Reflective Essay/ Descriptive Essay from a 17 year old girls’ perspective in the United States: A Lament for the Loss of Innocence

QUESTION

Assignment: Reflective Essay/ Descriptive Essay from a 17 year old girls’ perspective in the United States

The works we’ve read so far in Unit One have been both difficult to understand and hard to relate to. We don’t typically go on sea voyages anymore, or gather in mead-halls, or hide away from humans in forests. But it would be a mistake to assume that you can’t relate to Old and Medieval English literature. All of these works also demonstrate universal themes and deal with emotions and experiences we recognize today: the loss of a home or a way of life, the need to stand up to evil, the need for community, and taking long, life-changing journeys.

Choose one of the prompts below and develop a two-page (400-500 word) response that links thematically and updates one of the classics we’ve read. You do not have to discuss the classic text since each prompt is already thematically linked to the classic. For example, when you write about loss (Prompt #1), you’re connecting to the feeling of loss explored in The Wife’s Lament. If you write about the coffee house (Prompt #2), you’re addressing the themes of friendship and camaraderie found in Beowulf, and Prompt #3 deals with a time you felt alone or misunderstood as seen in Grendel. A good rule of thumb is to fully address the prompt as it’s worded.

This is an informal writing assignment, so feel free to get creative and have fun with this assignment, or to get personal and expressive. You are welcome to use first person (I and we) and to write this in any form you choose — poem, short story, letter to the editor, journal entry, blog post, or newspaper article— as long as your writing meets the minimum word count.

Choose one of the following prompts:

PROMPT#1: Have you ever lost something that was really important to you? How did you feel about it? Did other people understand what you were going through, or did you constantly have to explain yourself? Have you ever moved? Did you miss your old home? Write a lament for something that you have lost. It could be something serious, like the death of a loved one or a move that was hard to adjust to, or it could be something not-as-serious, like the loss of a favorite childhood toy. (you’re connecting to the feeling of loss explored in The Wife’s Lament https://oldenglishpoetry.camden.rutgers.edu/the-wifes-lament/

ANSWER

A Lament for the Loss of Innocence

As a 17-year-old girl growing up in the United States, I find it challenging to relate to the works we’ve read in Unit One. Sea voyages, mead-halls, and forests seem distant from my everyday life. However, I realize that the themes explored in Old and Medieval English literature are not confined to their time and place. They touch on universal emotions and experiences that transcend centuries. The feeling of loss, which is beautifully depicted in “The Wife’s Lament,” resonates with me personally.

Prompt #1: Have you ever lost something that was really important to you? How did you feel about it? Did other people understand what you were going through, or did you constantly have to explain yourself? Have you ever moved? Did you miss your old home? Write a lament for something that you have lost.

Lament for the Loss of Innocence:

In the depths of my soul, I mourn a loss,
A cherished treasure forever gone,
The innocence I once possessed,
In a world so pure, where I did belong.

Oh, how it hurts to reminisce,
On a time when carefree was my state,
When the weight of the world was unknown,
And life’s complexities I’d yet to contemplate.

A child, so full of wonder and awe,
Unaware of the hardships that lie ahead,
But as I grew, reality set in,
And innocence slipped through my fingers like sand.

It was not a tangible thing I lost,
But an intangible essence, pure and bright,
Replaced by the weight of expectations,
And the harsh realities of life’s endless fight.

Did others understand the change within?
The loss of my carefree, innocent soul?
Or did I have to explain and justify,
The transformation that took its toll?

They say, “You’re growing up, it’s natural,”
But I yearn for the simplicity I once knew,
To roam the world with unclouded eyes,
And embrace life’s wonders as children do.

And oh, the pain of leaving behind,
A familiar place, a beloved home,
A move that uprooted my sense of belonging,
And left me feeling lost and alone.

In this lament for innocence lost,
I mourn the passing of a precious time,
And though I cannot turn back the clock,
I cherish the memories, both bittersweet and sublime.

As I navigate this complex world we live in,
I hold onto the remnants of my childlike heart,
For in embracing my past, I find strength,
And the resilience to face life’s intricate art.

So, let me grieve the loss of innocence,
Acknowledge the void that now resides,
But in doing so, I’ll forge a path forward,
With wisdom gained from the tears I’ve cried.

Conclusion

Through this lament for the loss of innocence, I express the feelings of longing and yearning for a simpler time. Although I cannot turn back the clock, acknowledging and mourning this loss allows me to find strength in the face of life’s complexities. The theme of loss, explored in “The Wife’s Lament,” connects with my personal experience and highlights the timeless nature of human emotions.