Question

Summarize, Analyze, and Imitate

Directions: In this exercise you will annotate the passage and then write three paragraphs in response to the given passage.
The first paragraph will summarize the content of the paragraph. This may be a short paragraph that identifies the main idea and important supporting details.
The second paragraph will analyze some aspect of the passage – repetition, figurative language, rhetorical devices, etc. Pick one and make a claim about its effect. Support with two pieces of textual evidence and commentary for each.
The third paragraph will try to imitate the writing style of the passage – this paragraph need not be about the same topic. In fact, it can be about anything at all. The idea here is to write in the same style as the passage regardless of content. In this case you might use negation and parallel structure, for example. Your paragraph should be similar in development and length to the passage.


It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!” It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
― Oriah Mountain Dreamer, The Invitation

Answer 1

AI-generated answer

The given passage is a call to understand a person's inner desires and their willingness to take risks in pursuit of their dreams and passions. It emphasizes that external factors like age, occupation, or material possessions are not as important as one's ability to connect with their own emotions and live authentically.

The first paragraph is a summary of the content of the passage. It encourages readers to look beyond superficial aspects of a person's life and instead focus on their true desires and aspirations. It emphasizes the importance of taking risks, embracing both joy and pain, and being true to oneself.

The second paragraph analyzes the use of rhetorical devices in the passage. One example is the repetition of the phrase "It doesn't interest me" at the beginning of each sentence. This repetition creates a strong and assertive tone, highlighting the speaker's disregard for superficial matters. Another example is the use of parallel structure, such as "if you can...if you can" and "I want to know if you...I want to know if you." This repetition of structure adds emphasis and rhythm to the passage.

The third paragraph imitates the writing style of the passage. It can be written in a similar tone and structure, using negation and parallel structure to convey a sense of introspection and authenticity. The content of this paragraph can be unrelated to the passage and can be about any topic, as long as the writing style is imitated.

In summary, the given passage encourages readers to look beyond superficial aspects of life and focus on their true desires and aspirations. It uses rhetorical devices such as repetition and parallel structure to create a strong and assertive tone. The third paragraph should imitate the writing style of the passage, using negation and parallel structure, while the content can be unrelated.

Step-by-step explanation: