For our penultimate classes this week, we read Rainer Maria Rilke‘s “I Am Much Too Alone in This World, Yet Not Alone.” I asked the students if they could ever be “too alone,” and as our very interesting and far-ranging discussion continued, if they could be alone even if there were other people around? Among other topics inspired by the poem, in the same vein, we wondered how someone could be “too small … yet not small enough,” and what “I want to unfold” might mean?
Segueing from discussion to writing, I asked students to imagine a time when they’re all alone, by themselves—how does it make you feel? What do you do by yourself that you won’t or can’t do when you’re with others?
Ms. Thiel, 2nd Grade
Alone
Ibrahim B.
I feel alone
kind of comfy
scrub scrub scrub
I feel like
shutting up
Untitled
Austin C.
When I feel lonely I feel bored I could
do something that I like to do like jumping
in the garage is one so I would take
a shower I love taking showers hahaha
the water feels like a fire breathing
dragon let me turn the water down ha now it is
too cold water freeze
I’m Alone
Lucas C.
I’m alone in my bed. It makes
me happy sometimes and when
I’m not alone I get sad
sometimes.
Alone
Keyondra G.
I am too alone not
yet in this world I am
alone to myself nowhere
else just me I am alone
not too alone but
I am finally alone
just me finally.
When I Was Alone
Amari M.
When I was at my first cousin’s birthday
party and she was playing a game with me
and her friends came and she left me out
and I felt alone and sad
Ms. Ward, 2nd Grade
[When I Feel Alone]
Arjun A.
When I feel alone, I have a sad heart, I feel scared,
I feel I’m about to cry, also I feel like a sad
shadow.
How I Feel, When, I Am Alone
Avni B.
I feel sad when I am alone,
Alone. I
feel
bad/sad when
I
am
alone, I am
so, so so so so
so
so
so
so
so
Sad / Alone
Alone /
sad / alonesad
Alone
Karsten H.
I feel alone
sad weird looking
out alone saddest
gleaming in a
stream sad to
say may you hail
to me baby help
I struggle to my
goal sad never unalone
Untitled
Tristen N.
When I’m alone I cry cry cry
until I have no more tears
in my body I melt like a popsicle
in fact when I am crying
I eat a popsicle if I am
still crying I will eat pizza
100 popsicles ice cream and tacos
Alone Too Much
Nicolas T.
I’m alone on a paper
I’m sad for alone
I’m alone everywhere. I’m alone
you are making me alone
I’m alone on a table
too much?
Nobody thumbs me up.
I’m alone in my body
I don’t have happiness
I’m alone
today for 24 hours I’m alone
I’m alone in my family
alone today! Alone
I’m alone here
I think alone
I feel alone
I saw alone
I smell alone
I’m Superman alone.
Ms. O’Connor, 2nd Grade
In Visible
Sebastian E.
alone, alone, alone. I’m too alone
not visible
Lonely
Adrian F.
When I was at a party I
felt sick so I imagined I
was alone and that made me
feel better.
alone
Xibao Q.
being alone is
very peaceful it is nice
just go be alone
Alone
Bennett S.
I’m all alone
Alone, Alone
getting good Ideas peace
able to build Legos
able to do anything
Being Alone
Londyn W.
Being alone is terrible.
Alone feels, sad, how bad
is that.
I meant…Being alone
is terrible.
Alone feels, sad, how bad
is that?
Ms. Rupp, 2nd Grade
Alone
Atia L.
You’re alone and
it feels good
SOMETIMES
But then you feel
bad bad bad
Everyone
has times
when it
feels good
or bad
BUT
sometimes it’s
just in your
MIND
Untitled
Cameron M.
I was lonely when I was playing basketball
I was on the bench and I was lonely
Not real
Gloomy Aloneness
Eason T.
I’m alone in a room,
It’s so dark,
It’s so fearing…
BeCaUsE….
people hate me
I’m unpopular
people say I suck…
I’m just toooooo alone,
IDEA! I’ll become a rock star!
Wow. That was a millisecond!
I’m popular! Aww, they left
WHAAAAAAH!
Untitled
Levi T.
A Dragon is
chasing me
I want to be
Alone!
He breathed
his fiery breath
and it almost
burnt my pants
off! Yikes
Being Alone
Thomas Y.
alone is bad
alone is sad
alone is like a dead rat
you can be glad
being alone is being boring.
Ms. Schwartz, 2nd Grade
I Do A Lot It Is So Fun
Alex M.
Alone! Is being
! alone ! It is cool?
I play I sing I do lots
of things I see fun in my
head it is cool. Being alone is
alone!!!!?
Untitled
Aarav M.
To me it feels lonely
when I am lonely.
Loneliness is lonely.
I don’t like loneliness
at all all all all all all
all all all all all all!!
!!!!!!!!!!!
Alone
Leyla S.
One time when I was alone
when my big sister was gone I
was happy she’s
so bossy and mean to me
and one time when I was alone is
when I was on my porch and my
brother went in the house the only thing
that was with me
was the tree and
the wind and I was alone
when I fall asleep on dinner
and I fall asleep on dinner
cause I had to do my homework
and I was sleep bye.
Being Alone
Derrion S.
I always get
alone when somebody
leaves me they
make me mad
I don’t like
it it’s mean
Alone Not Alone
Ryan Z.
I like alone I have space to
play I can do what I want.
One time I been alone is
when I play at the park
by myself.
