Essay --

George Bilgere, an American Poet writes a touching but sad poem about his personal life. Bilgere who is the main character in the poem takes his readers on a journey about the survival of his struggles in life. Coming from a family with divorced parents, alcoholic father and mother who passed away lead him to be more open with his poetry. In the poem â€Å" Like Riding a Bicycle† Bilgere informs his readers about the struggles he had to face throughout his childhood due to not having a mother or father figure around at a young age. Throughout the poem, Bilgere shows that even though you struggle in life, there is alway a way to find yourself as a successful individual. Bilgere was a young boy who suffered from alcohol abuse. The first few stanzas of the poem started off showing happiness when describing his father teaching him how to ride a bicycle. Getting deeper into the poem, it turns to a rough point when Bilgere compares the push while riding a bike to his own marriage. For instance â€Å" As I make some perilous adult launch / like pulling away from my wife.† (462) Knowing that his father and mother split up when Bilgere was a young child, shows that the divorce affected his future. Bilgere’s father alcohol problem destroyed their family. The line â€Å" On their own divorce, their balance / long gone and the hard ground already / rising up to smite them† ( 462) shows the feeling of being abandoned and left alone. His father's alcoholism caused his actions to become violent. For instance â€Å" He swore and stomped off.† (462) which demonstrates to the reader that the father had trouble controlling his temper towar ds his son and wife. Throughout the entire poem, it shows that Bilgere had strong anger towards his father but learns to appreciate ... ...er evening† (463) gives us the thought of him remembering it all, but â€Å" the pacific shoreline† (463) which proves that the bicycle ride was representing a new life. Bilgere gives his readers the conclusion to never give up even when life turns upside down. Bilgere was a young boy who survived a tough childhood and grew up to be a successful man. Even though he didn't have the childhood most children have shows that anything is possible. We shouldn't give up on anything when life gets difficult for us. Bilgere proves to his reader that giving up doesn't get you anywhere; doing something about it does. Knowing that Bilgere was about to find happiness and be confident in the person he had became gives me the hope of a better future. Life will through some tough punches but better to take the pain than to give up because god has something better stored for the future.