"I Cry" by Tupac Shakur

My response to this poem "I Cry" by Tupac Shakur is just... wow. The emotion that I felt while reading this was overwhelming. Tupac talks about how hurt he feels and how lonely he is, but the world doesn't even seem to care. In the movie A Cinderella Story there is a quote that says, "I can be surrounded by a sea of people and still feel all alone." This quote explains this poem perfectly. Everyday, we are all surrounded by people, but some of us feel all alone and like no one cares at all.

People have become too caught up in the world itself that they don't even notice, or care to notice, that someone is hurting. Sometimes people don't even know that their loved ones are hurting until it slaps them right in the face. People have become so cruel. When someone you know has a loved one pass away, you don't even bother to talk to them until you hear about the bad news. How do you know that they weren't feeling sad or lonely before that? You would've known, but you didn't care. Sometimes people don't care until it's too late. Look at all of the people who have committed suicide. Maybe if one person had just stepped up and told someone, "hey, stop picking on that kid" or "if you ever need someone to talk to, i'm here." Sometimes that's all it takes, but most of the world has just stopped caring. When something happens to you, you feel the pain and the hurt inside. But what about when it happens to someone else? Do you really care? Tupac says, "I would cry among my treasured friend, but who do you know that stops that long, to help another carry on." I think that what he is saying here is that it feels like his life has stopped, but others are still going on. No one cares to help him through this. They don't care what he feels like, because it's not them that it's happening to.

The point that Tupac is trying to make is that the world has become so caught up in the world itself that no one even seems to care anymore. So next time you see someone upset or hurting, talk to them and let them know that you are there for them, even if you don't know them. Sometimes it's good just to have that reassurance that you'll have someone to talk to. 

I think that the poet does succeed. Tupac gave me a different view on things. Just because everything is going good in your life doesn't mean it is in someone else's. People in the world just don't seem to care anymore. I too am guilty of this. Everyone has seen someone upset or hurt, but not everyone always says something to them. There is not a person in this world who has never felt hurt, sad, or lonely. 

Tupac uses the literary device imagery in this poem. All through the poem, I had a picture in my head of a lonely person crying by his/her self. Tupac also uses personification. He says, "the world moves fast and it would rather pass by then to stop and see what makes one cry." It's almost like he's comparing the world to a car ride. He's saying that the world is moving so fast that it doesn't even care to stop and see what's wrong. He might use these devices to try and make a better connection with the reader. 

I Don't Want to Grow Up

Do you ever wish that life sometimes had a stop, rewind, or fast-forward button? Well I do, all the time. When I was little, I couldn't wait to grow up, but now that I'm older, I just wish that I could go back to being little again. I miss having that feeling that everything is going to be okay no matter what. I would give anything just to go back to my childhood, if even just for a day, but this is life and we always want what we can't have.

I don't know why, but when I was little, the world just seemed like such a better place. I didn't have to worry about people judging me or any drama. My only worry in the world was whether or not I wanted chocolate ice-cream or vanilla ice-cream. My cousin and I were outside together every single day from sun up to sun down. We would spend all day at my grandparent's house and then cry when we would have to come home. Today, we have all of this technology and kids hardly ever go outside to play. I can't say anything though or I would be a hypocrite because sadly, I've given into technology as well. Another thing that I miss from being little is the television shows and music. I mean come on, what in the world are they playing on the T.V. now and the music.. oh my word. What happened to movies like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin or music like Backstreet Boys and N Sync? That is what I would consider good. I honestly feel bad for the younger kids today who have to grow up watching and listening to today's T.V. shows and music.

The thing I miss most is my childhood memories. I cherish them every single day. Recently, two very special people in my life have passed away. I wish I could just go back in time and relive all of the memories that I had with them. I miss them so much everyday and I just wish that I could see them again. If I could go back, I would tell them how much I miss them everyday and how much I love them. You should cherish every moment that you have with your loved ones because there is no promise of tomorrow and that's a fact.

Truth be told, I'm scared to grow up. I'm scared of the thought of losing my parents or my sister, moving out, and being on my own. Right now, I have it really easy. I'm with my parents, I don't have to worry about house or car payments, and I don't have to worry about a job. I'm not saying that being a teenager isn't hard, because it is, but when you think about getting out into the real world when you're older, it gives you a lot to think about. We just have it so easy and so many people don't notice that until they get older. A lot of times, it doesn't hit that person until right then and then it slaps them right in the face. I know that I have it really easy right now, but it's not going to last forever, so I think I'll enjoy being a kid for as long as I can.