rite of passage essay prompt

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Student Opinion

100-Plus Writing Prompts to Explore Common Themes in Literature and Life

By The Learning Network

• Jan. 31, 2019

Update, Feb. 15, 2019: Learn more about how to use our 1000s of writing prompts by watching our free on-demand webinar: “ Give Them Something to Write About: Teach Across the Curriculum With New York Times-Inspired Daily Prompts. ”

Every day since 2009 we’ve been asking students a question inspired by an article, essay, video or feature in The New York Times.

Periodically, we sort those questions into lists to make finding what you need easier, like these previous lists of prompts for personal or narrative writing and for argumentative writing , or like this monster list of more than 1,000 prompts , all categorized by subject.

This time, however, we’re making a list to help your students more easily connect the literature they’re reading to the world around them — and to help teachers find great works of nonfiction that can echo common literary themes.

Below, we’ve chosen the best prompts — those that ask the most relevant questions and link to the richest Times materials — from our Student Opinion collection that address every stage of life, from coming-of-age and wrestling with one’s identity to understanding one’s role in a family; making friends; getting an education; falling in love; working; and experiencing old age. We hope they can provide jumping-off points for discussion and writing, and inspiration for further reading.

Most teachers know that our Student Opinion questions are free and outside The Times’s digital subscription service, but what you may not realize is that if you access the Times articles we link to from those questions via our site, the articles are also free. So in this list we hope we’re not just suggesting 100-plus interesting questions, we hope we’ve also helped you find 100-plus great works of nonfiction that can speak to the literature your students are reading.

So whether you’re taking on classic works like “The Catcher in the Rye,” “Romeo and Juliet” or “1984,” or whether you’re teaching more contemporary literature like “The Poet X,” “Speak,” “Refugee” or “There There,” we hope there are more than a few items on this list that will resonate.

Please note: All our recent questions, from late 2016 on, are still open to comment on our site. While questions published on an older version of The Learning Network are no longer open to comment, both the questions and the related Times materials are still available via the link.

I. Coming-of-Age

1. What Rites of Passage Mark the Transition to Adulthood in Your Community? 2. When Have You Reinvented Yourself? 3. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 4. Have You Ever Felt Pressured by Family or Others in Making an Important Decision About Your Future? 5. What Do Older Generations Misunderstand About Teenagers Today? 6. Are You Too Hard on Yourself? 7. What Childhood Rules Did You Break? 8. What Have You Learned in Your Teens? 9. Do You Think Anxiety Is a Serious Problem Among Young People? 10. Does Suffering Make Us Stronger and Lead to Success? 11. Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies? 12. Do You Have ‘Emerging Adult’ Skills? 13. Is Childhood Today Too Risk-Free? 14. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 15. What Are Your Secret Survival Strategies? 16. What Have You Learned From a Younger Person — and What Have You Taught an Older Person? 17. Do You Think Teenagers Can Make a Difference in the World?

II. Identity

1. Are You the Same Person on Social Media as You Are in Real Life? 2. How Much Does Your Neighborhood Define Who You Are? 3. Have You Ever Taken a Stand That Isolated You From Your Peers? 4. What’s the Story Behind Your Name? 5. Are You Being Raised to Pursue Your Dreams? 6. Have You Ever Been Told You Couldn’t Do Something Because of Your Gender? 7. Do You Feel Constricted by Gender Norms? 8. What Messages About Gender Have You Gotten From Music? 9. Why Is Race So Hard to Talk About? 10. Is America ‘Backsliding’ on Race? 11. What Is the Role of Religion or Spirituality in Your Life? 12. How Often Do You Start Conversations About Faith or Spirituality? 13. What Is Your Earliest Memory? 14. How Resilient Are You? 15. Are You a Patient Person? 16. What Role Does Envy Play in Your Life? 17. How Do You Handle Fear? 18. How Much Control Do You Think You Have Over Your Fate? 19. What Are You Grateful For? 20. How Often Do You Leave Your ‘Comfort Zone’? 21. When Was the Last Time You Did Something That Scared or Challenged You? 22. Does What You Wear Say Anything About You as a Person?

III. Being Part of a Family

1. Who Is Your Family? 2. How Are You and Your Parents Alike and Different? 3. How Much Freedom Have Your Parents Given You? 4. Will You Follow in Your Parents’ Footsteps? 5. How Much Do You Know About Your Family’s History? 6. How Often Do You Fight With Your Parents? 7. Do You Have Helicopter Parents? 8. Do Your Parents Spy on You? 9. Should Parents Track Their Teenager’s Location? 10. How Do You Make Parenting Difficult for Your Parents? 11. What Good Can Come From Disagreements? 12. What Advice Would You Give to Your Mom, Dad or Guardian on How to Be a Better Parent? 13. How Do You Get What You Want From Your Parents? 14. Should Parents Bribe Their Children? 15. Do Your Parents Yell at You? 16. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 17. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 18. Do the Adults in Your Life Follow You on Social Media? 19. What Advice Do You Have for Teenagers and Their Parents? 20. What Messages About Food and Eating Have You Learned From Your Family?

IV. Making Friends, IRL and Online

1. Do You Ever Feel Lonely? (video) 2. How Good a Friend Are You? 3. Do You Find It Easier to Make New Friends Online or in Person? 4. How Alike Are You and Your Friends? 5. Do You Have Any Unlikely Friendships? 6. What Does the World Need to Know About an Important Person in Your Life? 7. Does Technology Make Us More Alone? (video) 8. How Often Do You Spend One-on-One Time With Your Closest Friends? 9. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? (quiz) 10. Do You Spend Enough Time With Other People? 11. How Do You Feel About Introducing Friends From Different Parts of Your Life? 12. Do You Like Your Friends? 13. Do You Consider Your Siblings Friends? 14. How Have You Helped a Friend in a Time of Need? 15. Do You Take More Risks When You Are Around Your Friends? 16. Who Outside Your Family Has Made a Difference in Your Life? 17. Do You Ever Talk About Issues of Race and Class With Your Friends? 18. Is Your Online World Just a ‘Filter Bubble’ of People With the Same Opinions?

V. Getting an Education

1. What Do You Wish Your Teachers Knew About You? 2. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 3. Are You Stressed About School? 4. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 5. How Well Do Rewards and Incentives Work to Motivate You? 6. Are High School Students Being Worked Too Hard? 7. When Has a Teacher Inspired You? (video) 8. Has a Teacher Ever Changed Your Mind-Set? 9. Does Your Teacher’s Identity Affect Your Learning? 10. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 11. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 12. Have You Experienced Racism or Other Kinds of Discrimination in School? 13. Do Teachers Assign Too Much Homework? 14. How Should Schools Address Cyberbullying? (video) 15. Has a Novel Ever Helped You Understand Yourself or Your World Better? 16. Is Your School’s Dress Code Too Strict? 17. What Worries Do You Have About College? 18. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 19. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 20. Should Everyone Go to College? 21. How Prepared Are You for College? How Well Do You Think You’ll Do? 22. How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities? 23. Can Students at Your School Talk Openly About Their Mental Health Issues? 24. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea?

VI. Learning About Love (and Sex)

1. Have You Ever Been in Love? 2. Should Your Significant Other Be Your Best Friend? 3. What Are the Basic ‘Rules’ for Handling Breakups? 4. What’s the Best Way to Heal a Broken Heart? 5. How Important Do You Think It Is to Marry Someone With the Same Religion? 6. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating? 7. Is Dating a Thing of the Past? 8. Is Hookup Culture Leaving Your Generation Unhappy and Unprepared for Love? 9. Could Following These Directions Make You Fall in Love With a Stranger? 10. What Constitutes Sexual Consent? 11. Do You Find It Hard to Say ‘I Love You’?

VII. Working and Finding Your Purpose

1. What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? 2. Do You Think You Will Have a Career That You Love? 3. Would You Pursue a Career If You Knew You Likely Would Not Make Much Money? 4. Does Achieving Success Always Include Being Happy? 5. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively? 6. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Hustle Culture’? 7. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 8. Does Achieving Success Always Include Being Happy? 9. Do You Give Yourself Enough Credit for Your Own Successes? 10. How Important a Role Has Money, Work or Social Class Played in Your Life? 11. When Have You Failed? What Did You Learn From It? 12. What Challenges Have You Overcome? 13. What Are Your Expectations About Earning, Saving and Spending Money? 14. What Choices Do You Make About Money Every Day? 15. Do You Perform Better When You’re Competing or When You’re Collaborating? 16. What Activities Make You Feel Most Alive? 17. Where Do You Think You Will Live When You Are an Adult?

VIII. Experiencing Old Age and Confronting Death

1. Do You Look Forward to Old Age? 2. Would You Want to Live Forever? 3. What Do You Want to Be Known for After Your Death? 4. If the World Was Ending, What Would You Want to Say? 5. Would You Like to Be Cryogenically Preserved (Frozen!) Upon Your Death? 6. Do You Believe That Everything Happens for a Reason?

Rite of Passage: Narrative Essay Prompt

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With this narrative essay prompt students will write about a rite of passage they have experienced in their lives.

Included in this product are: a pre-write activity to help students brainstorm ideas for their narrative paper, a “How to Write a Hook” mini lesson and activity, a plot diagram essay outline, a “Formatting Dialogue” mini lesson, a “How to Write a Conclusion” mini lesson, a revision checklist, a set of writing reflection questions, and a grading rubric using Common Core Standards.

This resource can be used as a handout or digitally.

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Rite of Passage

By Sharon Olds

As the guests arrive at our son’s party they gather in the living room— short men, men in first grade with smooth jaws and chins. Hands in pockets, they stand around jostling, jockeying for place, small fights breaking out and calming. One says to another How old are you? —Six. —I’m seven. —So? They eye each other, seeing themselves tiny in the other’s pupils. They clear their throats a lot, a room of small bankers, they fold their arms and frown. I could beat you up, a seven says to a six, the midnight cake, round and heavy as a turret behind them on the table. My son, freckles like specks of nutmeg on his cheeks, chest narrow as the balsa keel of a model boat, long hands cool and thin as the day they guided him out of me, speaks up as a host for the sake of the group. We could easily kill a two-year-old , he says in his clear voice . The other men agree, they clear their throats like Generals, they relax and get down to playing war, celebrating my son’s life.

Summary of Rite of Passage

• Popularity of “Rite of Passage”: The poem ‘Rite of Passage’ was written by Sharon Olds, an American teacher, creative writing tutor, and poet. This poetic composition captures the attention to its thought-provoking exploration of a ritual. The poem first appeared in her collection, Strike Sparks published in 2004. By presenting children as if they were adults, behaving in a rebellious manner to showcase their strength and authority, the poetic output becomes truly entertaining.
• “ Rite of Passage” As a Representative of Children’s World: The poem opens with the title having a pun on “rite”. In a captivating manner, the poet narrates the tale of her son’s birthday party, highlighting the significance of his friends’ arrival. She paints a beautiful picture of the gathering of the boys of six or seven years old, behaving as if they are living in the world of adults. They jostle, jockey, push and nudge each other. Their conversation revolves around various subjects , including their age, manners, and present circumstances. How they stand, feel, move and talk becomes a matter of great interest for the poet that she has presented as if they are going to fight like the adults do in battles, posing themselves generals and fighters, with one of them asserting that they could kill a younger one. While it is only a celebration of her son’s birthday, the act of playing war seems to have a figurative importance in our lives.
• Major Themes in “Rite of Passage”: Importance of celebrations, mixing of children, and behaving in a belligerent manner are three important themes of this poem. The poem portrays the birthday gathering of her son, highlighting that he welcomed all his friends, who are approximately his age. This turns into a celebration where they can mingle and gain insights into living in harmony and sharing resources. However, what comes out is their belligerent behavior, as if they are fighting a war leading their respective armies as generals.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used In Rite of Passage

literary devices enhance the aesthetic, significance, and enigmatic nature of poetic works. Sharon Olds  also used some literary devices in this poem whose analysis is as follows.

• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ and /e/ in “Hands in pockets, they stand around” the sound of /ee/ in “They eye each other, seeing themselves” and the sound of /aw/ in “model boat, long hands”.
• Alliteration : The poem shows the use of alliteration in the shape of initial consonant sounds of the neighboring words, such as the sound of /h/ in “he holds” and the sound of /j/ in “jostling, jockeying”.
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ in “ We could easily kill a two-year-old ” and the sound of /r/ in “men agree, they clear their throats”.
• Enjambment : It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break ; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;

We could easily kill a two-year-old , he says in his clear voice. The other men agree, they clear their throats like Generals, they relax and get down to playing war, celebrating my son’s life.

• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Sharon Olds used imagery in this poem such as “Hands in pockets, they stand”, “They fold their arms and frown. I could beat you” and “the midnight cake, round and heavy as / turret behind them on the table”.
• Metaphor : The title of the poem is an extended metaphor . Some other metaphors are generals and bankers used for children. Their jostling and jockeying are also metaphors for battle.
• Symbolism : Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of symbols fights such as speaking, jostling, nudging, and pushing.
• Simile : The poem shows the use of similes, such as Freckles like specks and chest as narrow as the balsa keel.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Rite of Passage

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Diction and Tone : The poem shows beautiful yet colloquial diction . The tone is serious, though, it becomes ironic by the end.
• Free Verse : The poem does not follow any rhyme scheme . Therefore, it is a free verse poem.
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. The poem is a single stanza with 26 verses.

Quotes to be Used

These lines from “Rite of Passage” are appropriate to quote when talking about the behavior of the children.

As the guests arrive at our son’s party they gather in the living room— short men, men in first grade with smooth jaws and chins.

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Essay Samples on Rites of Passage

Rites of passage is obligatory to the male population.

As young as we are, we are already practicing the rites of passage and here in Lucnab we put the placenta and the umbilical cord in any container. Some would dig it into a hole and some would put it at the top of the...

• Rites of Passage

Loss Of Innocence In Rudolfo Anaya's Novel Bless Me Ultima

In the novel Bless Me Ultima, Antonio experiences rite of passage issues. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a rite of passage is “a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially birth, puberty, marriage, and death.” Throughout the book, Antonio experiences...

• Bless Me Ultima

The Cultural Beliefs And Practices Of Rastafarians In The Jamaican Setting

“Enlightened leadership is spiritual if we understand spiritualty not as some kind of religious dogma or ideology but as the domain of awareness where we experience values like truth, goodness, beauty, love and compassion, and also intuition, creativity, insight and focused attention.” – Deepak Chopra....

• Cultural Identity

Debates Surrounding The Female Circumcision And Its Morality

“Under the gaze of international attention, the issue of female “circumcision” has come to constitute a site for a number of emotionally charged debates around cultural relativism, international human rights, racism and Western imperialism...” — Duncan and Hernlund. In recent decades, the conversation has been...

• Women's Health
• Women's Rights

Anthropology Essay: the Rites of Passage

In this essay, the topic of confirmation within the Christian church is going to be discussed as a rite of passage. Confirmation is a religious ritual practiced by Christians where a baptised person is able to confirm the promises made on their behalf at baptism...

• Christian Worldview

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Hamar Tribe Rite of Passage Ceremonies

Out of all the tribes, the tribe that stood out most was the Hamar tribe. The Hamar Tribe is a group of people who originated from the Omo Valley, which extends to Lake Chew Bahir in Southwest Ethiopia. They speak the Hamar-Banna language. The Hamar...

Rites of Passage in Catholicism and Protestant Religion

All individuals go through some form of changes in their identity at some stage in their lives. The specific term for this change is called rites of passage (McGarry, Karen, 2016). These rites of passages are visible in Canadian society and can be experienced in...

• Catholic Church

Rites of Passage Ceremony in Malay Muslim Culture

Rites of passage is a ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone’s life. It usually relates to birth, or even the ceremony for the transition from childhood to adulthood, marriage and death. Rite of passage is even a way of dividing a person’s...

Best topics on Rites of Passage

1. Rites of Passage Is Obligatory to the Male Population

2. Loss Of Innocence In Rudolfo Anaya’s Novel Bless Me Ultima

3. The Cultural Beliefs And Practices Of Rastafarians In The Jamaican Setting

4. Debates Surrounding The Female Circumcision And Its Morality

5. Anthropology Essay: the Rites of Passage

6. Hamar Tribe Rite of Passage Ceremonies

7. Rites of Passage in Catholicism and Protestant Religion

8. Rites of Passage Ceremony in Malay Muslim Culture

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rite of passage

Definition of rite of passage

Examples of rite of passage in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rite of passage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1897, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near rite of passage

rite of intensification

Cite this Entry

“Rite of passage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rite%20of%20passage. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.

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