Write an interpretive essay that analyzes literature from the perspective of a quotation. In your essay, interpret the quotation and explain how it applies to literature you have read. Support your viewpoint with evidence from a variety of literary texts that you have read. Include precise language and literary terms. "That's what literature is. It’s the people who went before us, tapping out messages from the past, from beyond the grave, trying to tell us about life and death! Listen to them!" –Passage, Connie Willis

Read the selection below and answer the question. an open boat by alfred noyes o, what is that whimpering there in the darkness? 

 'let him lie in my arms. he is breathing, i know.
 look. i'll wrap all my hair round his neck' – the sea's rising,
 the boat must be lightened. he's dead. he must go.' 


 see - quick - by that flash, where the bitter foam tosses, 
 the cloud of white faces, in the black open boat, 
 and the wild pleading woman that clasps her dead lover 
 and wraps her loose hair round his breast and his throat.
 'come, lady, he's dead.' - 'no, i feel his heart beating,
 he's living, i know. but he's numbed with the cold. 
 see, i'm wrapping my hair all around him to warm him.' -
- 'no. we can't keep the dead, dear. come, loosen your hold.

 'come. loosen your fingers.' - 'o god, let me keep him! ' -
 o, hide it, black night! let the winds have their way! 
 and there are no voices or ghosts from that darkness, 
 to fret the bare seas at the breaking of day. the imagery and word choice in the second stanza creates a tone of liveliness and joy danger and gloom silence and peace anger and hostility

Read the two conclusions to cinderella. conclusion a: “this is not the true bride,” said he to the father; “have you no other daughters? ” then cinderella took her shoe off, and put on the golden slipper, and it fitted as if it had been made for her. and when he drew near the prince knew her, and said, “this is the right bride.” then he took cinderella on his horse and rode away. conclusion b: he obliged cinderella to sit down, and, putting the slipper to her little foot, he found it went on very easily, and fitted her as if it had been made of wax. the astonishment of her two sisters was great, but it was still greater when cinderella pulled out of her pocket the other slipper and put it on her foot. thereupon, in came her godmother, who, having touched cinderella's clothes with her wand, made them more magnificent than those she had worn before. and now her two sisters found her to be that beautiful lady they had seen at the ball. they threw themselves at her feet to beg pardon for all their ill treatment of her. cinderella took them up, and, as she embraced them, said that she forgave them with all her heart, and begged them to love her always. she was conducted to the young prince, dressed as she was. he thought her more charming than ever, and, a few days after, married her. cinderella, who was as good as she was beautiful, gave her two sisters a home in the palace, and that very same day married them to two great lords of the court. which conclusion to cinderella is stronger? why? conclusion a is stronger because it uses dialogue that readers understand the prince's feelings toward cinderella. conclusion b is stronger because it describes a surprising and positive resolution to the conflict between the characters. conclusion a is stronger because it contains an emotional moment in which cinderella learns something. conclusion b is stronger because it shows that all of the characters changed and got what they deserved.

Read the excerpts from the land. [willie] turned to my daddy. "it's my boy mitchell done this, mister edward, and i know there ain't no way t' make it up t' ya if this here horse don't heal right, but i jus' 'bout t' put a strap t' mitchell my own self 'bout what he done. i'm gonna put a strap t' him right now, matter of fact! " with that said, he positioned his whip and turned toward mitchell. *** my daddy stopped and looked at me. "no," he said. "i'm not going to whip you, paul. no, your punishment is that you'll never get to ride ghost wind again. i figure you'll remember that a whole lot longer than a whipping. you won't ride any of the other horses either, including the appaloosa, until i say so." which statement about willie’s and mister edward’s reactions is true? both men believe that their sons should be held accountable for their behavior. both men believe that their sons need to learn to handle horses properly. both men believe that their sons will likely harm the horses if they ride them. both men believe that their sons have permanently injured ghost wind