campus lying in a square shape and all of the buildings surrounded them. Those trees made the campus more fresh and natural. I imagined on a sunny day people would sit on the grass for a whole afternoon and read a book with out any disruption. I thought this maybe the reason that Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost spent so much time at Amherst.

At Robert Frost's Library, I saw Emily Dickinson's own writing and her picture in a temperature control case. I had a feeling that I did not know how to put into words; it was beyond the power of words. Emily lived about one hundred years ago, and at that moment I was looking at her own hand writing. Time became nothing for me. I could not define if it was 1800's or 2002. This feeling was just like when I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and looked at Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies," very soothing and serene. Emily Dickinson's writing was not a paper filled with words, but it became a painting designs by a great artist. The words flowed from her mind liked paint from a brush creating a beautiful image. The canvas represented life. The canvas of Emily Dickinson was not just a blank paint but filled with colours. She used the power of words to convey her massage just as an artist would create image. She wrote,

A WORD is dead

When it is said,

  Some say.

I say it just

Begins to live 5

That day

From her words, I could see that she had an interesting point of view toward life. Emily's life was mysterious , no one could feel the exact emotion she put into her words. Her works like a bashful girl whose face covered with a veil that no one knows what lies beneath. I felt this probably would be the best for Emily and for everyone. Since she liked to be isolated, but why did we just not leave everything as it was originally? Her life and her person would live in our mind as a mystery that people would always take interest in.

Emily said, "If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry." Her desire, emotion, and love of poetry showed in these sentences. I immersed myself in Emily's poetry world that I felt I was her. She was so passionaly described her love of poetry that I felt as though I understood and could relate her.


Susie Greenburg

Although it was raining during the visit to Amherst, I still found it an inspirational town. The college campus has a wonderful scene full of cheery people. Sitting under a large tree on a sunny day, watching the friendly people walking by occasionally stopping to chat, with a pen and paper writing down deep thoughts seems like the ideal thing to do. Feeling the energy of many past poets, such as Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, is an interesting advantage to the town. Them having lived and walked the same grounds and written about things that can be experienced and seen today, helps give the reader more of an understanding to their work. It is so interesting that we were able to see the homes of these poets that chose Amherst over other places to live.

I feel that poets, such as Frost and Dickinson, pictured the ideal town being one with beautiful New England spiraling trees and calming sounds of people conversing in a distance that radiates a poetic aura and they all found that Amherst fits their perception. I think so highly of the all the poets who have lived in Amherst, and it is encouraging to see the town. Possibly Amherst brings out a special side of certain writers that allows them to express exactly what they are trying to. It would be hard to believe that so many great poets decided that Amherst was the place to settle down if it did not hold some sort of special atmosphere. I feel that Amherst has an intriguing history to it that goes beyond most towns.

All of these good vibes generated a feeling of comfort and excitement. The town seems to be able to grasp a positive community that makes strangers feel at home. I feel that a place like Amherst would be a great location to live and contribute to the wonderful society. It seems as though the town is always active and socially involved which are traits I find important.


Jade Yip

English III

Mr. Sullivan

May 16, 2002

Amherst Trip

Having driven past many fields and trees, we finally arrived at our first destination, the Frost Library located on the campus of Amherst College. The rain had not stop and the air was thick and moist. As we descended from the van one after another, I observed the surroundings of the college that was covered in a thin layer of mist. Under the dark clouds, Amherst College looked familiar, it reminded me of my school. The green grassy fields, the big tall trees, and the red brick buildings were all very similar to those of Suffield.

In the Frost Library, we read a few of Robert Frost's poems and saw some of his manuscripts. Then, we headed for our next stop, also the main purpose of our trip today, the house of Emily Dickinson. When I stepped into her main entrance, I immediately felt the shelter and the warmth Emily must have felt when she went home everyday. Although the house was very plain and simple, like every other regular house, the minute I walked in, I felt like I had gone back to the 1800s.

The wallpapers were of a faint golden color. The wooden floor was shiney and smooth. As we walked into the living room, the first thinjg that caught my sight was the antique piano with its opague, off-white keys. Emily loved music. She wrote her poems as if they were songs; the rythym of the words creates a beautiful sound. The house was in good shape. Although most of the furniture were not originally used by Emily, the way they were set up gave me a good idea of her everyday life.

We walked up to the second floor and went into her room. A girl's goom is always a sacred place. It is the most personal and it was where all her secrets were kept. In the drawer in her room was where her poetry was found after she died. Looking out the window, I could imagine the peaceful scenery Emily observed while she sat behind her little writing desk recording her thoughs onto paper. To a poet, the environment in which they write their poems is very important. Emily might not have been able to have written such great poems if she was not in such a serene surrounding. The tour inside Emily's house increased my understanding of her life.


Austin Dickinson

Mr. Sullivan

English III

May 3rd, 2002

Talking with Emily

One day, I headed to Robert Frost library in Amherst College that it was the beginning of the field trip. It was a very neat looking library. I listened Mr. Sullivan's instruction first. As a small group, my friends and I took a look the archive room and exhibitions on the basement of the library about the local poets such as Emily Dickson and Robert Frost. There were real manuscripts written by Dickson what is the same published poem in our packet that got it from my English teacher, Mr. Sullivan. I felt the poem a little bit different the typed poem. I could get more feel and understand the Dickinson's intention easily. I read it again and again, I could draw picture of the poem.

After finishing the archive room, we had to move to Dickinson's homestead. A woman guided us inside of the house. It was most important and impressive part of this field trip. More than that, Emily Dickinson's bedroom was very important place. Most of her works were completed in her bedroom. It was very impressive and exciting that the pomes were written in the room where I was standing. I felt electricity in my body because of the excitement and the room. After that tour, we discuss some Emily's poems together. It seems to me that Emily was reading poems for us. It was very experience to my poetic world.

Finishing the field trip, I learned and felt many things that I did not know about the poems and poets. I stepped closer to my poetry's world that was not enough to understand the whole intention of poetry. But I got more information about poetry. Also I could feel the states of the poets when they were writing the poems. Therefore, this field trip was very impressive and important to me. It was very good time to me.


Chris Hong

Mr. Sullivan

English III

May 16, 2002

Journey to Amherst

When I heard that we are going to have a trip to Amherst, my imaginative journey began. On the way to go to Amherst, I started to imagine how Amherst will look like in the bus. I was sure that Amherst would be the city of poet. I enjoyed the time and learned about Amherst, itself. We visited several places; such as frost's library, Emily's house and Jone's library. Throughout the trip, I learned that Amherst is not only a city of a great college, but also, is a city of poets. I met an interesting woman who was our guide who helped us the most to know Amherst better. And I felt that this city, Amherst, has people who have passion and willingness to live in Amherst.

First, we went to Frost's library in Amherst College. We went down the stairs and saw the room which has many pictures and description of Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. I read many interesting documents which explain how Emily and Robert used to live and write their poems while they were in Amherst. I felt that they liked Amherst because it was the place where they could get as much imaginative themes and feelings as they could write a poem. I also felt that people in Amherst have passion to be living in a city with poems and poets. While I was in the library, the calm and quiet environment made me feel this place great and loyal.

Next, we went to Emily Dickinson's house. We had two guides who led and explained to us about Emily Dickinson. When I first saw the main guide,, I felt that she really wanted to be like Emily Dickinson. I never met Emily Dickinson before, however, while I was meeting and having a house tour with that lady, I felt that the lady gave me the similar feeling. The main guide told us a short introduction about Emily and we had our house tour. First, we went to Emily s bedroom which is redesigned like the room that Emily used in the past. It was a simple room which contained lamps, a bed and drawer which looked like a table. The guide told us that Emily wrote everything on anything. When she thought of something, she wrote. And she also showed us the small book which is tied by strings. At that time, paper was rare, so Emily sometimes wrote things on the back of leaves. And we went to the room which contained Emily's white dress. It was protected by a plastic container. And on the wall, there were many description of how the dress was recreated and designed. And we also had an another talk about how Emily lived and wrote her poems. After the house tour, I thought that the guide was a person who has passion and interest towards Emily Dickinson because she knows almost everything about Emily. She is one of the people whom I thought I should meet to know Amherst better and more.

Lastly, we went to Jone's library. When we went up to the exhibits room, we saw many pictures and writings about poets who lived in Amherst. I read the writing about Emily. The writing said that she thought that her house which in Amherst was a holy place to live and had an infinite power to write poems. By the articles and the experiences I had, I knew and felt that Amherst is a city of poetry.

When I came back from the trip, I concluded that Amherst is the city filled with poetry not only poems and poets, but also people who live in Amherst. Poetry is very important to people in Amherst.


Ellen Rannenberg

Mr. Sullivan

English III

May 15, 2002

The Pub Restaurant

The chowder is down and its off to the races. One bit after another and another, Colin is widening the gap. Its going to be close, folks, about three more spoonfuls, and yes! Colin is the winner. The winner of what, though? We sat there in awe as we watched Colin devour his crock of New England Clam Chowder. When his spoon finally dropped from his hand Colin's face was a little red, and he quickly took of his sweat shirt, "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" he asks, and we all laugh.

" Wow, you hungry Colin?" Eric remarks, "I think you missed a couple bites." Rolly adds as Colin took a deep breath. "Yeah I think I did," Colin replies, and he picks up the bowl.

As he does this Kelly's eyes open wide with a look a disbelief on her face. Colin again picks up his spoon and scrapes up the last two bites. "What?" Colin says to Kelly with a questioning look on his face. "I thought you were going to lick the bowl," Kelly tells him, and we all laugh, but the thing is we were all thinking the same thing, Kelly had just been the first to say something. When the main meal finally came, Colin decided to pace himself through it, which was a good thing , because none of us would have been able to keep up with him at the rate he was going. The question is who was he racing, and why?

It could not have been any of us sitting at the table with him because none of us had received any food yet. Maybe it was a figurative race, a race against time. Everything in our lives right now seems to be going so fast. Everyone is seeking to finish first in every aspect of life. However, going at such a fast pace makes you miss the small, but important things in life. Going so fast also makes you miss valuable time with your friends. Colin missed a joke that was said at the table that we all got to enjoy and laugh at together. He missed the old man that walked in with seven other old ladies that Zack called a pimp.

Maybe Colin knew something that we all did not know, maybe that was his reason for eating so fast. There were many memorable moments that rainy afternoon in the Pub Restaurant. Not all of them were missed by Colin when he was devouring his food. This trip was designed for us to learn about Emily Dickinson, however, we all took a little more from the it. Some new friendships were made and during period two english class the small group of us that was at the Pub Restaurant will always get a small laugh whenever that afternoon is mentioned. That will be a laugh that only we will share because none of our other classmates would have been there. We all need to slow down our lives and enjoy life to the fullest with the people that matter most to us. If we are destined to be somewhere, we will all get there eventually.


Eric Yale

Mr. Sullivan

English III

5/15/02

My head bobbed from side to side against the rough and thick glass as I was trying to squeeze in some last minute sleep upon our arrival. I was zoning out for a while when I first woke up, trying to get my bearings on where we were. I quickly figured out that we have arrived in Amherst, after wiping off the fogged windows I was able to catch a quick glimpse of a sign just as we ramped off the highway. I knew that out first destination was there archives at the Robert Frost library. When we discussed the library in class I got the image of a small library with only Frost and other authors archives in it. Was I wrong or what, the library was quite extensive and had the same features of a normal college library but with the added feature of an extensive archive set. At first we were forced to wait after the bus ride, which was not easy, until we were able to enter the actual library and begin out excursion into history and poetry.

Since we were only allowed to go down to the archives in groups of six, I felt like we were being held and processed to go back into time before we continuing into the past where the archives were from. When my group and I walked in the library, we quickly had to adjust to the quiet and composed atmosphere after talking and laughing among ourselves. I also think that there is a distinct smell that almost every library has, a clean smell and it sets the atmosphere perfectly for our exposure to poetry and history.

As I walked downstairs to the archives, I felt a weird feeling as if I were actually going back in time to when the authors wrote and was experiencing their writing in person. While looking around in the room, I was fascinated at both the actually poems and literature as well as how well they have been preserved and how well they were presented. After viewing the archives, I was thinking to myself, how unique and nice it must be for Amherst College to hold pieces of history that have been a part of the town's history for a long time. The historical significance attracts people from all over the world to go and explore what the College has to offer and brings a diverse population to the town.

In one single morning we saw several years of history unfold right before out eyes. In the archives we were able to actually see what we have been discussing and imagining in class for weeks. At the Robert Frost and the town library, we were able to personally view priceless pieces of hand written poetry which you cannot find just anywhere. The trip also gave me a new meaning of the town of Amherst. Before embarking on our trip I always thought of Amherst as just a small college town in the eastern part of Massachusetts. After our visit, I quickly realized that it was a small town with a large amount of history in it's roots.


A Learning Experience

Emily Dickinson had a passion for poetry meaning she eat, slept, and dreamed about it. While visiting Emily Dickinson's house, I was able to see her various work. It was amazing to see how many poems she had written, but none of them were ever published. Her style was unique in a way that it could not be copied. For her to spend all that time in the house and write all those poems shows how much she loved to do it. When one has that mind set, they try to achieve levels far from normal. That is what having a passion is all about. One tries to make what they do apart of them so it becomes them. Being in her room, and to visualize her in the room, is an image one could picture while visiting. I could picture her sitting at her little desk and putting down what she felt on paper. Even though I could not get a real sense of what it was like for her in the house, by the information given, one could picture it. From visiting Emily Dickinson house, I was able to learn a few things that I never knew. Emily had never married and she liked to stay in the house. That to me does not seem like an interesting life. One would have to wonder, what did she encounter that was exciting and fun filled? I would think her response to that would be her poetry.

This trip was an interesting one because of its themes. Poetry is an art form which has many forms. Depending on the person and their characteristics determines the poetry that they create. Since Amherst is a college town, putting the works of very famous poets there was a good idea. If one wants to view the works of poets such as Dickinson and Frost, all they have to do is visit one of the libraries there and be amazed. Being able to see their original work is amazing because you are actually seeing their poem written on the same paper they used. I think they wrote poems because they wanted to express their thoughts and surroundings using words. There are people who write poetry and there are people who are born to write poetry. Dickinson and Frost were born to perform this special art form. Another thing learned today was that Dickinson liked to play with words and used them in her own way. That skill there is a talent to be able to manipulate words and still get things across. Certain skills like that separate poets from legendary poets.

I would have to say that I enjoyed the trip today because it was very informative. I went there knowing a little about two famous poets and left knowing much more. Also seeing the college atmosphere was an experience for me since I will be going through the process really soon. Even though this was an educational trip , it had its intriguing moments. To be able to do what theses poets did showed how much work and dedication they put into something they loved to do. If one does not have a passion for something, they are just going through the motions, not enhancing their full potential. If you like to do a certain thing, try to make it apart of your daily routine. One is not the best if they are only self proclaimed. Being recognized by others is when you know you have something going.


Kelly Griskewicz

Mr. Sullivan

English III

May 14, 2002

Amherst Pub Essay

"Table for seven please", said the boys who took the initiative to find a seat. The restaurant we ate at, commonly referred to as, "The Pub" to nearby college students, was quite an experience that will stay with me years on end. Ellen, Eric, Anthony, Rollie, Zack, Colin, and I all sat down and gazed at the menu, our stomachs were growling after a long morning. As we ordered our food and chatted, it came to me. Half of these boys I did not even know, I was never close friends with them, just acquaintances who exchanged smiles every once and a while. From that moment on, I promised myself I would get to know them all better before the day was over, and I sure did.

As the appetizers and drinks arrived, Colin and Rollie had their clam chowder, while the rest of us guzzled down our sodas. We were all extremely hungry but there was no competition to say the least, on who was the hungriest. Colin was engorged in his clam chowder, eating it so fast I thought he was going to suffocate due to his deprivation of air. Everyone at the table was amazed by his eating abilities, but I think I was the most fascinated. I have never seen anyone eat so fast in my entire life. We had to remind him to breath and occasionally take a drink of soda to wash it all down. Colin's expertise in eating clam chowder was shared with us that meal.

As I learned about Colin's skill with soup, I also established a fresh view on Rollie. Before the field trip I only thought of Rollie as a another boy in the junior class with an excessive amount of energy. This speculation changed within a mere 45 minutes. Rollie's humor and quick wit make him an extraordinary individual. His amusing jokes at the lunch table made the meal all the more interesting and enjoyable. His presence that day also made the trip more gratifying. I regret not giving Rollie a chance when I first met him, instead of just assuming he was like the rest of the boys in the class. I should have gotten to know him earlier.

Even though the intention of this field trip was to learn about Emily Dickinson, I learned about myself. I truly feel I grew as a person that day, taking away two important ideas. I learned not to judge others, and to give individuals a chance. I also discovered that you can never have too many friends, so why not be friends with everyone.