Assignments 9-16

9. Room Sweet Room: We are territorial animals, instinctively seeking a place we can call our own. The

rooms we live in and how we decorate them are as revealing as our clothing. Examine your own room and all

the things that make it uniquely yours. Describe the room, not just by listing the things in it, but by conveying
the feelings you have for the room and the items in it.

10. Personal Metaphors: Make a list of metaphorical comparisons. Think, “If I were an animal, what kind

of animal would I be?” For each item, write the general LABEL and then your specific comparison. Be realistic,
be somewhat honest, and be able to explain your choices. Don’t say you are a rose, if you’re really a daisy.

1. Animal                                11. Musical Instrument

2. Car                                      12. Geometric Shape

3. Article of Clothing             13. Piece of Furniture

4. Day of the Week                14. Song

5. Food                                   15. Season of the Year

6. Color                                  16. Television Character

7. Movie                                17. Cartoon or Comic Character

8. Fragrance                          18. Appliance or Machinery

9. Type of Building              19. Natural Phenomenon

10. Plant                               20. Word

11. Extended Metaphors: Go back to your list of personal metaphors. Choose FIVE that you can extend by

explaining the comparison in detail. Write a paragraph for each personal metaphor by giving four or five
specific points of comparison. If you are like an alley cat, discuss four characteristics of an alley cat and explain
the ways in which you have the same characteristics.

12. Symbolic Recipe: Write a symbolic recipe for yourself. This means your ingredients are not blood,

muscle, bone, and a hank of hair, but abstract qualities and personality traits (like patience, friendliness, humor).
What is really necessary to create you. Follow standard recipe format: a list of ingredients and exact
measurements, followed by a paragraph of instructions, advice about the proper sequence of the steps, and any
tips or warnings.

13. The Ultimate All-Purpose Excuse: Just in case you are tardy some day, write an elaborate, exaggerated,

fantastic excuse for yourself. Be as creative as you can. In about 150 WORDS, convince your heartless English
teacher that your excuse is a valid reason for being tardy.

14. Telling Tales: Think back to memories you associate with family storytelling. You know, the ones you

hear over and over every holiday. Maybe these tales are the legends that have given your family courage in
hardship? Maybe they are religious stories or goofy songs or true family history? Maybe they all seem to be
about what a bad kid you were? Embarrassing, hilarious, unbelievable? Retell a story you remember as part of
your family’s heritage OR makeup one you wish had been told (and may tell in your own family circles later).

15. Unfinished Sentences: Complete each of the following sentences by expanding them into short

paragraphs. As always, be specific.

1. I usually worry about…            6. I feel frustrated when…

2. I feel angry when…                  7. I feel depressed when…

3. I’m moody when…                  8. I am comfortable when…

4. I’m happiest when…               9. I feel nervous when…

5. I feel confident when…          10. I feel sentimental when…

16. Personal Symbol: Write about an object that has special symbolic meaning for you. It might be a gift

from someone you love, an award of which you are proud, a souvenir from a place you miss, a childhood toy
you still treasure, a family photograph, whatever. Describe the object, appealing to the senses as appropriate and
giving specific details. Also explain what it symbolizes for you.