Whack-A-Mole: Poem Analysis

Every time we neared a video arcade, I begged my parents to let me play Whack-A-Mole. I am not sure if it was the hammer I got to use during the game, the joy of smacking the mole as it popped out of the board, or the adrenaline rush as the game sped up. In elementary school this was a rare treat my parents succumbed to only when we were on vacation, and I had worn them down.

However, as a junior, my talent at Whack-A-Mole, took on a whole new metaphoric meaning. I was warned when I entered AP United States Literature and Language. I knew, from my older sisters and other APULL vets, the material was challenging, the discussions in depth, and the writing highly scrutinized. Dismissing the warnings, I began the class confident in my ability to work hard, take criticism, and make appropriate adjustments. Unlike many, I have not “sparked”, “cliffed”, “wiki-ed” a novel since middle school. I read the books, do the assignments, meet the teacher when needed, and study for tests. I actually write rough drafts, have someone else look them over, and, I even visit the school’s writing lab. So, armored with these tools, I boldly began junior year AP English.

On the first day of class, I had my three page essay printed, stapled, and submitted to turn-it-in. Rather …show more content…
It was an “A-”, not an “A”, but I was back in the game, or so I thought. With each paper, I tried new tactics and employed newly learned skills in an attempt to satisfy her comments. Yet, I could not seem to adequately connect my ideas to my thesis or fully answer the prompt, or consistently employ parallel construction, or maintain active voice. Meeting before school, during lunch and after school and making several edits, only frustrated me. What was I doing wrong? In every other area of my life, Time + Effort = Success. I could not figure out why my reliable formula was failing