Yearly Archives: 2025

In the past few week I believe that my ability to read and understand poetry has gotten better tremendously. I am now able to read the text in the proper way, as well as break down key parts. A poem that really helped was “First Poem for You” by Kim Addonzio. This poem did a great job at providing detail and giving the reader a sense of being in the scene. I feel as if this poem is easily digestible for people new to read poems, and can still be enjoyable for those who are already introduced.

Over the past two weeks, I feel like my ability to read poetry has definitely improved. At first, I struggled with the unique language and structure of poems. I was approaching them on a surface level and found it hard to fully understand or appreciate their meaning. But I’ve learned that each poem has its own rhythm, so now I try to only pause at commas and periods. This keeps the flow going and helps me avoid overthinking each line. Letting the words come together naturally allows me to appreciate the language more, without getting stuck on individual phrases. I also began paying closer attention to imagery, symbols, and figurative language, which has helped me uncover deeper meanings. I think this experience with poetry has really helped me with reading “Oedipus the King,” because both poetry and the play use a lot of symbolism, dramatic irony, metaphors, and figurative language. For example, when I read “My Last Duchess,” I focused on the imagery and how the Duke’s need for control leads to unwarranted jealousy toward his late wife. This reminded me of Oedipus’s attempts to control his fate, which ultimately causes his downfall. While Oedipus is devastated by his tragic realization, the Duke, on the other hand, never learns from the consequences of his actions. Instead, his pride and arrogance only grow, as he views his control over his wife’s fate as a symbol of power. Both works explore characters learning things too late, but with different responses—Oedipus faces his downfall with regret, while the Duke’s prideful nature leads him to see his actions as justified. After working with poetry, I now feel better equipped to appreciate the layers of meaning in Oedipus the King, especially the symbolism and irony.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve found poetry a bit challenging to understand but I’ve been trying hard to improve my understanding. Ive been focusing more on the emotions and deeper meanings behind the words, even though its not always easy. This approach has helped me with reading Oedipus the King. One poem that connects to the play is Natasha Trethewey’s “White Lies”. In this poem, the speaker talks about the ” white lies” to fit in, pretending to be wealthier than she actually is, while also hiding parts of her identity. For example, she says, “I could easily tell the white folks… that we lived uptown… not in that pink and a green… shanty fled shotgun section along the tracks” (Trethewey, lines 5-8)  This is similar to Oedipus the King, where Oedipus hides the truth about his identity and his past, and these lies shape his life without him realizing it. In both the poem and the play, hiding the truth leads to trouble. In “White Lies,” the speaker’s mother punishes her for lying by “washing out (her) mouth with ivory soup,” saying it will “purify” her (Trethewet, lines 13-15). This punishment shows the consequences pf the lies told, like how Oedipus’s ignorance of the truth causes his downfall. Both demonstrate that hiding the truth can cause bigger problems in the end.

I would understand my ability to read a poem a 5/10. I love reading poems and I try to grasp the concept of it, but I always find myself over reading it multiple times. I definitely need to work open the tips to improve my reading skills for poems. I still need to search up certain lines because to understand what they are saying because no matter how many times I read it I will just not be able to understand what they are saying. My tips with poetry can help me read Oedipus the King by helping me understand old time language and figurative expressions. The line “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”These lines are saying even though May is supposed to be a beautiful time of year with fresh, new buds, the winds can still mess things up and shake them around. He’s pointing out that nothing is perfect or permanent, even in the best seasons.

When I began reading Poetry it was a challenge but upon learning some techniques from the martial “How to read a poem”. What stood out to me was the reassurance that poems are ment to be read multiple times and having in correct assumptions on the first or second read is normal “The first is assuming that they should understand what they encounter on the first reading” , reading the poem out loud in order to hear any rhymes or clusters of sound, I also learned that each broken line in a poem is called a stanza and I learned how important it is to ask the questions in order to properly interpret the poem. I feel as thought when first reading my last duchess, it was a bit of a challenge and with the classes input I was able to fully comprehend the poem in it’s totality. In regard to both “The last duchess” and “Oedipus the king” there are some similarities one example is the themes of power and control. In my last duchess the duke is possessive and controlling. Seeing his late wife as an object or possession to be admired, instead of an individual with autonomy.  “She had / A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, / Too easily impressed.”(Stance 21) and in Oedipus the King, Oedipus held significant power as king.

After the past two weeks, I’d say my ability to read poems has restored and gotten a bit better. After graduating High School in 2023, I failed to keep up with my indulgence in poems as readings. After these past two weeks of reading poems in class, I feel like I’ve refreshed myself with the writing style, and also accepted the new idea of reading the lines as many times as we need to. That was previously not an idea that’s been spoken of in my grade school classes, so I do appreciate that. This experience can help me with the reading of Oedipus the King, as the language it uses is a little more tricky, that being it isn’t modern-day English, and by re-reading the lines, I find myself almost singing along to what is being said. For instance, Sophocles writes in Oedipus the King, “Even in this my actions have not been sluggard / On Creon’s word I have sent two messengers / and why the prophet is not here already / I have been wondering” (lines 308-311). In these lines, at first I only understood that Oedipus is simply disappointed that he who he has sent out to find who the killer is has yet to report back. After re-reading it however, a couple times at that, I found that yes, he was disappointed, but he reveals how he has taken quick action as well. This situation is of great concern to him, and considering the use of the word sluggard as well as his respect for “Creon’s word”, there is a sense of urgency in his character. These lines reveal characteristics, as well as add to the story structure with anticipation, rather than just explaining that Oedipus is disappointed to not hear anything despite his attempts. […]

I would think that my ability to read and analyze poetry has increased after spending the last two weeks reading poetry, which is challenging to grasp. My ability to identify and understand literary techniques like metaphor, symbolism, and rhythm has improved. My understanding of poetry has helped me to better understand Oedipus’s multiple levels of importance. One of my favorite poems from the past two weeks was “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks. It has helped me in analyzing complicated feelings and the significance of a challenging choice like abortion. My review of “The Mother” has also helped me better understand the emotional depth of the characters in Oedipus the King because it has made me aware of the profound effect that guilt can have on a person’s thoughts and actions, even when those actions were uncontrollable or unknown to them.

After reading the first two poems from week 6, I was a bit confused about how to interpret them, but when reading “The Last Duchess” in class, it became much easier to tell the underlying meaning in the words. In other words, I learned to read between the lines. It wasn’t just about what was being said, like the direct meaning, but what could be said. I think these experiences have helped me read between the lines and look for more context clues while reading “Oedipus the King”. As mentioned, “The Last Duchess” helped me immensely in regarding understanding and interpreting other poems and the play. It showed me how much can be said of a person through the narration and what they say, for example how the duke talked of his wife helped us understand he’s very arrogant self centered man and in contrast how Oedipus speaks of the plague and how it troubles him or how he must find the killer for it will benefit him in many ways (saving his skin, solving the plague and protecting the previous kings family and bringing justice as he see’s him as his father) shows how he is honest and righteous in his ways.

I overall really enjoy reading poems. I enjoyed the poems assigned to us and getting a deeper understanding of the types of poems and how they should be read. Being that i’ve already had plenty of experience with poetry, i believe that reading “Oedipus the King” took me a little longer to understand, a frequent problem i have with plays. I agree with my colleagues i think the poem “The Last Duchess” has the most connection with “Oedipus the King” because of it being very archaic.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve found poetry difficult to understand, but I think I’ve gotten better at looking for deeper meanings. Poems often use figurative language, which can be confusing, but I’ve learned to slow down and think about what the poet is really trying to say. This will help with Oedipus the King because Greek tragedies also use symbolism and hidden meanings that aren’t always obvious at first. One poem that connects to the play is “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. In the poem, the speaker pauses in the quiet, snowy woods but remembers he has “promises to keep” and must continue on his journey. This reminds me of Oedipus because, even when he tries to escape his fate, he keeps moving forward, only to realize he was following the prophecy all along. The idea of being on a path that can’t be avoided connects both the poem and the play. Reading this poem helps me understand Oedipus the King because both show how, even when we stop and question things, we still have to keep going toward what’s meant to happen.

I would rate my ability to read poetry after the past two weeks as a 6.5/10. I understand the main ideas and can recognize poetic devices, but sometimes I still need to reread or translate certain words into French to fully understand the meaning. My experience with poetry can help me read Oedipus the King by making me more comfortable with older language and figurative expressions. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare relates to the play because both use strong imagery and formal language. In Sonnet 18, Shakespeare writes: “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” This line describes how time and nature can change beauty, similar to how Oedipus the King shows how fate changes a person’s life. By reading poetry, I have learned to pay attention to language and rhythm, which will help me understand Oedipus the King better. Overall, I think my understanding of poetry is improving!

Reading poetry over the past two weeks has helped me get used to paying closer attention to language, which I think will be really useful for reading Oedipus the King. Poetry isn’t like regular writing, I have to slow down and think about how each word is chosen and how the structure affects the meaning. One of my favorite poems from the past two weeks was “First Poem for You” by Kim Addonizio. This poem helped me notice how small details in language can carry a lot of meaning. The way she describes tattoos as something permanent and untouched by time made me realize how poets use simple, everyday things to express bigger emotions. It also made me pay more attention to how words are placed in a poem and how that affects the way we experience it. This has helped me with Oedipus the King because Sophocles also uses poetic language to create impact. Just like Addonizio carefully chooses her words to create a strong emotional connection, Sophocles does the same in his writing. Reading poetry has made me more aware of how language shapes a story, and that has helped me understand the way Oedipus expresses himself and why the people trust him so much.

I understand what is to do if you’re reading poetry. I give mine a seven out of ten because I was getting better at reading the poems. But it hard to stop mid-sentence. I was trying to read until I get to period and comma. After I practice, I was getting better at reading slowly at poetry. Reading Odiepus the King was really interesting because it gave life lessons. In real life there are lots of karma laws that were put in cause and effect such as diligent and bad luck impacts of our actions. What goes around comes around. One of my favorite poems was “The Lesson” by Toni Bambara because the poem shows how life in society is in different places in living. I was still looking and researching at other poems in The Poetry Foundation and some in the American Academy for Poets. Yet for my next Essay, I’m not sure that I’d pick the right one with twelve lines.

I would rate my ability to read poetry after the past 2 weeks from 1 to 10 as a 5 /10 because I like to reread the text more than twice to get a better understanding of the meaning of the poem most times I can’t read between the lines hard enough to understand the Poems meaning correctly. And it starts to feel like I’m creating my own meaning of the poem which could be totally wrong or somewhat right but the vocabulary section explaining the meaning of certain words I’m unfamiliar with helps a lot because it can help me better understand the poem and what the people that play a part in the are saying whether the poem is speaking about something, someone or speaking about something that is taking place or happening. Some ways I feel my experience with poetry can help with the reading of Oedipus the king is if I read each person in the poems part as if I were in a real play discussing amongst the other characters about the role I play in the story and the meaning of my part being played in the poem to get a full understanding of everyone’s role and what is taking place as if I were in the characters shoes. I would also reread the poem part by part at least 3 times to understand the main point of the story being told and the important role everyone plays connecting everything together to get a better understanding of the whole poem while using the vocabulary word section or searching the definition of the words that are difficult for me to understand. One connection I have to the play “Oedipus the King” is how they worship and praised their own Gods who they felt were powerful […]

I would rate seven out of ten in my ability to read poetry. I somewhat understand how to read poetry because i was able to understand poetry because I did my research on how to read poetry. The following steps google gave is reading the poetry out loud and reading it two or five times. Afterwards reading them out loud felt better to read because I read it slow and loud than I was able to understand the poetry. Reading the Oedipus the king poetry was interesting poetry because the poetry gives it a nostalgic sense. Free will is added to the connection of the reading because people are allowed to believe in their own beliefs, but this has a twist. In life there are karma laws that in life there are cause and effect such as positive and negative impacts of our actions. The reading relates to karma law because his own actions followed throughout his life leading to tragedy.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve noticed an improvement in my ability to read and interpret poetry. Although poetry still poses challenges, I’ve found that taking time to reflect helps me uncover deeper meanings. This skill is particularly useful when reading plays like Oedipus the King, as both poetry and drama often communicate through hidden messages that require thoughtful analysis. One poem we’ve studied, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, parallels the themes found in Oedipus the King. In Frost’s poem, the speaker pauses in the quiet beauty of the woods but ultimately acknowledges he has responsibilities that compel him onward. Similarly, Oedipus is on a relentless journey, driven forward despite his desire to pause or escape. Both Frost’s speaker and Oedipus grapple with the tension between personal desires and obligations, illustrating how fate and duty profoundly influence human lives. Oedipus the King is Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” In Frost’s poem, the narrator feels drawn to the peaceful solitude of the dark woods yet ultimately decides to continue onward. This parallels Oedipus’ journey, as he too encounters the temptation of staying in ignorance remaining metaphorically in the dark—but instead pushes forward to uncover the painful truth of his past, despite knowing it may destroy him.

The past two weeks have been a successful one, I really enjoyed it because I love poems and throughout out my journey of becoming a young adult, I stopped writing and reading poems. I am grateful for the past two weeks because it has reminded me about my childhood and how much I used to love poems. I find that analyzing symbols, themes, and emotions is the most effective way for me to grasp a poet’s intent. This have helped me while reading Oedipus the King. One of my favorite poems from the past two weeks was “The mother” By Gwendolyn Brooks, it has help me analyzing different type of emotions inside of a poems and different kind of poem structure. She was able to shift my perspective about abortion and see how much it weights on peoples mentally after making such a decision and having to accept the guilt it comes with and I  realize that they don’t realize really have much people to talk to about it because they are scared to be judge by others but Gwendlyn books was able to pass the right messages and let everyone else know they are not alone and she was able to show everyone how she deal with it and they are not alone. By analyzing the author emotion, it has helped me understand kings Oedipus a little bit more and it show me why the people love him, and they feel like they can rely on him to provide a solution to their problem it helps me see how the people connect with him emotionally and how transparent he is and ready to serve his people.

I would say that my ability to read poetry has somewhat improved over the last two weeks. Even though I still find poetry difficult at times, I’ve discovered that by reading slowly and paying close attention to the words, I can begin to understand their deeper meanings. This ability will help me as I read Oedipus the King because the play and poetry both employ subliminal messages that require critical thinking. I realize how the poem we read, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” by Robert Frost, relates to Oedipus the King; in the poem, the speaker pauses in the dark woods but reminds himself he has responsibilities he still has to take care of, so he must continue his journey. This is pretty similar to Oedipus, as he is on the path of learning the truth and getting justice even when the truth is seemingly painful; he has a responsibility to bring justice to the people in town.  

Over the past two weeks, my ability to read poetry has improved a little. Poetry is still difficult for me, but when I take my time, I can understand some of the deeper meanings. This can help with reading Oedipus the King because both use hidden messages that require deeper thinking. One poem we read, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, connects to Oedipus the King. In the poem, the speaker stops in the woods but remembers he has things to do and must keep going. This is like Oedipus, who is also on a journey he cannot stop. The speaker in the poem might want to stay, but his duty pushes him forward. Oedipus also has to keep going, even when the truth brings him pain. Both show how fate and duty control people’s lives.

Over the past two weeks, my ability to read poetry has improved. Before, I sometimes felt like I didn’t fully understand the deeper meaning of a poem. Now, I feel more confident in looking at symbols, themes, and emotions to understand what the poet is trying to say. This skill will help me while reading Oedipus the King because, like poetry, the play also uses symbolism and deeper messages that are not always obvious at first. One poem that connects to Oedipus the King is “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy” Evening by Robert Frost. In the poem, the speaker is tempted to stop and stay in the dark, quiet woods but knows he must keep moving forward. This reminds me of Oedipus because he is also faced with a choice he could ignore the truth about his past and stay in the “dark,” but instead, he chooses to keep searching for answers, even though it leads to his downfall. Understanding this idea in the poem helped me see how Oedipus’ decisions shape his fate and made me think more about the themes of the play.

After the past two weeks, I would rate my ability to read poetry a 6/10. I struggled to understand poems because I always overcomplicated the purpose. I never immediately understood a poem after reading it a few times. I had to break it down into sections, and even then, I still found myself confused. I would say reading poems as a class better helps me understand the overall meaning. My experience with poetry helped me when reading Oedipus the King by better analyzing the theme. I was able to explore the messages that the poem was trying to convey. I could identify the symbolism and metaphors that are used. It enhanced my understanding of the poem since it was written using many poetic elements. These experiences also had a connection to the poem “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day”. In the poem by Shakespeare, he compares his love to a summer day. When first reading it you might just think he’s talking about summer but because of metaphor, you know that there is a deeper meaning.  

I love reading poetry, but before these two weeks, whenever I finished reading poetry, I would feel like I wasn’t grasping something, as if an understanding was just beyond my reach. After reviewing the article, “How to Read a Poem” by the American Academy of Poets, I am much more confident when reading poetry. I particularly liked the list of prompts as a way of “talking back to a Poem” because it turned out to be quite useful when reading the poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. By following the prompts from the previous section, “talking back to a Poem,” I was able to dissect the meaning behind the poems and see the connection between the comfort the speaker experienced when they were passing through the solitary and dark woods. I was then able to use this knowledge with Oedipus the King and ask more questions about the circumstances facing the city of Thebes. These prompts also led me to find connections between the video explaining the history behind Greek theater, and have a better understanding of the stage setting.

I would rate my ability to read poetry after the past two weeks as a 7.5/10 because I do feel as though I often understand and am able to comprehend the readings. There are some times where I fill in the blanks with my imagination rather than from concepts from information provided in the poem, which leads to misinterpretations. My experience with poetry can aid me in reading “Oedipus the King” by allowing me to feel more comfortable with fanciful language and reading between the lines. “The Last Duchess” has a connection to “Oedipus the King” through it’s archaic language and theme of murder. “This grew; I gave commands; Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands As if alive” (Browning). This quote from “The Last Duchess” is an example of meanings of the poem not always being forthright, which is a large difference from “Oedipus the King”, which it is quite upfront. “Had you had eyes I would have said alone you murdered him” (Sophocles). Overall, I feel my understanding of poetry is improving!  

Before these past two weeks, I never really got into poetry. I thought it was just about rhyming and trying to impress someone special. But thanks to Professor Conway, I’ve started seeing poetry in a whole new way, and it’s actually pretty cool. I’ve found out that poetry comes in all sorts of styles, with deep meanings and beautiful layers that make reading so interesting. Take Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” for example. It’s about that quiet moment of thinking between wanting to disappear into the peaceful darkness of the woods and needing to keep promises. This struggle is a lot like what Oedipus faces in Oedipus the King, where he battles between his fate and his choices. Then there’s Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” which cleverly shows the Duke’s controlling nature through his words—just like how Oedipus reveals his weaknesses through his actions. Even though I didn’t know these poems before because my country has a different school program, and it’s a bit tougher for me since I’m still learning English, diving into poetry has helped me better understand themes, characters, and symbols in plays like Oedipus the King. It’s been an eye-opening experience.

At first, I thought poems were only just stories. But when I read them, I learned that poems have lots of meanings. With those meanings, I can learned a lot of vocabulary and what the main idea is. The only thing you had to do while reading a poem is not to stop reading mid-sentence. You had to stop if there is a comma, a period or if you’re at the end of the sentence. With poetry, I have to practice reading multiple times without stopping in the middle. For the play “Opedius the King”, I decided to do the part of the wife of the king. But unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time, to get to read my part.

At first, I thought poem was just like stories. But when I started reading it, I quickly realized that poem is packed with meanings.  And with those meanings came with a lot of words I do not know meaning of. Then I’ve learned that the only reason to pause is when there is comma, period etc. and usually that is not at the end of the line. With poetry I need to read the poem multiple times to understand it. Oedipus the King is structure approximately the same, so I’m ready to read it with confidence. I would say 8 out of 10 is my ability to read it. The Play resonates with Shakespear “Sonnet 18” poem to me, it feels like they written in the same manner (except the fact the author of the Play doesn’t say how great he is). There is so much classic drama, pride, and irony of fate in the Play and in the Sonnet,

Essay 1 was difficult for me, but I ended up finding it manageable. One of the biggest problems I had with it was with the sample student essay that I was trying to analyze. I felt like I had to read that essay several times over just to get to the point where I understood its meaning well enough. On the top of that I didn’t understand the instruction and I made some mistakes. At first attempt, I wrote it in totally wrong format. However, after the essay I became more aware of mistakes in formatting and citation in my own work. I used to overlook issues like overspacing and wrong formatting in my works cited page, which I now pay much closer attention to. I also understood that I sometimes included sentences that felt like filler—like they were just there to make the essay seem longer, when in fact I could have said what I needed to say in fewer words. Overall, I recognized that I need to pay more attention to making my writing precise and to developing my ideas in a way that feels more satisfying. This assignment has enabled me to find areas where I need to improve, and I will apply the lessons I have learned to future essays. I will be more evaluative and more argument-based, and I will refer back to the text to support the kind of claims I am making, ensuring that my claims are clearly stated and that my writing is, overall, more clear and focused. I also learned that I should pay attention to the details of formatting.

Essay #1 made me realize there’s much more to add to your statements. I learned that I went off topic a couple of times and did not provide exactly why the quotations I used were of importance, I did not fully flesh out my ideas on why the student could have done better, I did not include if they included primary sources, and added words and ideas of something that the radar article did not talk about.  I also forgot to talk about the formatting of the student sample essay In the future, I would ensure to include better punctuation. I would also fix my works cited as I saw I did it incorrectly. I saw that I also could have added more explanation to my sentences and tried to include filler sentences that didn’t lead to much in my essay. My format wasn’t as correct as it should have been, Next Essay I would take everything I got wrong in my feedback and be able to make a more fluent and detailed essay.

When writing essay 1, it was definitely a challenging experience for me. When reading the student sample I struggled with understanding what the student was trying to say while also trying to connect their writing to the rubric. I often needed to reread the sample to grasp it’s meaning. I realized that i was focusing too much on what the student did well, rather than analyzing how well the essay followed the rubric and assignment criteria. This taught me the importance of being more specific and focused in my writing. In future assignments, Essay 1 will help me be more confident in providing clear, well supported points. I understand the need to refer back to the text and elaborate on specific examples to make my analysis stronger. This experience will guide me in making my writing more precise and analytical in the future. Also ensuring that i meet the assignment expectations fully.

I made several mistakes and was super confused while writing the essay. I feel like I didn’t follow instructions correctly and have a weak thesis however I do feel like my essays in this class will improve more because I feel more prepared with every class I attend. This assignment helped me recognize I need to read to understand and to take my time because I tend to rush and feel flustered. 

Writing Essay 1 was a difficult experience, but it helped me a lot. One of the most important things I realized was the need to clearly identify the student’s thesis before evaluating their argument. Initially, I had trouble with this, which made it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of their arguments. Another key lesson was the importance of formatting. I overlooked both the student’s formatting problems and errors in my own work, such as overspacing. Which is quite important and I need to keep in mind in the future for the following essays. Overall, this assignment has helped me recognize gaps in my analytical approach and has reinforced the need for clarity, accuracy, and proper structure in my writing. I will apply these lessons to future assignments to improve both my critiques and my own writing.  

I have learned through the process of writing the first essay that I have much room for improvement. I think that while writing the essay I’m following the outline, however it appears that my opening, body and conclusion may not be strong or clear enough leaving the reader confused. Perhaps I even complicated the last assignment when trying to articulate the essay into my words yet act like the professor and review the sample student essay. I think in the future it may be less confusing for myself writing on a topic directly following an outline and I may come across more clear. I also think my time management skills mixed with study and tutoring need attention or perhaps trying a different study approach. I do like the poetry as it is similar to art and captures my attention span. Ultimately I have learned that going back to college and being the oldest student in all your classes and struglling is not the easiest thing to do all the time and yet it is the neccessary thing to do as to survive and prosper in life.

I recognized my first process was incorrect since I misunderstood the assignment’s main goal.I mistakenly centered on examining the original source (Márquez’s story) rather than evaluating the student’s reaction to the secondary source.By focusing too closely on the original text, I missed the main goal of the assignment, which was to evaluate the secondary source.Furthermore, I misinterpreted the arguement  of the Rader article, believing it was about the profound power of beauty when it was truly about identity. This experience displayed the importance of completely grasping the material before completing an assignment.Furthermore, I will pay more attention to the specific directions provided in my assignments to ensure a better grade.Ultimately, this experience has taught me the significance of reading closely.It really made it easier for me to fully understand the expectations of this class and the value  of formation .

Tahj Young Celest Conway English 201 2/28/2024 My experience writing Essay #1 was highly instructional. It helped me understand what will be expected in this class and the importance of structure. I appreciated analyzing another student’s essay because it allowed me to see how minor mistakes can impact the way our essays are perceived and how they can detract from the essay’s overall focus. By reading the student sample essay, I also recognized the significance of having a strong thesis as the foundation of an essay. In the future, I plan to focus more on strengthening my writing. I believe it is crucial to follow a well structured format tailored to each professor’s expectations, as learning new structures is a fundamental skill for success in any English class. Additionally, continuing to refine and clarify my thesis will help create a well organized essay with balanced and effective supporting evidence. Using these tools I’m confident I can succeed in mastering English literature.

When I was analyzing the riding in essay 1 it made me realize that I was indeed not putting all my potential and my effort into my writing as I did not follow along with all the directions as well as I should have. This assignment was a good lesson on how to critique your own work as well as you do others. I found myself being too focused on critiquing the student sample essay that I forgot to take some time to slow down and make sure that I wasn’t  making the same mistakes I was writing my own essay. For my  future essays I am going to most definitely take a better and longer look at all the writing directions and make sure all my thoughts are coming across the way I intended them too as well as finding better ways to formulate my ideas more coherently throughout the text.

Reflecting on my experience with writing Essay 1, I realized just how important it is to pay attention to the details. At first, I really messed up because I didn’t follow the MLA format correctly. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I learned that even things like choosing the right font—like Times New Roman, which I found surprisingly nice-looking—can make a difference in how an essay comes across. One big takeaway was the importance of reading the instructions carefully before diving into the writing. The first time around, I was so tired and just wanted to get it done quickly so I could go to sleep. That rush led to a pretty sloppy job. This taught me that managing my time better and approaching assignments with a clear head is crucial. I would like thank Professor for giving an opportunity to retry because having to rewrite the essay after my professor’s feedback was actually a good learning moment. It showed me how valuable it is to revise and be open to criticism. By taking a closer look at the student sample essay I was supposed to evaluate, I got better at analyzing content, which will definitely help me in future assignments. Overall, this experience has taught me to prepare more thoroughly, pay attention to the little things, and learn from my mistakes. Next time, I’ll make sure to give myself enough time for each part of the process—from understanding what’s needed to drafting and revising—so I can do my best work.

My experience writing essay 1 was interesting. However, I found it very difficult to find things that could be improved in the sample student essay, resulting in my essay lacking some details. I would find myself getting writers block and running out of things to mention or how to fully explain what I’m trying to note. I was focusing more about making sure I formated by essay correctly to avoid doing mistakes that the sample wriritng showed. What I learned through this process is how important it is to start drafting and fromating essays. I also realized how easy it is to stray away from what the actually question is asking and include information that isn’t needed. In some ways the assignment might change how I approach a future writing  and focusing more on making sure the writing is more consistent, rather than switching from different topics. In addition learning more about grammar and how to expanded my vocabulary without using my sounding like its “too much” or “unnecessary”.

Writing essay 1 was a learning experience for me. While working on it, I thought I was on the right track, but after receiving feedback, I realized there were things I could improve. One big lesson I learned is the importance of carefully reading and understanding  the assignment instructions before I start writing and taking more time to break down what is being asked and make sure my response fully answers the question. Another thing I learned is that formatting and citations are just as important as the content of my writing. Following MLA guidelines properly is something I will focus on more, especially when it comes to citations and including a Works Cited page. To improve, I will review the rules and check my formatting before I submit my work. Overall this essay helped me see areas where I can improve my writing process. In the future I will be more careful with understanding the assignment and following formatting rules.

Composition Essay 1 was a learning experience for me. While reading The Transformative Power of Beauty, I grasped how important the task of strictly following rules of structure and rightfully using secondary sources must be. It was not easy for me to identify strengths and weaknesses in the sample essay without making general statements. I needed to be clear in showing where the thesis was not accurate, where textual evidence had been well used, and where the student could have used Rader’s perspective. The exercise made me remember how important it is to address all the sources to be addressed, and not just the primary source. I also recognize that a good conclusion does not merely paraphrase, but one must also restate the thesis and leave an impression. I will double-check in future assignments in being mindful of how I frame my conclusions and thesis statements and make them concise, clear, and straightforward. I will also better incorporate the secondary sources into my analysis rather than adding them in as an afterthought. This activity has allowed me to be more capable of seeing what it takes to make an essay not only good, but interesting and well-supported.

As I thought about writing this evaluation, I understood how important it is to carefully follow the task instructions and properly use multiple sources.One hard thing for me was making sure that my review was fair, that it pointed out both the good and bad points of the sample essay. From now on, I’ll be more careful to carefully look over an assignment’s guidelines and format before I start writing to make sure that all of the important parts are included.This experience has taught me how important it is to read both first-hand and second-hand sources carefully in order to make a strong case.

I am yet not required to complete any actual writing for activity ten in the first week. Instead, I’ll be finishing a number of important assignments in order to prepare for my first essay. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s The Most Handsome Drowned Man will be my first read. I’ll next read Dean Rader’s “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” overview. In order to understand how to properly include quotes into a literary essay and create an effective thesis statement, I will also review the writing guide resources. I’ll also view the MLA Citations guide (activity 8) and the video on why formatting matters (activity 7). Following these steps will help me be ready to assess a student essay example in the same way that a professor would. This finishes my work for activity 10 of the first week.

After not having been in school for a decade, I feel really proud of myself for Essay 1! Having not written an essay in such a long time, I was concerned that I may miss something detrimental or wouldn’t be able to follow the instructions. Because of this, I kept rereading my essay and wondering if it was good enough. Essay 1 helped me prove to myself that I am capable of doing well on assignments of a similar nature which well help me be more confident going forward. Something I could have done to get a higher grade was to read the class instructions more closely. For example, I lost points because my quotes were three sentences. I remembered reading that a class rule is that quotes can’t be longer than three lines. But that’s just the thing I wasn’t absorbing correctly! Three lines not three sentences. Specificity is key, and I will be sure to be more attuned to these particularities going forward!

My essay was a valuable learning experience, and I gained important insights into writing. I discovered numerous ways to enhance my work, including the importance of closely following instructions and staying focused on the main topic. One key takeaway was the necessity of being specific and incorporating quotations correctly. I also realized how crucial vocabulary and grammar are, especially when transitioning between ideas to maintain clarity and flow. Based on the feedback I received, I’ve realized several areas where I can improve my writing. One major issue was my introduction—it did not properly introduce the title and author of the story and article, which is essential for clarity. Additionally, I need to ensure that I fully understand and respond to the assignment prompt. Instead of addressing the task correctly, I misrepresented the argument of the Rader article, which shows that I need to analyze sources more carefully before writing about them. Another key area for improvement is clarity and specificity in my language. My feedback contained vague statements that did not clearly explain my points. Moving forward, I will be more precise by identifying specific background information and evidence rather than making broad, unclear statements. Formatting is another aspect I need to work on. I overlooked discussing the student’s formatting and also need to review MLA style for my own work. This will help ensure my citations and overall structure meet academic standards. while my essay had some strengths, I recognize that I need to refine my thesis, improve my clarity, and pay closer attention to both content and formatting. I will use this feedback to strengthen my future writing and produce more polished, well-structured essays. I put in my best effort, but I also acknowledge that there is always room for improvement. Moving forward, I will apply what I […]

After rereading my essay with the feedback I received, I see the areas I can improve. When I stepped back from my first essay experience this semester, I realized I doubted myself through every step to the point where I deleted sentences that could have helped at the end. This overthinking led me to believe that I was being too personal in the essay, but when I reviewed it again with the feedback I realized that I could have used it to my advantage instead. This experience also helped me see the need to manage my time better. I will give myself more time to review each reading carefully and jot down anything that comes to mind instead of dismissing my ideas. This also extends to giving myself enough time where I can step back from my final draft and come back to it with fresh eyes so I can trust myself as a writer and be confident that the work I send in is what I really feel.

Week 5 Discussion board My essay was a successful one and I also learned a lot about writings. I have learned that there’s a lot of ways that I can improve my writing and to follow instructions and stay on tracks. One thing I learned is that it’s important to be very specific and use quotations the proper way. I have learned that vocabulary and grammar are very important especially when you are transitioning from one part to another.  based on the feedback that I have received personally I believe that I can improve more by working on my THESIS statement and try not to be repetitive.  This experience also helps me see things from a teacher perspective on how to get the job done correctly and effectively. One last thing that stood out to me the most is to always check my work based on the essay rubric grade sheet and always check if I followed the instruction that was given to me before I submit my work. Well, it was a successful one to me because I tried my best but I also learn that there’s room for more improvement, In the future I will apply what I have learned from my essay 1 feedback to improve my writing skills and get a better grade.

I get what we’re supposed to do for our next essay. When I was going through the experience of what are we supposed to write for essay 1, it was challenging. I know what the student is writing is still referring to the rubric. But it didn’t match of what the essay was talking about. But the rubric taught me of being specific of what the story is about. in the future, Essay 1 will help me prove more confident of proving clear concepts and supporting points. I was so confused of the topic and I didn’t follow the instructions carefully.

After reading “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, I would title my essay “School-Blocked”. The children who had moved from the south to the north seemed to be left unattended by the other adults in their life and ran free in the streets of New York. A neighborhood women whom had went to college herself, “Miss Moore”, found it her due diligence to spread her knowledge to school these children on the block they grew up and played. In my essay I would write about how “Miss Moore”, reached them, as at first the children were weary of paying attention to her and were very opinionated of who she way. They made comments “This lady moved on our block with nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup”. (Toni Bambara 1). With her persistence the she was able find a way to engage the children. One of those ways included enticing them into a car with five dollars after teaching or schooling them about money. This sets their journey to the store where they see a large price tag for $1000 on a toy sailboat and even learn about a paper weight. I found the paper weight discussion interesting as it leads to another discussion as the children compare dynamics of their lives and only one of them has a desk. I would also highlight their nervousness to walk into the store and yet their excitement prior to entering while window shopping. My essay would be about reaching the youth of the street, simple acts and the big lessons learned through the teachings of Miss Moore.

When I took ENG 101 Professor did not really teach about grammar or how to write essays. I got to learn a lot in my ENG 201 just in two weeks. For example, every page after the first one has to have header, I did not really know what thesis statement’s purpose is till I get to go through slides that offered here. I did not know much about the structure of essay before this class. I did not really know what run on sentence or statement fragment were and got to learn it here. By using outline, I know how to structure the essay, how to start it (introduction that includes thesis statement which is the main idea of my essay), how properly insert quotations into the flow of my essay.  After working on my essay #1 for few days and being successful at it – I know for sure Chat GPT will not help me with it and I’m once again will rely on myself.

The assignment of activity ten for week one requires no actual writing at this time. I will be preparing myself for the actual upcoming writing assignment of essay 1 only after having completed the multi-layered steps in activity ten which I will describe. First I will read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Marquez. Second I will read “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Dean Rader. Aslo in addition I will read the supporting writing guide material. I will learn how to write a strong thesis statement. Where and how to insert qoutations into a literary essay. I will watch the video on why formatting matters in activity 7 and the MLA Citations guide in activity 8. These steps will prepare me to act as the Professor and evaluate a student sample literary essay. This will prepare me for a successful part 2 when it is time to actually write. This will complete week 1 activity 10 at this time.

This is an amazing story wrote by TONI CADE BAMBARA. There’re so many important lessons that stood out to me. At the beginning of the story my focused was more on Sylvia’s and sugar and I instantly could tell they are two best friend who like to cause trouble around the block while they enjoy their childhood. Mrs. Moore was the one that shift my perspective about the kids in the story. Mrs. Moore took it on upon herself to educate the kids so they can have better opportunities when they grow up. She took them to different side of the world to expand their mind. The kids never thought outside of their neighborhood, but Mrs. Moore took them to the real world to show them the inequality that they are dealing with and that there’s a lot of money out there to be made. On page 6 states that “Poor people have to wake up and demand their share of the pie and don’t none of us know what kind of pie she’s talking about in the first place” ( Toni Bambara). This one is what clarifies to me that Mrs. Moore wants some of the people to stand up against the inequality that is happening but she can only show the kids about it so they can dream big, and I love the facts that Mrs. Moore is setting the example with the kids so that one day they can make better decision and get exactly what they want in life. The lesson I learn from the story is that it’s always best to go outside of your comfort zone so you can see the real world and that’s the only way you can find new inspiration and most importantly it’s good to expand our kids minds with […]

In an essay that would focus less on socio-economic issues, would be an essay that explores Sylvia’s personal understanding and growth in “The Lesson”. In the beginning of “The Lesson” Sylvia is very resistant and stubborn towards Miss Moore’s lesson about social class and money. Sylvia is confused and doesn’t fully understand the purpose of the trip to the toy store. Throughout the story she begins to understand theirs more to society than she thought. This change of Sylvia’s mindset is a very important part of the story. Sylvia understands that this lesson isn’t just about the differences in money certain objects have, but it’s about gaining self awareness of where she stands in this world. Sylvia’s mind being opened up to the harsh reality we live in something we all can understand and relate to. The need to wanting to stay in your innocents but being forced to accept the unfortunate and unfair rules of society. The title I would give this essay would be “Sylvia’s Shift in Perspective”.

As I read The Lesson, I didn’t immediately think about the deeper meaning of the toys or the store; I focused more on Sylvia’s attitude and the way she spoke. i realized that the things in the store were not just expensive, but meant something else. The store, the sailboat and the price tags were not just details of the story, but symbols that made me think about how the world is divided. The toy store seemed like a whole other world, almost like a museum where the children didn’t belong. The glass windows made it clear that they were outside, not just physically, but in life. It was like an invisible barrier reminding them that some things were not meant for them, not because they didn’t want them, but because they couldn’t have them. The sailboat was what stuck with me the most. It was supposed to represent freedom and fun, but for Sylvia, it seemed to represent everything she couldn’t control. The price was even worse: how could something so simple cost so much? It wasn’t just a toy; it was a symbol of power, privilege and access. What I liked most was that Ms. Moore never told the kids what to think, she just let them see for themselves. The price tags were like little hidden messages, forcing them to ask themselves questions they might not have asked before. I would call my essay “Hidden Messages.”

Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” utilizes language and setting in a particular way to move the story along it’s tracks and represent its main idea. As the neighborhood in which the narrator, Sylvia, and her friends/family is introduced to Miss Moore, there reactions aren’t quite positive about her. The narrator immediately introduces her as having, “nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup”, which highlights Miss Moore’s seeming disregard for appearance, yet mentioning her proper speech seems to be a trait that stands out from the others. As the narrator describes her further, she is often highlighting her flaws or belittling her. The story begins to take shape when the characters go out of their neighborhood with Miss Moore, who is “boring [them] silly” about the financial state of the country and the reality of their parents living situations. Though the characters seem to take no interest in the matter, being introduced to a toy store on Fifth Avenue (assuming in Manhattan) soon brings out their self-realization about their situations, and forces them to think of the differences in their lives compared to the lives of those who treat money like it’s disposable. In the toy store, the children have all sorts of reactions, yet one intriguing reaction had was their almost trance and disbelief. Looking at the price tags, they imagine the lives of those who would spend such amounts on simply toys, and compare the amount of money to how it would be used in their own lives. It is even described how with $35 Sylvia’s family could take a trip, or be able to pay for rent and a piano bill. These comparisons also help identify the time in which the narrative takes place. Considering how language is utilized, and the importance of setting being described in […]

During reading the article from Toni Cade Bambara tells us how a person is experiencing experiences within people such as inequality and telling the audience there each day of school. Also I would add Martin  Luther King Jr including the protest because people like listening to drama and protest that makes people want to argue and debate of different situations. Protesting will fall in the setting because people like discovering the time and place of the area where is being taken care of. I would title it Being part of a protest writing this title will make the reader make want to read more about the article.For example, reading the article made me wanted to know more about the setting and the problem. This brings the readers attention willing to know more of the article. The name of the essay made me think a lesson will be brought to the essay. Reading the essay made me interesting on how they learned and adapt to the challenges.  

In The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, Miss Moore, a well-educated woman, takes a group of children from a poor neighborhood to a fancy toy store, intending to teach them about marginalized realities. The children, initially unaware of the value of these expensive items, begin to understand how out of reach such luxuries are for them. Their once-limited understanding allows them to conceptualize the undeniable causalities of economic disadvantage having a direct effect on their existence. There is dramatic irony displayed in both Miss Moore’s actions—her knowing what the kids don’t know and aiming to spark thought-provoking enlightenment—and the narrator’s (Sylvia) reflection, where her narrowed perspective ultimately leads to further interpretation. For example, Sylvia mentions, “Who are these people that spend that much for performing clowns and $1000 for toy sailboats? What kind of work do they do, and how do they live, and how come we ain’t in on it?” This quote emphasizes Sylvia’s growing understanding that there are people in society who live vastly different lives from hers and the other children in her neighborhood. The idea that some people have access to wealth and luxury, while others do not, becomes a point of reflection for Sylvia. At the start, the children are unaware of the larger world beyond their own experience. But through Miss Moore’s lessons, they begin to realize that there are many things they don’t know. The story highlights how experiences can challenge and change a person’s internal reality, helping them grow and see the world in a new way. If I had the chance to retitle the story, I would change it to “The Wonderful Memoir of the Unheard Voices” to reflect the intersectional challenges and unspoken truths revealed by Miss Moore’s lesson.

When Bambara made Sylvia the narrator of his story, he was able to immerse us through a child’s perspective. He highlighted another side to the themes an AI generator would normally write about. Her encounter with Ms. Moore is not viewed as an opportunity to learn but as an intruder imposing her condescending opinions on them. Throughout the narrative, Sylvia expresses her disapproval of Ms. Moore based on other adults’ views. She describes Ms. Moore’s unwillingness to dress casually and wear makeup as another display of her superiority compared to the rest of her community. We can see Ms. Moore’s intentions in trying to educate the children, but from Sylvia’s perspective, we do not see those intentions come across clearly. This moment can be seen during the story when Sylvia refuses to discuss her reaction to the toy store with Ms. Moore. Sylvia struggles with her conflicting feelings of growing awareness over the social inequality she is faced with as a child. Bambara’s use of Sylvia’s point of view forces us to confront social inequality in the same way she was forced to face it through confusion and self-reflection. Through Sylvia’s narration, we also see another type of injustice when children are left to navigate these inequalities alone. 

I think most of all after reading The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara is Sylvia’s resistance to accept change. She is smart and observant, but layers her discomfort under sarcasm and judgment. Instead of openly confronting the discrepancies Miss Moore points out, she directs her frustration toward Miss Moore and everyone around her. This is defensive; it helps her feel she has a level of control, even as she begins to wonder about her world. Her secret rivalry with Sugar brings this to the fore; when Sugar raises her hand, Sylvia feels challenged and suddenly is made aware that her grip is not as steady as she has always believed. Miss Moore’s method of teaching requires her to think for herself, and while she won’t admit it, days even weeks later, the lesson still lingers. Sylvia hates wealth but won’t let go of the money she won from Miss Moore, which suggests a tension between her hostility and awareness. I would title my essay “Sylvia’s Defense”.

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara the story is not just about money problems; it’s also about seeing things in a new way and growing up. Sylvia, who is the main character goes with her teacher who is named Miss Moore and her friends to a fancy toy store. At first Sylvia is upset because she can’t buy anything but as the day goes on she starts to understand more. Then Miss Moore takes the kids to the store to show them that some people are rich and some are poor and that not everyone gets the same chances in life. At first Sylvia didn’t understand. She was very angry and confused because she wanted the toys but she didn’t get why some people have a lot of money while others don’t. So the trip makes her think about things she had never thought about before. This story shows that growing up means learning hard things. But Sylvia doesn’t like it but she starts to see that the world isn’t fair. After the trip she feels like she has to figure out what to do about it. The story teaches that understanding how life works can be hard but it’s important if you want to make a change. In the end of the story Sylvia doesn’t just learn about money. She begins to understand more about how life is different for different people. She’s not just learning about money problems; she’s learning how to think for herself and make her own decisions. A good title for me for an essay about this could be: “Seeing the World Differently: What Sylvia Learns in ‘The Lesson.’”

An interesting part of The Lesson is Sylvia’s language and how she tells the story. Her sharp, witty, and sometimes defiant tone helps the reader understand the themes of awareness, resistance, and growth. Sylvia comes across as bold and opinionated. She doesn’t trust Miss Moore and sees her as someone who thinks she’s “better’n the rest of us” because she is educated and speaks differently. Sylvia’s defiant attitude is a big part of her voice. She doesn’t like being told what to do or taught lessons, which makes her an interesting and complex character. When Miss Moore takes the children on a trip, Sylvia refuses to accept the lesson being taught: “And I’m really hating this nappy-head bitch and her goddamn college degree.” This unfiltered thought shows her resistance and frustration at feeling judged or out of place. Bambara writes in a way that feels real, using slang, contractions, and informal speech to make Sylvia’s voice sound natural, as if she’s speaking directly to the reader. Because of Sylvia’s strong voice and attitude, I would title this essay “Words with Attitude: How Sylvia’s Voice Shapes The Lesson.”

In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, beyond the clear social issues of economic disparity, the story also offers an exploration of perspective and growth. Through Sylvia’s eyes, we see how her understanding of the world is challenged during a trip to an upscale toy store. The lesson here isn’t just about economic inequality, but about how individuals come to understand their position in society and the complexities of those who hold power. The story’s focus on Sylvia’s inner conflict, as she struggles with her pride and the awareness of her own limited knowledge, highlights the tension between childhood innocence and the harsh truths of the world. This theme of personal growth and awareness is key to understanding the message, suggesting that knowledge, while difficult to absorb, is necessary for maturity. I think a good title for an essay about this perspective shift could be: “Growth Beyond the Seen: A Journey of Perspective in ‘The Lesson’.”

Some things I would talk about that is less socio economic and more interesting is Sylvia’s character development and how she reacts to the lesson shows her independence and room for development. Another thing I would talk about is The role of Miss Moore as a mentor and how she acts as an inspiration for self-awareness and challenges the children’s beliefs. Another thing is the symbolism of the store and how beyond inequality of wealth, F.A.O. Schwarz might be a representation of goals, limitations, or experience to different situations. One more thing I would talk about is the use of language and narration and how the way Sylvia’s voice affects how the reader understands the story and shows how she feels about things. A possible title for my easy would be “Beyond Money: Voice, Growth, and Perspective in The Lesson“. The reason that title is because instead of just focusing on socioeconomic issues, the attention is on character growth, story telling, and personal change.

When I read “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, I focused less on the socio-economic issues and more on Sylvia’s personality and how it develops throughout the story. What stood out most to me was Sylvia’s stubbornness and her resistance to change. You can tell by reading that Sylvia is intelligent and observant but she uses forms of sarcasm and judgment to shield herself from confronting the truths presented to her by Miss Moore. Even though she acts uninterested in Miss Moore, her thoughts show she’s paying attention and starting to question the world around her. I’d also look into the relationship between Sylvia and Sugar. They’re friends, but there’s competition as well, particularly toward the end when Sugar breaks in and surprises Sylvia. It’s almost a wake-up call for Sylvia that she’s not as in control as she’d like to be. The character of Miss Moore is intriguing as well. She’s an outsider, not only to society but also in how she’s going about teaching. Her method of getting the children to think for themselves resonates with Sylvia greatly, even though she will not acknowledge this. I’d title my essay “Sylvia Unfiltered.”

In Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson,” there’s so much more going on than just the obvious talk about money and inequality. What really grabbed me was Sylvia’s character and how she changes throughout the story. At first, she’s this tough, street-smart kid who doesn’t want to listen to Miss Moore. But as they wander through that fancy toy store, you can almost feel her world expanding. It’s like she’s starting to see things differently, even if she doesn’t fully get it yet. The way Bambara writes Sylvia’s voice is super authentic—it feels like you’re right there with her, hearing her thoughts in real-time. And then there’s all this symbolism, like the sailboat that’s ridiculously expensive. It’s not just a toy; it’s a symbol of dreams and the barriers that keep them out of reach for kids like Sylvia. So, while the story definitely tackles big issues like economic disparity, it also dives deep into personal growth and awareness, which I found really compelling. It makes you think about how we all have these moments that push us to see beyond our immediate world.

For the Week 1 Activity 10 prewriting assignment we are to review the Part 1 directions, Student Sample Directions and the Student Sample Essay.  From reading the Part 1 directions, it was made clear that there was no writing needed at this time, but the prewriting assignment itself involves a lot of reading and learning to prepare us to write! This assignment helps to get us familiar with reading a primary source and a secondary source, and to further understand thesis statements and using MLA format quotations. Reading the Student Sample Directions and Student Sample Essay are preparing us for our Essay 1 assignment. Essay 1 is an evaluation of the Student Sample Essay, utilizing the Student Sample Directions to guide our assessment. I think that this is a great assignment because it gives us a perspective of the person grading a paper, and points to accuracies and inaccuracies that we can keep in mind when writing our own essays. I am excited to delve into writing Essay 1 so that I can learn from the mistakes in the sample, and understand the viewpoint of an analyzer of an MLA format essay.

After reading “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, I am left with a strong idea of Sylvia’s personality and her perspective of the world around her. She is bitter about her circumstances, and points a lot of that bitterness at Miss Moore for forcing her to take off her blinders and recognize the injustices that are forced upon her. These feelings about her reality then actualize as harsh judgements for the people, places, and things around her. I personally believe that Sylvia places these judgements so that she can feel better about herself and her situation amidst her anger and disdain. If I were writing an essay on this concept, I would name it “A Slighted Sylvia”. At the end of the day, Sylvia’s expressed interest lies in what she personally has gained from the excursion, which is Miss Moore’s money. The coincidence here is that there is a judgement and jealousy of people with money, but for her, getting this money overshadows any outward commentary on the lesson that she learned from Miss Moore and their day at F.A.O Schwartz.

When I read the story, I do have a feeling what the reader what going through. At first, I thought she was talking about history. She was talking about her time at school. She was talking about school life, meeting her friends at the cafeteria and all the teachers she met through classes. The only teacher she talked was Miss Moore. She was the only black teacher in her school and she doesn’t have a first name. Also, she was wearing different clothes than most others don’t. Maybe, she might be different from other teachers. Secondly, I thought she was going through segregation. .I don’t want to go off topic but, I believe this is what she going through. In the second part, she was wondering to get some snacks for her students. But in real life, stealing is really wrong. At dismissal, the students were parting ways for their own future. This story might be related of how the author had experienced her life at school. Maybe I should renamed the story “Lesson: Toni Bambara’s True Story.” This story relates what the author had gone through at school along with her friends.

In an essay on Toni Cade Bambara’s The Lesson, I would look at the narrative strategies and character growth that contribute to the story’s overall impact. I would prefer to specifically investigate the usage of viewpoints, focusing on how Sylvia’s first-person narrative influences our understanding of her character.The first-person viewpoint is significant because it allows us readers right away access to Sylvia’s thoughts, showing her early resistance to Miss Moore’s teaching. Her tone gives an in-depth and versatile view of how she views the events around her, revealing her internal struggles and increasing awareness.I would additionally look into the setting’s importance, particularly how the difference between the community and the journey to the shop serves as a context for Sylvia’s shifting perspective.The combination of youth and spending delivers an understated but powerful indictment of current standards. The title of this essay might be “Understanding Past the Surface: Character and Perspective in Toni Cade Bambara’s The Lesson.”

When I started reading “The Lesson” it felt a little bit uneasy. I think it was due to the fact that language is used by the author is troubling. It’s rude and disrespectful. Therefore, immediately gave away the fact that these were kids of low-income families. I think of Miss Moore as a lighthouse. Even though Sylvia hated her gut, it seems that deep down she knew that Miss Moore could see something good in each one of them kids and show them what they really capable of. My favorite part is that none of the kids didn’t talk bad about all the people who could afford those toys in the store. Sylvia realizes what Miss Moore try to show them and for the moment in time she tried to fight back, but she (Sylvia) gives in to the fact that she actually understands “The Lesson” that is being taught. I would call my essay “Troubling Awakening,” because it shows the realization children experience is both eye-opening and unsettling. It suggests a deeper, more complex shift in understanding.

My understanding about prewriting is to be able to brainstorm ideas for what you want to talk about, it allows you to outline and organize your thoughts and leaves less room for confusion. In order to have a successful prewriting assignment you have to be able to understand the question that is being asked and have a good layout that includes portions of what can better clarify your thesis. You have to create a sort of diagram that gives you a visual mapping of your ideas and shows the relationship between them. You also have to make sure you have proper evidence, an explanation and reasons. Gathering information and evidence takes time and research. The purpose of the prewriting assignment is to create a smoother and more efficient piece. You explore your ideas, main points and generate a clear structure. Prewriting saves time and extra effort you have to make and makes your final piece well structured.

The prewriting assignment in Week 1 activity is to help us prepare to write essay 1. We will first need to read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” and an overview of the story. After this, we will need to review supporting materials such as the Power points on thesis statements and MLA citation.  Finally, we need to read the directions and a sample essay. The purpose of the prewriting assignment is to familiarize us with the material and set the foundation for our own writing, without requiring any submissions at this stage. -Shirley Miranda

The prewriting assignment helps us understand how to write a strong essay. Instead of writing it right away, we are analyzing a sample student essay to see how a good essay is structured. To prepare, we need to read “The Most Handsome Drowned Man in the World”by Gabriel García Márquez and then review Dean Rader’s overview of the story. This will give us a better understanding of its themes and meaning. The writing guides on thesis statements, using quotations, formatting, and MLA citations will also help us see how to properly structure an essay. After that, we will read the sample student essay. The goal is to pay attention to how the student explains their ideas, uses quotes from the story, and follows MLA formatting. This will help us recognize what makes a strong essay and what can be improved. This step is important because it allows us to learn by example. By looking at someone else’s work, we can see what works well in an  essay and what we should avoid when writing our own.

The goal of the prewriting assignment is to evaluate the student sample essay and determine whether or not it meets the required guidelines for proper and accurate completion. The class will begin by reading the text from The Most Handsome Drowned Man, written by author Gabriel Garcia Marquez and analyzing Dean Rider’s interpretation of the text. Then, we go through several PowerPoint. One focusing on thesis statements and another on integrating quotes into a literary essay. Additionally, we watch videos on formatting and an MLA citation guide to ensure we understand how to correctly structure and cite our essays. After reviewing these materials, we assess the student sample essay to check if they followed the guidelines and fulfilled the assignment’s requirements. Overall, this prewriting assignment is designed to help us students improve our essay-writing skills by refining these key elements, bettering our understanding, and enhancing the chances of overall success.

The purpose for this assignment was to read the story by Gabriel Martinez. Then, we had to read the sample by Dean Rider. We had to analyze the PowerPoint of what to learn what a thesis statement is. There is also an analyze guide and MLA citation guides based on how to put one or many quotes to make a thesis statement. Once we review those, we look at the sample essay of a student.

For the rewriting assignment, we need to read and understand the assigned texts “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and “Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man'” by Dean Rader. After reading these works, we will be reviewing several PowerPoint presentations covering the essentials of a successful essay. This week, we will include understanding the MLA format, effective thesis statements, and quoting in our writing properly. We will receive guidelines for a sample student essay on what the essay should be able to do for us. These guidelines touch on important things such as grammar, specific details, and structure. The compiled student essay is to demonstrate if the guidelines were followed. Prewriting is a great way to give me some idea of what my future essays have to feature in order to get full credit. The readings also give me insights in order to tackle the essay prompt and collect pertinent information for my writing.

My understanding of the Week 1 prewriting assignment for Activity 10 is that we will be reading an essay and grading it for grammatical errors. We will review the essay to check for proper grammar, ensure it makes sense, verify the correct use of quotations, and so on. The purpose of this assignment is to help us understand the grading process from the professor’s perspective. It offers a valuable opportunity to learn how to identify errors and improve our own essay writing skills. By critiquing the student’s essay, we’ll also refine our own writing. In doing so, we’ll become more aware of grammar usage, proper citation of quotations, and the clarity of our own work. I think this is a useful prewriting assignment, as it will allow us to see the process from the professor’s viewpoint, which will ultimately benefit us as writers. I look forward to working on the assignment and grading another students work.

My understanding of the prewriting of week one activity ten is I will be annotating and analyzing the student essay format.  I will evaluate a student’s essay to see any incorrect words grammar or punctuation. On a separate sheet, I will be writing notes of any missing errors or the student’s mistakes.  Writing the notes will reflect to the student on what mistakes the student made. After annotating the student essay will see the mistakes they have to focus on, so the next time the student reread their essay what are the mistakes they had made.  The purpose of the prewriting assignment is reading the student essay format will give us an idea of how an essay should be well-written essay should be written. Small mistakes such as grammar or indenting are added in an essay, but improvising them will give us an understanding of how to write a professional essay.

We must read and understand the assigned readings during our first rewriting assignment. These readings include ” The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and ” Overview of ‘The Most Handsome Drowned Man'” by Dean Rader. After we review these literary works we review several PowerPoint presentations that help us review parts that make up a successful essay. This week we will review the necessary MLA format, thesis statements, and correct usage of quote insertions. We are also given the directions for the sample student essay. These directions give us an idea of what the sample essay is supposed to convey. In these directions, the student was reminded of important rules like grammar usage and specificity of details. The student was also given a basic outline detailing the necessary essay structure. We also got the chance to read the essay after the sample student followed instructions. The prewriting assignment helped me understand what my future essays should encompass to get full credit. The readings prepare me for the essay prompt and be able to gather the necessary details.

For Activity 10, the prewriting assignment is about getting ready to write an essay by organizing our thoughts. First, we need to read The Most Handsome Drowned Man by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and then an analysis by Dean Rader, which helps us understand the story better. One theme that stood out to me is identity. We also have some guides that explain how to write a strong thesis, use quotes, and format our essay correctly. The point of this assignment is to help us think about the story and come up with ideas for our essay also understand what’s expected in our writing. So Taking the time to review the guides will make it easier to write a well organized and clear essay.

In week 1, activity #10 gives the instructions for an assignment that would have to evaluate a student’s sample essay, but there are many instructions before we can do that. For the first step, it tells us that we have to read the text “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, followed by step 2, reading the overview of the story as well which Dean Rader writes. We will then look at PowerPoint for the thesis statement and also learn how to insert quotations correctly in a literature essay (Activity 6). The reasoning for learning Activity 5-8 is to ensure that when we read the student’s sample essay, we are aware of the mistakes the student might make and can correct them, but also give them their credibility on being able to add these elements to their literary writing such as MLA Citation. After all is done with the instructions, we can then go on to read the student sample’s essay.

The prewriting assignment in Week 1 Activity 10 is about preparing to write your first essay. You need to read and evaluate a sample student literary essay, but you don’t have to write anything yet. The steps include reading “The Most Handsome Drowned Man” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, reading an overview of the story by Dean Rader, reviewing guides on thesis statements, inserting quotations, essay format, and MLA citation. After that, I will read the directions for the sample student essay and the essay itself. The purpose of this prewriting assignment is to help me understand how to analyze a literary essay, learn how to structure my essay, and get familiar with important writing skills like making a thesis, using quotes, and following MLA format. This will help me build a strong foundation before I start writing my essay in the coming weeks.