Song of Roland, choice B

Imagine you are on your way to so something very important to you. Something, that if successful, will bring you all the glory in the world and a chance at a better life. Something, that if failed, will change your life as you know it for the worse. Maybe you're imagining driving to a piano concert at Carnegie Hall. Maybe you're imagining yourself on a plane ride to speak to the President about a plan that you have that you believe could help our country. Maybe you're imagining simply walking up the stairs of the academic building at school, about to present your senior outcomes assessment. Now imagine what you would be doing to "psych yourself up" so that you could do it. Maybe you put on a certain song on your ipod that you know calms you down. Maybe you take a friend along for their encouragement. We all need inspiration and optimism before an event like this. The Song of Roland was this inspiration for the Crusaders on their way to Jerusalem.

The Song of Roland is a story of courage, strength, teamwork, glory, and pleasing God. In school, we learn about people going to war and fighting for their beliefs. The explanation, however, usually ends there. We separate ourselves from them, thinking that it was a different time, they were braver than us, and it was easy for them. Imagine being one of those Crusaders. I can't imagine that it was easy for any one of them to go to war. Hearing that someone else has gone through the same thing is always comforting and gives the listener confidence. The Crusaders were able to listen to the Song of Roland and picture themselves doing the same thing. They were able to learn from the actions of Roland, Charlemagne, and others and keep those things in mind while fighting their own fights. This poem gave them not only inspiration, but a way of looking at what they are getting themselves into in a critical way in a place where they had time to talk and critically analyze the actions of others. The Crusaders were human. I'm sure they experienced boredom on long journeys just as we do. The Song of Roland was one of the ways to conquer this boredom on their long journey to Jerusalem.

If you're on that car ride to Carnegie Hall for your piano concert, you probably want to see a performance of a great performer to learn from them. (when to bow, how to walk up the stairs without tripping, whether or not to acknowledge applause between movements) If you're on that plane ride to talk the President, you probably want to bring a book with you to pass the time. If you sit there idly, your mind will go crazy thinking of all the things that could go wrong and you might start over-analyzing your entire plan of action. If you're walking up those stairs to give your outcomes assessment speech, you probably want to hear words of encouragement, like "I know you can do it," "I did it last year and if I can do it, you can do it," or "don't worry; it'll be over in 20 minutes." Although we all react to stressful situations in different ways, we could all use inspiration, entertainment, and tips on how to handle our given situation. The Crusaders were no different than us. For them, the Song of Roland was their source of inspiration, entertainment, and tips on how to handle their battles.