My research is based upon the essays of Ralph Ellison. Ralph Ellison wrote short stories, essays, and is most known for his novel Invisible Man. I myself write poetry and throughout the last eight weeks, I’ve written poems in addition to essays. The essence of a poet is more than one who possesses the ability to make thoughts and ideals fit into a certain rhythmic pattern on paper. A poet is one who must master who he/she is as an individual. We can see the same concept in short stories and novels written by Ralph Ellison. In his famous essay “Hidden Name Complex Fate” Ralph Ellison discusses how a writer can shape his identity. In this essay and other essays he often refers to how he read what are now known to be classical authors such as Hemingway, Pound, Elliot, Twain and more. The more Ellison began to read from other authors, the more he was able to develop a sense of what his style should be. Richard Wright, who is known for his famous novel Native Son closely, mentored him. Ellison saw how the struggles Richard Wright encountered were evident in the novel. In order for me to become a better poet, I am using the same model that Ellison used to make himself a better writer. He simply learned from past writers who have contributed significant works of art to the world. "