1. Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? The most successful assignment was essay 3 because we were allowed to unlock our creative freedom. I like that we were able to choose a poem of our choice and give a reason why we chose that poet. I also like that we had to write a little biographical information, I feel like that gave a chance to know more about the poet’s personal life, or the reason for writing the poem. The assignment was the easiest for me because it wasn’t the traditional essay we get, and didn’t require much formatting. 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? The work I feel like I could have done better was essay 1. Since it was my first essay in the class, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself and did miss the requirements needed for the essay. Also, didn’t know how to quote an author when stating evidence, so that allowed me to work on it in future essays. 3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? One thing I learned this semester is learning how to add quotes to my sentences that work grammatically. I also learned that you don’t have to start with “In the text it states” to provide evidence.
Octavia Kirkland
I think Raymond Carver idea of “commonplace but precise language” perfectly describes what it is to not use complex wording and still get your point across. There are times when the meaning can be lost because we get too caught up on using “big words”. One reading that I think expresses this idea is “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara. She tells the story in the perspective of her younger self so the language is more easy to understand. “So we heading down the street and she’s boring us silly about what things cost and what our parents make and how much goes for rent.” (Bambara). Even though the author is applying a Southern accent to their work, they don’t use complicated wording. The author was able to show the message in the story, but also made it look like a little girl wrote it. Sometimes we get caught up using Dictionary words to sounds smart, but in all reality we can still make our point by using simple wording.
While fairy tales can often be seen as harmless and whimsical, I believe that traditional fairy tales can negatively impact children’s development. They create an unrealistic perception of reality, reinforce gender stereotypes, portray idealistic relationships, and suggest punishment for not being physically attractive. The article that I chose from list A is “Experts Say Fairy Tales Not So Happy Ever After’ By Liz Grauerholtz. They stated that fairy tales promote more about beauty standards. The ones that are “unattractive” are portrayed as evil or jealous. Stories tell children that unattractive people are more likely to be evil and reinforce traditional gender roles* (Grauerholz). This interest me because multiple tales normalize people not being up to certain standards as being evil. One that’s famously known is Snow White. The article I chose from List B is “Good and Bad beyond Belief: Teaching Gender Lessons through Fairy Tales and Feminist Theory” by Jerilyn Fisher and Ellen S. Silber and “Rediscovering the Power of Fairy Tales” by Mary Howarth. Children can interpret her own point of the fairy tales and apply this to real world situations.
As a Black person, it did make me uncomfortable seeing that type of offensive language being used in the literary text. But now, as I grew up, I realized that it is necessary to include that language. Not only does it make the literary piece more authentic and its historical context. It makes the piece more heartfelt and gives insight into the cultural norms faced in a particular period. Historical texts show how people were viewed based on their race and gender. The reader can engage with the text and understand its historical significance. I feel like censoring offensive language could get rid of the message that the author is trying to portray. It removes the character’s behavior. We learn more about the context in which the story is told and the type of language being used, even if it’s not offensive. Rather than censoring offensive language, I think it should be used to help better grasp the issues it raises.
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.
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”.
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.
