Below the Roots

Do you ever listen to music and wonder why you love it so much? Most often the answer is no. People don’t realize that music can be used for reasons other than entertainment. For me, I associate songs to certain memories. It helps bring back the emotions and feelings I felt during a certain time or event.  For instance, whenever I hear the song “Die Young”, I am reminded of the first time I met my best friend. We have been best friends for over 10 years and have made many special memories, which have also been associated with the song. Music not only reminds me of my best friend, it helps me cope with the 754 miles that separates us. It also helps many others with coping. My friend recently lost a loved one, and she has been listening music to distract herself from all the pain. She also listens to happier songs to lighten her mood when she feels down. Music can also be used as a “powerful medicine” (Alexie 29). It helps heal individual’s pain and stress. When I am overwhel...

I’ve visited many memorials throughout my life, but I have never thought much about them. I just assumed they were built to commemorate fallen soldiers. Under that impression, when my AP English teacher said that we were going to analyze war memorials, I was a little skeptical. What was there even to analyze? Aren’t they pretty self-explanatory? However, after the class discussion, it became very evident that there was significance in all aspects of the memorials. The Marine Corps War Memorial, for example, has a base made out of rough granite. This material is used because granite is usually smooth, implying that people believe war is positive as it allows individuals to gain freedom and/or rights. However, the reality is that war results in large amounts of casualties, which is depicted through the roughness of the granite. Also, the faces of three surviving soldiers were molded into the memorial. The purpose behind this was not only to acknowledge the dead, but to a...