I just wrote this as an essay in my English studies class and it was too good not to share.

Ever since I could remember, literature has played a major role in my life. I was introduced to books at the early age of two. My parents read me numerous children's books of all different variety; my favorites included Goodnight Moon and the Giving Tree. I was quite a difficult child growing up, especially when it became time to go to bed each night. What was the reason behind this; my necessity for a bedtime story, each and every night. Bedtime stories ranged from anything on my bookshelf to stories that I had in my head. I loved using my imagination throughout my childhood, but my favorite time to use it was when trying to get my father to listen to my new and improved bedtime story.

As I grew older, these bedtime stories became chapters upon chapters of the Harry Potter series. My father would read these books in an English accent, with a slightly different voice for each character, which I found to be amusing, and in turn this further progressed my love for reading. We would go back and forth reading all seven of the books, and in the end, we determined he was a Hufflepuff and I, in fact, was a Slytherin. I would take trips to my grandparents' house weekly, and when I slept over, my grandmother would read me poetry. Poetry became my absolute favorite genre rather quickly; due to the fact my grandmother has always been my favorite person. I began to discover Emily Dickenson and Edgar Allan Poe, who are still my favorite writers to this day. I looked up everything imaginable about these poets, especially Poe. I could recite "The Raven" by heart, and have likely read that poem hundreds of times. "Did you know that Edgar Allan Poe wrote every poem and short story completely backwards?" This is what I would mention to anyone I met by the age of seven. I was reading high school level books and novels by the third grade. This made me radiate with pride. You see, as a child I was not confident that I was accomplished at many of the things I did, but reading was one thing I knew that I could always conquer.

Around this time, I started to put my literacy to the test and began to read and write music. I took vocal and piano lessons for a time period of around four years, and my literacy progression continued to increase rapidly. This was the time when I decided to write songs. The songs I wrote were written with a complete misunderstanding of how a song is created, but I tried regardless. I recently found an entire box of old songs that I had written in the past, and promptly threw them into the trash. At the age of eight, I thought my songs were hits, but as of now, I realized that my writing made less sense back then. Every song reflected upon the concept of love, despite my utter lack of experience regarding this topic.

Eventually I began writing and reflecting on poetry at a more extensive level. I started this around the start of middle school, and I have progressively improved throughout the years. I have continued writing poetry, and still do to this day. My poems come out of nowhere, seeming to birth directly from my subconscious. Whether my writing starts because of a specific situation I have gone through, or just a passing thought, my poetry has forced me reflect upon what has molded me into the person I am into today.

Poetry has been there for me in good times as well as bad. Poetry remains there throughout the loss of friendships, the loss of confidence, and the loss of love. However, poetry has also helped me find positives within my life. Anytime I feel anxious or stressed, poetry is there for me, allowing me to escape into a world with no barriers or rules. I continue to enjoy progressing through my writing skills and style. I enjoy, in turn, seeing how other writers and authors put together their statements based on their style of writing presented. Since I started reading and analyzing stories, novels, and poems at such a young age, I believe that my writing is more advanced than if I had not. This is why literature and literacy in general have become such important parts of my life.

My experiences with books have only been positive and beneficial. From the bedtime stories with my father when I was younger, to reading two to three novels per week now, reading has affected my life considerably. My literacy habits have made it easier to accomplish what is necessary to compete in school and in life as a whole. Based upon my history of reading, my writing has been positively affected.