Figure of Speech

A figure of speech is a literary device in which language is used in an unusual—or "figured"—way in order
to produce a stylistic effect. Figures of speech can be broken into two main groups: figures of speech that play
with the ordinary meaning of words (such as metaphor, simile, and hyperbole), and figures of speech that play
with the ordinary arrangement or pattern in which words are written (such as alliteration, ellipsis, and antithesis).

Figures of Speech vs. Figurative Language

There's a lot of confusion about the difference between the terms "figures of speech" and "figurative language."
Most of the confusion stems from the fact that different people often use "figurative language" to mean slightly
different things. The two most common (and most acceptable) definitions of figurative language are:

 Figurative language refers to any language that contains figures of speech. According to this definition,
figurative language and figures of speech are not quite the same thing, but it's pretty darn close. The only
difference is that figures of speech refer to each specific type of a figure of speech, while figurative
language refers more generally to any language that contains any kind of figures of speech.
 Figurative language refers to words or expressions that have non-literal meanings: This definition
associates figurative language only with the category of figures of speech called tropes (which are figures
of speech that play with the literal meaning of words). So according to this definition, figurative language
would be any language that contains tropes, but not language that contains the figures of speech called
schemes.

Figures of Speech, Tropes, and Schemes

The oldest and still most common way to organize figures of speech is to split them into two main groups: tropes
and schemes.

 Tropes are figures of speech that involve a deviation from the expected and literal meaning of words.
 Schemes are figures of speech that involve a deviation from the typical mechanics of a sentence, such as
the order, pattern, or arrangement of words.

Tropes
Generally, a trope uses comparison, association, or wordplay to play with the literal meaning of words or to layer
another meaning on top of a word's literal meaning. Some of the most commonly used tropes are explained
briefly below, though you can get even more detail on each from its specific LitCharts entry.

 Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by
stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. For example, if someone says
"it's raining cats and dogs," this obviously doesn't literally mean what it says—it's a metaphor that makes
a comparison between the weight of "cats and dogs" and heavy rain. Metaphors are tropes because their
effect relies not on the mechanics of the sentence, but rather on the association created by the use of the
phrase "cats and dogs" in a non-literal manner.
 I'm drowning in a sea of grief.
 She was fishing for compliments.
 Success is a sense of achievement; it is not an illegitimate child.
 He broke my heart.
  You light up my life.
 It's raining men.
 Time is a thief.
 I'm feeling blue.
 His words cut deeper than a knife.

 Simile: A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things. However, instead
of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a simile states that one thing is like another
thing. To stick with cats and dogs, an example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and
dogs."
 You were as brave as a lion.
 They fought like cats and dogs.
 He is as funny as a barrel of monkeys.
 This house is as clean as a whistle.
 He is as strong as an ox.
 Your explanation is as clear as mud.
 Last night, I slept like a log.
 This dress is perfect because it fits like a glove.
 They wore jeans, which made me stand out like a sore thumb.
 My love for you is as deep as the ocean.
 I am so thirsty that my throat is as dry as a bone.

 Oxymoron: An oxymoron pairs contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings. In the
phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet, "sweet sorrow" is an oxymoron that
captures the complex and simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure associated with passionate love.
Oxymorons are tropes because their effect comes from a combination of the two words that goes beyond
the literal meanings of those words.
 Act naturally
 Alone together
 Bittersweet
 Clearly confused
 Deafening silence
 Farewell reception
 Growing smaller
 Only choice
 Open secret
 Original copy
 Painfully beautiful
 Random order
 Small crowd
 True myth
 Walking dead
 Weirdly normal
 "Modern dancing is so old fashioned." - Samuel Goldwyn
 "A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." - Henry Ford
 "I am a deeply superficial person." - Andy Warhol
 "We're busy doing nothing." - Bing Crosby
 Hyperbole: A hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the importance of
something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is to say that a backpack "weighs a
ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say "my backpack weighs ten pounds" doesn't effectively
communicate how burdensome a heavy backpack feels. Once again, this is a trope because its effect
comes from understanding that the words mean something different from what they literally say.
 I've told you to clean your room a million times!
 It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing hats and jackets.
 She's so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a Mexican phone company.
 I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
 I have a million things to do today.
 When I was young, I had to walk 15 miles to school, uphill, in the snow.
 I had a ton of homework.
 Her brain is the size of a pea.
 My geography teacher is older than the hills.

 Irony: Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how
they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition, don't worry—it is. Irony is a broad term that
encompasses three different types of irony, each with their own specific definition: verbal irony, dramatic
irony, and situational irony. Most of the time when people use the word irony, they're actually referring
to one of these specific types of irony.
 A novel's heroine visits her favorite café every day from 11am to 1pm to work on her manuscript.
Her brother's best friend knows this and is trying to find a way to ask her out on a date. The day
he gets up the courage to go to the café she's not there. Where is she? The reader knows she's
been taken ill, he does not. Now, a healthy dose of suspense is added to the plot.

 Let's take the same woman and her brother's best friend in a different, comedic direction. She
still visits the café every day and her brother's best friend is still determined to tell her how he
feels. In this instance, he wants to leave a love poem at her door. One day, thinking she'll be at
the café, he goes to her apartment to slide his poem under her door, but we know she's running
late and is still at home. Right when he bends down to push the piece of paper under her door,
she flings it open in a hurry, steps out, and trips right over him!

 A woman thinks her boyfriend is about to break up with her. He hasn't been himself lately, acting
distracted and distant. We know he bought her an engagement ring and is nervous she won't say
yes. He calls her one afternoon and simply says, "I need to see you. Meet me at Columbus Square
at six o'clock." She's sure he's going to break up with her. But when she arrives, he's set up a
beautiful proposal with a string quartet, dozens of roses, and a huge sparkler of a diamond.

 A man has been working hard all his life, saving a portion of every paycheck for retirement. Upon
retirement he plans to move to the Virgin Islands, sit back and relax. On the morning of this
retirement party, he dies of a sudden, massive heart attack.

 A man buys a gun to protect his home, but during a break-in the intruder wrestles the gun from
him and shoots him.

 A writer is working on his manuscript, and it's a comedy. The days have been fraught with rain
and clouds, bringing down his mood and hampering his ability to craft witty scenes. As he opens
 his blinds one morning, he sees the dark clouds outside again and says, "Great. Another rainy
day. How wonderful."

 A woman has a Saint Bernard with a massive drooling problem. She tries to keep him off the sofa,
but he loves pretending he's a lap dog. One night, he trots over to her and places a gigantic paw
on her lap. He's looking at her with those sad brown eyes. "All right," she says. "You know how I
just love dog drool on my sofa."

 Onomatopoeia: It is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to
or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the “tick tock” of a clock, and the “ding dong” of a
doorbell are all examples of onomatopoeia.
 Buzz, Meow, Hoot, Bark, Squeak, Howl, Neigh, Hush, Hiss, Ring, Pitter Patter, Ding Dong, Snap,
Crackle, Pop, Plop, Fizz, Zzzzz, Whine, Whimper, Moan, Whisper, Clap, Bumble, Mutter, Mmm,
Hmm, Yalp, Gulp, Eek, Huh, Ouch, Ugh, Yawn, Burp, Blurt, Grunt, Groan, Giggle, Haha, Hehe,
Argh, Gasp, Ahem, Chuckle, Cough, Beep, Splash, Woosh, Thud, Thump, Clatter, Click, Clunk,
Clash, Whip, Stomp, Tap, Zip, Crunch, Croak, Rustle, Ooze

 Pun: A pun is a figure of speech that plays with words that have multiple meanings, or that plays with
words that sound similar but mean different things. The comic novelist Douglas Adams uses both types of
pun when he writes: "You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Unless of course, you play bass." In
the first sentence, Adams puns on the similar sounds of "tune a" and "tuna," while in the second he puns
on the two meanings of the word "bass"—the musical instrument, and the fish.
 Two silk worms had a race. It ended in a tie.
 A chicken crossing the road is truly poultry in motion.
 The politician is not one for Indian food. But he's good at currying favors.
 How do construction workers party? They raise the roof.
 A boiled egg every morning is hard to beat.
 "You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Unless, of course, you play bass." - Douglas Adams
 "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx
 Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.

 Personification: It is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having
human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their
plans." Describing the rain as "indifferent" is an example of personification, because rain can't be
"indifferent," nor can it feel any other human emotion. However, saying that the rain feels indifferent
poetically emphasizes the cruel timing of the rain.
 The rain mocked the wedding guests' plans.
 The waves winked in the sunlight.
 The wind played hide-and-go-seek among the trees.
 Lightning danced across the sky.
 The wind howled in the night.
 The car complained as the key was roughly turned in its ignition.
  Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.
 My alarm clock yells at me to get out of bed every morning.
 The avalanche devoured anything standing in its way.
 The door protested as it opened slowly.
 My house is a friend who protects me.

 Rhetorical Question: A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in which a question is asked for a reason
other than to get an answer—most commonly, it's asked to make a persuasive point. For example, if a
person asks, "How many times do I have to tell you not to eat my dessert?" he or she does not want to
know the exact number of times the request will need to be repeated. Rather, the speaker's goal is to
emphasize his or her growing frustration and—ideally—change the dessert-thief's behavior.
 Who knows?
 Were they ever surprised!
 Who could blame him!
 Is the pope Catholic?
 Is rain wet?
 You didn't think I would say yes to that, did you?
 Can fish swim?
 Can birds fly?
 Is hell hot?
 There's no point, is there?
 Is there anyone smarter than me?
 Can we do better next time?

Schemes
Schemes are mechanical—they're figures of speech that tinker with words, sounds, and structures (as opposed to
meanings) in order to achieve an effect. Schemes can themselves be broken down in helpful ways that define the
sort of tinkering they employ.

 Repetition: Repeating words, phrases, or even sounds in a particular way.

 Omission: Leaving out certain words or punctuation that would normally be expected.
 Changes of word order: Shifting around words or phrases in atypical ways.
 Balance: Creating sentences or phrases with equal parts, often through the use of identical grammatical
structures.

Some of the most commonly used schemes are explained briefly below, though you can get even more detail on
each from its specific LitCharts entry.

 Alliteration: In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “b” sound in: “Bob
brought the box of bricks to the basement.” Alliteration uses repetition to create a musical effect that
helps phrases to stand out from the language around them.
 She sells seashells by the sea-shore.
 Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
  Fred's friends fried Fritos for Friday's food.
 Greedy goats gobbled up gooseberries, getting good at grabbing the goodies.
 Hannah's home has heat now, hopefully.
 Mike made mellow music with his new microphone.
 Nick's nephew needed some new notebooks.

 Climax: It is a figure of speech in which successive words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are arranged in
ascending order of importance, as in "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"
 If you think that's bad, it gets worse.
 To infinity, and beyond!
 Out of the frying pan and into the fire!
 Let a man acknowledge his obligations to himself, his family, his country, and his God.
 Since concord was lost, friendship was lost; fidelity was lost; liberty was lost—all was lost.
 I came, I saw, I conquered.
 He lost his family, his job, and his house plants.

 Parallelism: The repetition of sentence structure for emphasis and balance. This can occur in a single
sentence, such as "a penny saved is a penny earned," and it can also occur over the course of a speech,
poem, or other text. Parallelism is a scheme because it creates emphasis through the mechanics of
sentence structure, rather than by playing with the actual meanings of words.
 "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -Neil Armstrong
 A girl’s gotta do, what a girl’s gotta do.
 Mother was very busy gathering the laundry, dusting the furniture, and washing the dishes.
 He likes television shows that have deep characters, interesting stories, and good actors.
 My face is washed, my hair is combed, and my teeth are brushed.

Idioms
Idioms exist in every language. They are words or phrases that aren't meant to be taken literally. For example, if
you say someone has "cold feet," it doesn't mean their toes are actually cold. Rather, it means they're nervous
about something. Idioms can't be deduced merely by studying the words in the phrase. If taken literally, you
would think that someone with cold feet has… cold feet. But, after living with a certain group of people for a
period of time, you'll start to pick up their expressions. Let's explore some idiom examples in American everyday
language, international language, and the language of the arts.

Idiom Meaning Usage

A blessing in disguise
A dime a dozen
Beat around the bush
Better late than never
Bite the bullet
Break a leg
a good thing that seemed bad at first as part of a sentence
Something common as part of a sentence
Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it as part of a sentence
is uncomfortable
Better to arrive late than not to come at all by itself
To get something over with because it is as part of a sentence
inevitable
Good luck by itself
Call it a day
Cut somebody some slack
Cutting corners
Easy does it
Get out of hand
Get something out of your
system
Get your act together
Give someone the benefit
of the doubt
Go back to the drawing
board
Hang in there
Hit the sack
It's not rocket science
Let someone off the hook
Make a long story short
Miss the boat
No pain, no gain
On the ball
Pull someone's leg
Pull yourself together
So far so good
Speak of the devil
That's the last straw
The best of both worlds
Time flies when you're
having fun
To get bent out of shape
To make matters worse
Under the weather
We'll cross that bridge
when we come to it
Wrap your head around
something
You can say that again
Your guess is as good as
mine
A bird in the hand is worth
two in the bush
A penny for your thoughts
A penny saved is a penny
earned
A perfect storm
A picture is worth 1000
words
Actions speak louder than
words
Stop working on something as part of a sentence
Don't be so critical as part of a sentence
Doing something poorly in order to save time or as part of a sentence
money
Slow down by itself
Get out of control as part of a sentence
Do the thing you've been wanting to do so you as part of a sentence
can move on
Work better or leave by itself
Trust what someone says as part of a sentence
Start over as part of a sentence
Don't give up by itself
Go to sleep as part of a sentence
It's not complicated by itself
To not hold someone responsible for something as part of a sentence
Tell something briefly as part of a sentence
It's too late as part of a sentence
You have to work for what you want by itself
Doing a good job as part of a sentence
To joke with someone as part of a sentence
Calm down by itself
Things are going well so far by itself
The person we were just talking about showed by itself
up!
My patience has run out by itself
An ideal situation as part of a sentence
You don't notice how long something lasts by itself
when it's fun
To get upset as part of a sentence
Make a problem worse as part of a sentence
Sick as part of a sentence
Let's not talk about that problem right now by itself
Understand something complicated as part of a sentence
That's true, I agree by itself
I have no idea by itself
What you have is worth more than what you by itself
might have later
Tell me what you're thinking by itself
Money you save today you can spend later by itself
the worst possible situation as part of a sentence
Better to show than tell by itself
Believe what people do and not what they say by itself
Add insult to injury
Barking up the wrong tree
Birds of a feather flock
together
Bite off more than you can
chew
Break the ice
By the skin of your teeth
Comparing apples to
oranges
Costs an arm and a leg
Do something at the drop of
a hat
Do unto others as you
would have them do unto
you
Don't count your chickens
before they hatch
Don't cry over spilt milk
Don't give up your day job
Don't put all your eggs in
one basket
Every cloud has a silver
lining
Get a taste of your own
medicine
Give someone the cold
shoulder
Go on a wild goose chase
Good things come to those
who wait
He has bigger fish to fry
He's a chip off the old block
Hit the nail on the head
Ignorance is bliss
It ain't over till the fat lady
sings
It takes one to know one
It's a piece of cake
It's raining cats and dogs
Kill two birds with one stone
Let the cat out of the bag
Live and learn
Look before you leap
On thin ice
Once in a blue moon
To make a bad situation worse as part of a sentence
To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in as part of a sentence
the wrong place
People who are alike are often friends (usually by itself
used negatively)
Take on a project that you cannot finish as part of a sentence
Make people feel more comfortable as part of a sentence
Just barely as part of a sentence
Comparing two things that cannot be compared as part of a sentence
Very expensive as part of a sentence
Do something without having planned as part of a sentence
beforehand
Treat people fairly. Also known as "The Golden by itself
Rule"
Don't count on something good happening until by itself
it's happened.
There's no reason to complain about something by itself
that can't be fixed
You're not very good at this by itself
What you're doing is too risky by itself
Good things come after bad things by itself
Get treated the way you've been treating as part of a sentence
others (negative)
Ignore someone as part of a sentence
To do something pointless as part of a sentence
Be patient by itself
He has bigger things to take care of than what by itself
we are talking about now
The son is like the father by itself
Get something exactly right by itself
You're better off not knowing by itself
This isn't over yet by itself
You're just as bad as I am by itself
It's easy by itself
It's raining hard by itself
Get two things done with a single action by itself
Give away a secret as part of a sentence
I made a mistake by itself
Take only calculated risks by itself
On probation. If you make another mistake, as part of a sentence
there will be trouble.
Rarely as part of a sentence
Play devil's advocate
Put something on ice
Rain on someone's parade
Saving for a rainy day
Slow and steady wins the
race
Spill the beans
Take a rain check
Take it with a grain of salt
The ball is in your court
The best thing since sliced
bread
The devil is in the details
The early bird gets the
worm
The elephant in the room
The whole nine yards
There are other fish in the
sea
There's a method to his
madness
There's no such thing as a
free lunch
Throw caution to the wind
You can't have your cake
and eat it too
You can't judge a book by
its cover
A little learning is a
dangerous thing
A snowball effect
A snowball's chance in hell
A stitch in time saves nine
A storm in a teacup
An apple a day keeps the
doctor away
An ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure
As right as rain
Bolt from the blue
Burn bridges
Calm before the storm
Come rain or shine
Curiosity killed the cat
Cut the mustard
To argue the opposite, just for the sake of as part of a sentence
argument
Put a projet on hold as part of a sentence
To spoil something as part of a sentence
Saving money for later as part of a sentence
Reliability is more important than speed by itself
Give away a secret as part of a sentence
Postpone a plan as part of a sentence
Don’t take it too seriously as part of a sentence
It's your decision by itself
A really good invention as part of a sentence
It looks good from a distance, but when you by itself
look closer, there are problems
The first people who arrive will get the best by itself
stuff
The big issue, the problem people are avoiding as part of a sentence
Everything, all the way. as part of a sentence
It's ok to miss this opportunity. Others will by itself
arise.
He seems crazy but actually he's clever by itself
Nothing is entirely free by itself
Take a risk as part of a sentence
You can't have everything by itself
This person or thing may look bad, but it's good by itself
inside
People who don't understand something fully by itself
are dangerous
Events have momentum and build upon each as part of a sentence
other
No chance at all as part of a sentence
Fix the problem now because it will get worse by itself
later
A big fuss about a small problem as part of a sentence
Apples are good for you by itself
You can prevent a problem with little effort. by itself
Fixing it later is harder.
Perfect as part of a sentence
Something that happened without warning as part of a sentence
Destroy relationships as part of a sentence
Something bad is coming, but right now it's as part of a sentence
calm
No matter what as part of a sentence
Stop asking questions by itself
Do a good job as part of a sentence
Don't beat a dead horse
Every dog has his day
Familiarity breeds contempt
Fit as a fiddle
Fortune favours the bold
Get a second wind
Get wind of something
Go down in flames
Haste makes waste
Have your head in the
clouds
He who laughs last laughs
loudest
Hear something straight
from the horse's mouth
He's not playing with a full
deck
He's off his rocker
He's sitting on the fence
It is a poor workman who
blames his tools
It is always darkest before
the dawn
It takes two to tango
Jump on the bandwagon
Know which way the wind is
blowing
Leave no stone unturned
Let sleeping dogs lie
Like riding a bicycle
Like two peas in a pod
Make hay while the sun
shines
On cloud nine
Once bitten, twice shy
Out of the frying pan and
into the fire
Run like the wind
Shape up or ship out
Snowed under
That ship has sailed
The pot calling the kettle
black
There are clouds on the
horizon
Those who live in glass
Move on, this subject is over by itself
Everyone gets a chance at least once by itself
The better you know someone the less you like by itself
him
In good health as part of a sentence
Take risks by itself
Have more energy after having been tired as part of a sentence
Hear news of something secret as part of a sentence
Fail spectacularly as part of a sentence
You'll make mistakes if you rush through by itself
something
Not be concentrating as part of a sentence
I'll get you back for what you did by itself
Hear something from the person involved as part of a sentence
He's dumb by itself
He's crazy by itself
He can't make up his mind by itself
If you can't do the job, don't blame it on others by itself
Things are going to get better by itself
One person alone isn't responsible. Both people by itself
are involved.
Follow a trend, do what everyone else is doing as part of a sentence
Understand the situation (usually negative) as part of a sentence
Look everywhere as part of a sentence
Stop discussing an issue as part of a sentence
Something you never forget how to do as part of a sentence
They're always together as part of a sentence
Take advantage of a good situation as part of a sentence
Very happy as part of a sentence
You're more cautious when you've been hurt by itself
before
Things are going from bad to worse by itself
Run fast as part of a sentence
Work better or leave by itself
Busy as part of a sentence
It's too late by itself
Someone criticizing someone else he is just as as part of a sentence
bad
Trouble is coming by itself
People who are morally questionable shouldn't by itself
houses shouldn't throw criticize others
stones
Through thick and thin In good times and in bad times as part of a sentence
Time is money Work quickly by itself
Waste not, want not Don't waste things and you'll always have by itself
enough
We see eye to eye We agree by itself
Weather the storm Go through something difficult as part of a sentence
Well begun is half done Getting a good start is important by itself
When it rains it pours Everything is going wrong at once by itself
You can catch more flies You'll get what you want by being nice by itself
with honey than you can
with vinegar
You can lead a horse to You can't force someone to make the right by itself
water, but you can't make decision
him drink
You can't make an omelet There's always a cost to doing something by itself
without breaking some eggs
DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY SAMPLES

*My Room
The door is white, with some scratches at the bottom from my pug scraping it with her claws. My pug scratches
the door when she wants to come into my room. The door handle is brown and metal. At the complete bottom of
the door is a rubber flap, which I do not know the reason why it is there. The room is about three lengths of my
arm span, including the closet.

The floor in my room is wooden, and it creaks when stepped on. However, I do have one white, plush carpet
approximately in the middle of the floor. It is rather clean-looking, considering it is white and that it is not washed
regularly.

To the left of the door is a leather chair, of which is of no particular use, besides hanging half-used clothes on it.
Past the chair is my electronic station, where I charge my phone at night, and charge my shaver during the day.
Also, center-left is a rectangular window overlooking our backyard garden and swimming pool. It is a pleasant
view for a cold room.

Center-left and far-left is my queen-size bed, with white and grey covers, and white and other colors for the
blanket. The blanket in particular has a floral design and is heavy. My pillow has a white case and nothing else to
it. The frame of the bed is wooden and beige in color.

Above, to the right of the bed, is a narrow, elongated window, which allows one to view the sky and neighbor’s
fence. On the sill, there is a candle lamp, of which I never use. I can often find dead insects on the sill as well, such
as flies.

Below that window are my meditation altar to the right, and a small table to the left of the altar, which houses
books and random papers. It is barely big enough to hold these books and papers in an organized fashion. My
meditation altar is covered in a red cotton cloth and features a picture of my meditation teacher. There is a
candle in front of the picture of my teacher.

To the right of the altar is my closet, which contains a rack of sweaters, a suit, scarf, and belts. There is also a
brown, lean dresser, which has the rest of my clothes in it. On the floor, below the rack, there are miscellaneous
items, such as an extra blanket, shoes, and hair oil. Right before the closet on the left of it, and before the altar, is
my tabla drum, replete with a hammer and a small bottle of talcum powder.

The walls are all white, except the back room, which is covered with a blue, mosaic-patterned cloth. The curtains
over the large window are also white and see-through, which almost defeat the purpose of having them. The
ceiling is white, but with black blotches above the meditation altar because of candle and incense smoke.

It is one of the coldest rooms in our house, as the windows are quite old and thin, and lack insulation. During
autumn and winter, sometimes a heater is brought in to feel comfortable. However, with enough heavy blankets,
sleep is manageable.

It is a simple room without much purpose other than sleeping, meditating, and playing percussion. But I am a
down-to-earth person, and it matches what I need.
*Moving North Became the Dream Come True
As a child, I always enjoyed spending time up north at our cabin. It was a place where you could go and get away
from the busy life in the city and enjoy doing things that you might not be able to do back home. While we didn’t
get to go there as often as I would have liked, we always tried to go at least a couple of times during the summer
when my grandfather would get his vacation from work. There was so much to do and see up north. Even though
things have changed now, I won’t forget all of the memories that I have from when I was a child.

The atmosphere was different.

Every morning I awoke to the sounds of cars rushing down the street in an attempt to make it to work on time.
The hustle and bustle of city life was all around me. No one ever took the time to sit back, relax and just enjoy the
outdoors. Most of the time, it was because, it was hard to relax and enjoy the outdoors when everything was so
loud all around you. Going up north made everything different.
At night, it was so quiet you could have literally heard a pin drop. The animals rustled through the leaves as they
gathered food or chased each other up a tree. It was a sight that was far unlike anything I could have ever
imagined back home. With it being so calm and serene, you could sit outside in your camping chair for hours just
listening and watching nature in its truest form.

The air was cleaner.

Living in the city means dealing with the pollution from cars, factories and anything else that might be coming
through the area. Thousands of people hit the streets every day to get to work. The air was thicker. When you
went outside to take in a breath of fresh air, you smelled smog, sewage and any number of other contaminants.
It was a foul smell that you didn’t want to breathe in, but you got used to it after living in it for so long.

The first time we went up north I noticed a difference in the way the air smelled. I took in a deep breath of air
and noticed how clean it smelled. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to breathe in more and more to keep taking it
all in. How could the air possibly smell this good? I felt my lungs clearing from all the contaminants and stale air
back home. I never wanted to let go of this feeling of freshness.

The environment was more relaxed.

Back home, you didn’t really walk places much. The environment wasn’t exactly the safest for anyone to walk the
streets. Up north, things were different. We walked everywhere we went and took in everything around us along
the way. I got to enjoy being a kid and playing outside or walking down the street to the local store. The stress of
the world back home was gone. I didn’t worry that some crazy person was hiding in the woods waiting to attack
because I knew that wasn’t the way things were up north. I felt safe and at peace.

Even though I can’t relieve the memories I have of being in our cabin today, I did make the decision to move up
north and raise my family here. Now, they get to enjoy the fresh air, relaxed atmosphere and laid-back setting
that is normal for people living up north. Those experiences as a child opened my eyes to something far better
beyond the city that I get to cherish every day with my family.