Creative Work: Using the information and examples from the module resources, create a nonfiction paragraph or a stanza of poetry that illustrates a theme.
In the silent recesses of the mind, where shadows stretch long and hope feels faint, depression weaves its heavy tapestry. It cloaks vibrant days in a haze of grayscale, stealing the melodies of laughter and replacing them with the hollow hum of desolation. Each thought winds into a maze without an exit, where sunlight barely dares to reach, and the heart beats not with joy, but with exhaustion. The world outside spins tirelessly, oblivious to the silent screams within. Yet, even amid the weight of this unseen storm, there exists a quiet rebellion— a fragile ember of hope. It flickers against the darkness, a testament to the strength in seeking connection, in finding courage to speak, to heal. To face our mental health is to reclaim the fragments of ourselves and begin anew—a journey not of mere survival, but of rediscovering the light that once seemed so far away.
Reflection Questions:
1. Briefly define both poetry and nonfiction. Why did you choose the genre you used (nonfiction or poetry) to apply the theme, and why did you not choose the other genre?
Did you discover anything while writing this work? Was the theme something you found as you were writing?
Poetry is a literary form that uses rhythm, imagery, and often symbolic language to evoke emotions and create layered meanings. It's typically characterized by its creative and expressive nature, allowing for freedom in structure and language. Nonfiction, on the other hand, is rooted in reality and factual accounts, aiming to inform, analyze, or recount true events, ideas, or experiences in an engaging way. I chose to go with a nonfiction approach because for one, it is completely out of my comfort zone of writing poetry. Moreover, I chose the nonfiction approach because it employs vivid yet factual descriptions to explore the experience of mental health struggles, grounding its narrative in relatable human emotions and scenarios.
Lastly, nonfiction was chosen for its ability to bring clarity and authenticity to the theme, offering a candid and accessible perspective that resonates deeply with readers.
Poetry, while equally powerful, wasn't chosen because its abstract nature can sometimes veil the directness needed to discuss such a deeply personal and complex topic. Writing about mental health and depression often leads to profound realizations, both about the subject itself and the process of exploring it. I found that writing this piece illuminated the duality of depression-the consuming darkness, yet also the fragile hope that persists. The theme came natural to me as I myself suffer from mental health conditions such as severe depression, severe anxiety and severe PTSD.
Articulating these complex emotions not only sheds light on their intricacies but also clarity. This allows the reader to better understand the struggles one faces but also the strength within vulnerability. Writing, in many ways, becomes a mirror—it helps us see ourselves and our experiences through a more compassionate lens.
2. In what ways does your choice appeal to your personal interests and style? Is there anything you look forward to learning and improving upon as the course progresses?
What specifics did you incorporate in your piece? Do you see any connections between the sample readings and your own work?
My choice appealed to my interest of picking a theme.
As for style, nonfiction is a genre I never visited before. This is something I look forward to learning further as the course progresses. I have always wanted to learn more about screenwriting as well. I would love to improve on being more open with my work. I want to even try the free writing exercise for 5 minutes mentioned in the textbook because getting that first thought put on paper is always the hardest. I used to say its writers block but I discovered that is not necessarily the case, that in fact it was self-anxiety. Several specific elements stand out. These include vivid imagery (like
"shadows stretch long" and "haze of grayscale"), emotionally charged language to depict the weight of depression, and the juxtaposition of darkness with a fragile ember of hope. These elements work together to capture both the struggle and resilience that characterize mental health journeys. As for connections to the sample readings, there are parallels in the use of detail and tone. In "Salvage" by Lucille Clifton (Poets), the poem intricately captures despair and transformation, similar to how my piece explores hope emerging from darkness. Both convey raw emotions while offering a sense of endurance. From Brevity's blog posts, like "It's All in the Details," ("It's All in the Details: The Importance of Naming Things, Using Sensory Description, and Giving Specific Examples") there's an emphasis on precise, meaningful details to evoke emotion. The labyrinth of thoughts and the world spinning obliviously in my piece echo this strategy, grounding abstract themes in relatable moments.
In Brevity's blog post like "The River of Story Always Flows Forward" by Dinty Moore ("The River of Story Always Flows Forward") and in the personal essay "How I Overcame My Fear of Touching and Learned to Love the Hug Again" by Ross Gay ("How I Overcame My Fear of Touching and Learned to Love the Hug Again. - Document - Gale in Context: Global Issues"), also highlight the importance of vulnerability-how acknowledging pain leads to discovery and growth. This mirrors the theme in my work about finding strength in seeking help and embracing mental health.
Works Cited
"How I Overcame My Fear of Touching and Learned to Love the Hug Again. - Document - Gale in Context:
Global Issues." Gale.com, 2023,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A762826897/GIC?
unhc main&sid=ebsco&xid=52beb138. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Poets, Academy of American. "Salvage by Ada Limón - Poems | Academy of American Poets." Poets.org, 2022, poets.org/poem/salvage-0.
"The River of Story Always Flows Forward." The Brevity
Blog, The Brevity Blog, 31 Jan. 2024,
brevity.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/reserve-for-dinty/.
"It's All in the Details: The Importance of Naming Things, Using Sensory Description, and Giving Specific Examples." The Brevity Blog, The Brevity Blog, 17 Mar. 2021, brevity.wordpress.com/2021/03/17/its-all-in-the-details/.