Coney Island

    Life is like a game. Full of challenges and problems you have to face. You only have certain amount of time to reach your goal before the buzzer beeps. It's full of ups and downs, twists and turns that make you spin out of control. That is what James L. Weil is trying to tell us in his poem "A Coney Island Life." Weil's poem is comparing life to a carnival. Life is a roller coaster that has many twists and loops until you reach the end.
    The poem states "having lived a Coney Island life on a roller of ups and downs." After stating that the quote means the "roller coaster of ups and downs" is life's proud moments and the disappointing moments. Weil also wrote "seen my helium hoops break skyward without me." The helium hoops are representing your goals in life. It's like watching your dreams float away just out of reach, not ever coming back down. The poem also says " I take perhaps my last ride on this planet-carousel and ask how many more times round I have to catch that bass ring before the game is up." The last ride on this planet-carousel is like how many days he has left before his time is up. The brass rings is referring to his goals and his dreams he's trying to complete before his "game is up". Throughout the poem, the poet compare's Coney Island to real life. Life is like a roller coaster that has many twists and loops until you reach the end.