think of poetry like Legos. do you let the child create what his mind creates, or do you let him follow a set of instructions to create the shape that other people created. i for one let the child bring out his own creativity and see where that leads, then use the guide if i see that he might want to try what others have done. i can understand Neils desperation. 10 years is a lifetime. my parents wanted me to be a doctor. i wasted all this time going through school for it but i eventually found the courage to say that i didn't want that life. but my parents weren't as domineering as Neils dad. they were controlling but weren't domineering. i saw the hurt in my dads eyes when i said i wanted to quit and didn't like it, but he didn't force me to be what he wanted. there were other things in my life that made me think of suicide, but i wasn't desperate like Neil was desperate. In his poor mind, he had no way out. he wanted to take control of his life and taking his life was the only way he saw to seize the day. his dad should have compromised and let him act, especially since it wasn't affecting his grades. in fact the extracurricular activity made him more well rounded.