Thursday, November 19, 2009

Essay of 16 year old




Power corrupts, hatred destroys, and war obliterates. With all these destructive natures, it would be impossible for mankind to prosper. The complete opposite of death is life and creating and that’s exactly what art is. An artist is gifted with the ability to use their mind to create something new. Michelangelo didn’t just rearrange simple patterns together; instead, he brought them to life. Shakespeare defied the laws of language and created an entirely new form which has survived hundreds of years even in modern times. One of the astounding mysteries that surround us today is the act of creation. Scientists know the inner structures of a living being as well as what it’s capable of doing, however, how we just have life and its origins have always been unanswered. Many theories and radical explanations are brought up, but something concrete is still pending.
There have been great kings who are remembered as only footnotes in the history books. A challenge that presents an artist is if their work can outlast them or simply die out. Mozart, Bach, and Dante are just a few of the names that haven’t been forgotten. They brought to mankind a gift which we have cherished and kept with us. With the gift that they present to us in the form of their art, it would be selfish for us to simply receive it with only the mind. It is necessary therefore, to use not only the mind, but feel as though you were the great artist who with a stroke of a brush created a masterpiece. Sadly, art isn’t always used to bring life, but also to bring death and suffering. This would be known as the art of deception. People gifted with intelligence are known to waste it and use it to their advantage. They deceitfully manipulate people under them to get what their priority at the time achieved. Some use their innocent face to steal from the pocket of a victim. Others use fear and blackmail to command weak-minded souls. An intervention is necessary to bring these blackened souls to the light as well as to direct their art in the way of truth. People boast that some artists aren’t talented at all and their works can be replicated in full. When one actually sits down and tries to write a work of poetry with the same emotion as that of Shakespeare, or compose a piece as brilliant as Beethoven, one will find himself walking away disappointed.
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My 16 year old wrote this essay today. I would say it was a nice reflection of art and giftedness. He also touched on the human possibility of using creative tendencies for evil. For those interested to know, I allot one hour each day for Essays on a topic chosen by my children. The books that they are encountering are good writing prompts. After 3 months, they are very adept on choosing topics that they are interested to write about. In the beginning of our homeschooling, I allowed them to choose their own subject but I found their essays were very shallow. So, I researched college level writing prompts and challenged them to it. The result is their content is much deeper. Now, I revert back to allowing them to write topics of their choice.

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