My most successful assignment was the poetry assignment because I actually enjoyed the poem I chose for my flyer. I could have done better on the Oedipus assignment. This isn’t my strong suit because I just didn’t understand it.
Discussion Boards
27 posts
Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? I feel like the assignment that was most successful was reading poetry. I believe this for several reasons. The first being that I learned a lot whilst completing the assignment; secondly it was really enjoyable and interesting. My favorite part was making the flyer and decorating it with the theme of your chosen poem. 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? I feel like I could’ve done better for most of the work this semester. For some weird reason, my head seemed to be out of the game and I struggled with most assignments. However, I will give myself some grace and credit that I completed almost every assignment. I wish that I would’ve had more clarity and be a little bit more focused. 3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? I learned that it is okay to fail sometimes but the most important thing is that you keep trying.
What is your thesis for the research essay on fairy tales? My thesis for the research essay on fairy tales is that fairytales are great for kids and plays a significant role in children’s development, understanding and outlook. Identify one article from List A and one article from List B that interests you. One article from list A that interest me is “Experts Say Fairy Tales Not So Happy Ever After” by Liz Grauerholtz in Purdue News. One article from list B that also seems interesting is “Rediscovering the Power of Fairy Tales” by Mary Howarth. Please cite the author’s name and explain which ideas from the article caught you attention and why. In “Rediscovering the Power of Fairy Tales” by Mary Howarth my interest is peaked because the author lists various great points the benefits of fairytales and the impact of them on children. The article “Experts Say Fairy Tales Not So Happy Ever After” by Liz Grauerholtz was interesting because I completely disagreed with the benefits of fairytales and it was interesting to see it from that point of view.
I believe my most successful assignment was creating the Poetry Flyer for Essay 3. I enjoyed researching various poems until I came upon Emily Dickinson’s “Dear March _ Come In.” This poem fitted into my emotions perfectly, especially some big emotions from past experiences. The diction made me feel that march was a real person and that he was my visitor. The process of designing this flyer made me focus on the meaning of this poem and understanding the importance of March and the changes in the season from Winter to Spring. I am very proud of the flyer I was able to create. I think I could have done better on the quizzes. In the beginning of the semester I felt I could have studied for the quizzes a lot more. The thing I learned is reading a story and establishing the vignette. I am very excited about acquiring this knowledge and I hope I get to explore it some more.
In ” The Most Handsome Drowned Man” the moral of the story revolves around imagination, love and innocence. The author uses imagery, the story is mainly about seeing the handsomest drowned man. The story uses imagery to describe the village and the drowned man. The author used symbolism such as the ocean. The ocean symbolized beauty in life and opportunities exist outside the village. In the story, “They noticed too that he bore his death with pride, for he did not have the lonely look of other drowned men who came out of the sea or that haggard, needy look of men who drowned in rivers” (Marquez 4). The narrator used exaggeration to describe the drowned man’s uniqueness. The metaphor, “bore his death with pride” shows an image of the drowned man being put together and strong in his previous life. This language helps the reader understand the point of the story and it helps them imagine what they are reading.
Throughout her poem “We Real Cool,” Gwendolyn Brooks uses simple and straight forward narrative to capture the fate and lives of young people who live on the edge of societal norms. Despite her economy of words her meaning is very clear. Consider her opening lines ,”The Pool Players. Seven at the Golden Shovel” sets the scene with the use of simple, direct language, drawing the reader into the world of these young men. Her use of the word “we” showcases the groups sense of unity. The closing phrase, “We die soon.” embodies Raymond Carvers principle of precision. Short and to the point. Like Craver, this poem by Gwendolyn Brooks highlights the use of simple everyday language. It’s precise vocabulary and straightforward structure create a clear understanding of the self destructive path of the young men in the poem. It also demonstrates that true artistry does not have to be written in complex language but through simplicity can convey the truth of human emotions.
Fairy tales are very important to children. Fairy tales teach children lessons that will help them in life. Also, fairy tales are used to entertain people and give them a sense of drifting away from reality. After reading these fairy tales, my thesis for the research essay would be fairy tales are a great way to teach children lessons because it teaches children about society, emotions and how to deal with conflict. Fairy tales often show children how to function in society and it shows children how to expand their imagination. From list A, I chose to read “The Positive Impacts of Fairy Tales for Children.” by Leilani VisikoKnox-Johnson, she explains that fairy tales help children distinguish right and wrong. She believes fairy tales help with child development and test their action or initiative. In this article, it does a great job showing why fairy tales are helpful to children. These stories are very important in building integrity, coherence, and honesty. From list B, ” Why Fairy Tales Matter” by Maria Tartar, she explains why reading fairy tales help intellectual imagination and creativity. This article shows that reading these stories can trigger emotions in children and how to deal with them. Fairy tales help children with their personal development and help them tap into their emotions.
Fairy tales are good for children as they are a great source of examples of strength, perseverance and triumph. These timeless tales, can teach children problem-solving skills, build emotional resilience and encourage a love for reading. ,”The Positive Impacts of fairy Tales for children” states, Fairy tales not only aid in child development, but they also offer a rich source of material to draw from in a therapeutic manner” ( Johnson-Visikoknox 1 ). Another quote is taken from the article “Rediscovering the Power of Fairy Tales ” where it tells us that “I watched as each child took the tales and used them to foster her or his particular growth” ( Howard 2 ). The ideas that caught my mind are the ones that stated when these stories are read to children it can help them to understand and process some of their own emotions that might be a part of the storyline. Also how it can be used as a tool throughout childhood and even as adults. For example, Cinderella was bullied by her step-mother and step sisters; I have used this story to help my granddaughter to find ways like Cinderella to be kind to others and also to persevere and always believe in herself. As an adult I also use this lesson to help me be kind to others even in negative situations.
In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor was a great read. Some ideas that come across the short story are manipulation. The grandmother uses manipulation through the children to get what she wants from the adults in the car. When children are unaware of manipulation, it makes it easier for the grandmother to brainwash the kids, Another specific idea of the story is sometimes people hide their real intentions and they can be decieving. In the story, the grandmother tries to persuade the misfit that he’s a good person. Also the grandmother appears to be ladylike and a good person but as the story goes on it reveals that she is selfish and she tries to be decieving. Lastly, a specific idea the story portrays is violence. As the grandmother is talking to the misfit the other prisoners take the family deep in the woods to execute the other family members.
In “ Good man is hard to find”, by Flannery o’Conner explores the themes of mortality, family dynamics and the concept of grace. With the whole story of the protagonist (the grandmother) was mainly prioritizing her selfishness and manipulation including her desires over the family needs. Her interactions also highlighted the tensions within the family and revealing the deeper issues of communication and understanding. Which made me question a lot about the grandmother as I continued reading the story. But the main encounter was with the misfit that served as a critical turning point and emphasizing the conflict between good and evil. O’Conner’s uses of violence forces a moment of existential reckoning and illustrating that true grace often emerges in the face of despair. Including that with the grandmother’s final act of compassion. Had suggested to me as the reader as a glimpse of redemption. Therefore overall O’Conner intricately weaves these themes of confront the complexities of human nature and the search for genuine goodness.
These are the specific ideas I made a connection with In a Good Man is Hard to find that came about from my reading Flannery O’ Conner’s On Her own work, The Element of Suspense: She used suspense to highlight the hypocrisy and self deception that was shown by the grand mother. The way she manipulated her son and his family into doing what she wanted so much so that I was uncertain of what the outcome would be. Another complex idea is the character flaw in the grandmother of being so self righteous, she dressed to appear as a lady but that was just a facade. Inside she was prejudiced and dishonest. I was taken even further into suspense when deep question surrounding the humanity of “The Misfit” when they arrived on the scene of the accident. The talk of religion , he had a memory lapse where he could not remember what led to his incarceration. In fact his conversation with the grandmother appeared to be grappling with the nature of justice and punishment. The climax of this story is true to O’ Conner style where she engages her readers in a climax where an action can be expected or unexpected. The violence and grotesque ending brought to light the harsh realities of the human nature.
There were multiple ideas that I found in ‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find’ by Flannery O’Connor that I may have missed if I didn’t read the article. At first, judging by the title, I expected this story to be somewhat of a cliche. Loosely based on love and romance, however it couldn’t be any further. Throughout the story, there was more drama than anything, until the end. The article did a great job in explaining the suspense that was created throughout the story and the realizations is crafted. Another idea that could’ve been easily missed has I not read the article was the deeper analysis of the Grandmother. In O’connor’s story, she is portrayed as being manipulative and selfishness. However, in the article the grandmother’s final act of kindness emphasizes the author’s use of irony. This insight further deepens the meaning of the story. Without reading the article, I might’ve missed some of the story’s theme such as redemption and selflessness in unexpected moments.
I believe that my understanding of reading poetry has improved. After engaging in reading and analyzing poetry for the past two weeks, my understanding that the meaning and emotions of poems can be connected. I would give myself a rating of 6 at this time. My approach to get a better or clearer understanding of a poem is to read and reread the poems numerous times and try to discuss them with anyone who would listen. These experiences have highlighted that poetry is more than rhyming words; instead it portrays a depth of feelings and emotions . A poem that I have known, “Water is Taught by Thirst” by Emily Dickinson has helped me to connect with the theme and meaning of “Oedipus the King”. I believe “Water is taught by thirst” emphasizes the idea that something is truly valued in it’s absence. This examination is done through reflection, realization and loss. This can also be seen in the play, which has the theme of fate, self discovery, knowledge and self realization., Another connection in both poems can be seen in the quotations, “Peace – by its battles told-” (Dickinson). ” Similarly, I have come to this, the last and worst of all my deeds” (Sophocles). further illustrates the metaphorical emotional struggle that both the play and the poem highlights. The emotions expressed in the poem and the play has been real to me this past month after the death of my brother. I reflected on my actions and words that caused a rift between us that ran very deep and now saying sorry or forgive me is impossible.
I would rate my ability to read poetry as improving drastically. I have always been into poetry, I used to write some of my own in high school. My ability to understand what I am reading has improved a lot. When reading and breaking down the poem in class, it has helped me remain focused and knowledgeable. My experience with poetry can help me with reading Oedipus the King by understanding the morals and lessons that are being portrayed in the story. There are a lot of ancient wording in the story and by having footnotes, it helped me understand what I am reading. Know the way, go the Way, show the way, so others will Gladly follow you. This haiku by Raymond Farrell is a great example of how I interpret Oedipus the King. Oedipus wants to let his people know that he is there to protect them. Raymond Farrell does a great job portraying the message in such a small poem.
In the past two weeks, my ability to read and understand poetry has greatly improved. I am now able to understand the language as well as the structure of poems which deepened my understanding of the reading Oedipus the King. Though my understanding for poetry overall has improved, I still have a little difficulty in reading some poems as they are not familiar readings to me. One poem that particularly resonates with me is one by an Unknown writer. Precious Rose From the day that you were born, and I held you very close, I knew in my joyful heart, that you’re my very precious rose. My life changed for the better, I felt it in my heart, I just knew, for the rest of my life, We’d never be apart. Months and years have passed, and I watched you mature and grow, I promised myself, forever, my love for you, I’ll show. I wish you a beautiful life, filled with joy and infinite bliss, I’ll always be your mother, and my precious rose I kiss. This poem holds a significant place in my heart because it expresses all of the feelings I feel towards my own daughter. It also makes me sad a little because it makes me long for a mother’s love; for my mother to feel this way about me. Stanza 4, lines 3-4, “I’ll always be your mother, and my precious rose I kiss.” is my favorite line in this poem because it shows how valuable the mother’s child is to her.
Upon reflection, I did not give myself enough time to write essay 1. I usually make a rough draft and would teak it; sometimes adding new sentences or taking away some sentences. I would continuously read the stories that I am using and make jottings about the quotes. However, For this essay, I did not pay enough attention to the MLA style of inserting quotes and making sure that I introduced them correctly. I strayed from the original instruction of the essay as I lost track of my thesis statement. Most importantly I gave no citation for the student essay. Therefore in the future I will give myself more time to focus on the instructions, and review the videos on how to insert quotations. Maybe even use Chatgpt for ideas on the foundation of a great essay. Overall, I could have done a lot better if I was not rushing to beat the deadline.
Writing Essay 1 taught me how important it is to have an established thesis statement. At first, I believed I could sum up the narrative without presenting a strong argument, but this criticism made it clear to me that the essay is guided by an insufficient basis. I’ve also discovered that providing numerous quotes and in-depth research are essential for bolstering my arguments. There was one instance in particular where I used a quote but forgot to clarify its meaning. This helped me realize that I need to make a connection between the quote and my main point in order to make it meaningful. In order to make sure I have a strong thesis and an obvious organizational framework, I intend to devote more time to outlining my essays in the future. Additionally, I’ll make sure to Increase the amount of supporting details and proof in each area of the essay; I’ve found that this makes the essay considerably stronger. This assignment has undoubtedly altered my writing style by putting more emphasis on the coherence and depth of my ideas.
My experience with writing essay 1 was eye opening. We were supposed to evaluate the student sample essay and critique it. I realized that writing this essay showed the many mistakes one can make. I originally said I liked the essay because I thought it followed the criteria and it was very informative. As I reevaluate, I notice there are some errors on the format and missing some of the criteria of the essay. When I said “The body of the student essay does follow the criteria of the essay.” I was wrong because the essay was missing some in text citations. In text citations are important because it tells the reader whose idea it was and it avoids plagiarism. If I utilize the pre-writing assignments it’ll help me stay on track and follow the criteria.
If I were to write a piece of literature that is non social and non economic based, I would write about mental health. I would talk about the importance of maintaining good mental wellbeing, different coping mechanisms and how one can understand their emotions. Mental health plays I big role in everyone’s lives but it’s not deemed as important as many others issues or it’s not acknowledged as much. Mental health is never really talked about until someone lashes out or does the abnormal, making people defend or try to figure out what might have been the cause for one to do an outlandish act. Mental health should be talked about always and everyone should be encouraged to take care of their mental, even without therapy. They should have personal practices or healthy coping mechanisms to help themselves. Life is tough and everyone needs help some way somehow. The titles I might use for this piece of literature might be “Mind Matters” or “breaking the silence” or “Coping, Healing, and Understanding”.
There are many topics I would write about in an essay that is about less socio-economic issues and more about interesting/ important details in a story, for example I would write about the symbols and imagery of the story. The toy store is a key factor a symbolism in the story which represents how they are out of reach for the children because they come from a not so well environment. Imagery is shown when Bambara speak’s about the children reactions to things in the story like using examples ‘Wide eyes’, when there confused or excited for many things, Imagery was shows as character development as the children grow and see many different things in there life. A Title Is the most important factor of an essay a book or a story, this is what catches the attention of potential readers, the title I would give this story is Shaping Sylvia’s Journey, I would dive deep into how she views many of the things Bambara says and the way she mentally speaks on the other kids.
In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara the presence of economic disparity and other social issues are greatly felt. However if I were to write an essay that is less about socio- nomic issues and mention more intriguing details about the story, I would write about how the backgrounds of the characters influences and sways their reality and perceptions. For example, Sylvia’s upbringing in the urban environment has exposed her to a different reality; one which heavily includes the street behavior influencing the way she carries about herself. With this kind of environment, it is hard for Sylvia to see past her hardships and a better future which probably affects her outlook on life. On the other hand, Ms. Moore was exposed to a different lifestyle and environment, one which probably wasn’t has hard as Sylvia’s. Due to this, she has a completely different outlook on life which sways her perception on life. She is aiming to expand the kids’ life experiences. However, one may ask, had she live a life like Sylvia’s, would she still have this optimistic approach. I would name my essay “The Pessimistic Optimist”.
What is your understanding of the pre-writing task in Week 1 Activity? 10? What do you have to do? What is the purpose of the prewriting task? I understand that the pre-writing task in week 1, activity 10 is an explanation of the steps necessary to create a good essay.The purpose is to understand the different steps in creating an essay. Because is important undestant the correct way for the construction to an essay with the order and sequences. What we need to do: 1: Read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Week 1 Activity 1). 2: Read “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man’” by Dean Rader (Week 1 Activity 3) 3: Review the supporting guides in Week 1 4: Read Directions for Sample Student Essay (See Activity 10 Activity 5 PowerPoint on Thesis Statements Activity 6 PowerPoint “How to Insert Quotations into a Literary Essay” Activity 7 Format Illustration/Format Matters Video Activity 8 MLA Citation guide Read the Sample Student Essay (See Activity 10)
My understanding of the prewriting assignment in week 1, activity 10 is for it to set an example. I think it’s an example of what your professor is expecting from you or maybe something similar and in the same format. The more we see examples, it helps us get to know what we are expected of and the way to organize our new essay or draft. It helps us better generate our ideas. The more we read an article the more we understand and create a better main idea/ thesis. Pre-writing is a crucial stage in the writing process that helps to organize and develop your ideas before you start drafting.
In the story in writing, it is about a drowned man who appears in a small, remote town by the ocean. As the townspeople try to discover his identity and prepare his body for burial, they discover that he is taller, stronger, and more handsome than any man they have ever seen. That’s why I understand that the plot tries to mention beauty, individual warmth, imagination different from reality, and the power of the community to face things that seem strange to them.
This prewriting assignment has me exploring other students’ essays, and honestly, it’s been very interesting to see how easily many college students’ mistakes are found in their essays. By really analyzing their work – how they structured things, their thesis statements, and even their writing style – I’m starting to get an idea of ways to better improve my writing and what makes a good essay. It’s very helpful to see the videos that were given to us and the examples to better help us. Of course, I’m also going through all the activities and videos about MLA format. It seems like a lot now, but I know learning how to cite things properly and make my essays look right is going to be super important for college. All in all, this prep work is giving me the tools I need to write at a higher level, which is the goal!
The purpose or pre writing is for just reflecting, its like a free write. I brainstorm a draft , get feedback from the professor. I proceed by taking feedback and editing my paper to make better improvement until I feel confident in this final or draft. Another point of pre writing a draft is so your professor sees and take notes on your progress being made of your thoughts and much more. ( grammer, punctuation etc The point of pre writing is to brainstorm. To me this means I don’t follow no sequence I just write everything down that comes to mind. Then, I will organize my thoughts and put my main parts together. This helps me out a lot because sometimes I struggle to write a thesis and putting pieces together helps me create one. This gives me room to move around and create new ideas while pre writing. Something else that’s beneficial out of this is that it saves so much time.
The purpose of prewriting is to help me understand how to write an essay. This will help me in planning the ideas that I want to write for my future essays. When writing pre-writing, it will help me improve my writing skills by first having a structure of the ideas that I will want to write about in the essay, then going through it again to add more things or change some things to make my writing better. This will also help me know how to write thesis statements and organize my thoughts. In the pre-writing, I can write down questions for my topic and then add answers for it to help me write down some ideas for my essay. I have to read two articles from activity 1 and 3 called “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man’” by Dean Rader. Also I have to read sample student essays from activity 10 to give me some idea on how to write the essay. Using the MLA Citation guide in my essay will help me know how to properly cite my sources.
The prewriting assignment for Week 1 Activity 10 is a crucial step in the process of understanding and analyzing a sample literary essay to gain insights into evaluating a student’s literary work. This prewriting assignment is designed to facilitate and multi-layered approach to evaluating the sample literary essay. To accomplish this, it is essential to follow specific steps, including, reading the assigned liter, including theory works, reviewing comprehensive guides on crafting thesis grating quotations statements, int and proper citation usage, and carefully examining the sample essay. The intention behind following these steps is to gain a deep understanding of the structure, content, and analytical techniques employed in the sample essay. This comprehensive approach aims to equip us with the necessary tools to effectively prepare for writing our essay. The prewriting process serves literary uses as a foundational tool to enhance our comprehension of literary analysis, providing essential guidance for constructing our essay based on the sample and guidelines provided.
