JROTC Sonnet and Analysis

JROTC Sonnet:

Listening to the beat of our feet,
Unable to move around as we please
Leaders call a cadence to repeat,
In rows we march past the many trees.

The early morn's colors are discreet,
Throughout the day they hardly call "at ease."
We work together to accomplish a feat,
But only by working with expertise.

We are given many challenges to complete,
Many points we overcome, while others freeze
Meeting the expectations of the elite.
In every task we feel the big squeeze.

Forever standing proud none-the-less,
By being able to put method to our madness.

Sonnet Analysis:

Ever since the day I decided to join JROTC in eighth grade I knew I would love it. And since I have been in the program those feelings have never changed. I saw this sonnet as a perfect opportunity to express my interest in what we do in the program. My sonnet mainly states this we do during the two camps we are able to attend, Spring Camp and Summer Camp.

My inspiration for the JROTC sonnet mainly focuses around what we do at the camps because at that time I had just returned from Spring Camp and the many memories of the experiences were still fresh in my mind. The first stanza is about our marching style. We use things like the beat of our marching to create songs that help us stay in step with one another to look more uniform. Normally our cadences are sung line by line with a leader clearly calling out the lines for the rest of us to repeat it. By doing this it helps us to stay alert and focused on the commands our leader says and our steps.

The second stanza talks about our long days. When we get up it is still dark and it is only when we are either eating breakfast or when we are in formation that the sun starts to rise over the mountains at Scholfeild Barracks. These long days are filled with things to do quickly and accurately. Due to these types of conditions we are rarely given breaks or a movement such as "at ease" that allows us to be more relaxed while in formation.

Day by day we are given different challenges that test both our mental and physical strength. Most of these challenges we are put into squads of four or more and requires team work and critical thinking. However there are some things that we must do by ourselves. These type of challenges are things like jumping off a thirty foot high-dive into the water below or climbing straight up a giant wooden ladder to a point at least two stories high and then flipping over it and climbing back down with only pads to cushion us if we fall. Normally when people are confronted with these types of challenges they wouldn't go through with it. However with some much-needed encouragement from the squad cadets are able to safely complete these challenges given to us by our officers.

Although being in the JROTC program is hard, at the same time it is rewarding and most of all fun. We're able to learn and do things other people don't normally do. When we wear our uniform the feeling that we can make a difference in the world and so much more overwhelms us. It is this feeling that makes us push on even when it gets difficult. We gain life long learning skills that will help us later in life. While our uniformity may seem strict to some in truth it is something that is essential for us to function well so if we are under pressure we can make wise decisions. It is our way of putting methoding to the madness.