Attending this class is giving me the knowledge of American literature. Is the first time I am taking the opportunity to read about it and I am enjoying it. I can see the evolution from the beginning of the class so far. I am picking up the practice of reading older texts, which to me means a more thorough reading and understanding of the context as a whole.
“A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.” Henry David Thoreau. This quote truly describes my experiences in this class. What I am learning in this class, I fully expect to carry over to everyday life.
Learning about Poe, nature, slavery is giving me another view of the world. Beyond doubt, it cost a lot of fighting, lots of blood, many sacrifices, much stoicism and many vicissitudes, which have become magnificent triumphs.
As I post on my blog I can show the progress of my learning and the evolution of each one. I think the one that I could best express my opinion about something was the post talking about an American social problem (Immigration in America). Another one where I showed knowledge about the reflection we had during the week was the post talking about a full life (Living the Full Life and Defining Your Best Self.), where I inserted the nature theme and did a mix with my opinion of life.
Brilliant essayist and philosopher, Thoreau (1817-1862) sought in the wild, the primitive aspects of which are linked, their motivation to talk about what is living and being human in a society in constant progress. To escape the city and the "lies" of which we are caught, the writer decided to take refuge in a hut on the shores of Walden Pond and surrendered himself to the contemplation of nature in its pure and raw - a recurring element in his small (and Not therefore less interesting) poetry, which can be very well compared to some of the best verses of the great American poet Walt Whitman. Renaissance soul, since it was endowed with the most diverse interests, Thoreau, who was born and lived in the U.S., wrote treated sociological and philosophical; had inflection naturalist and stirred with the historiography and literature, besides being a poet. In the posture in relation to society and its behavior as a contemplative writer, philosopher preached around the rustic, primitive, simplicity and beauty of simple things.
Edgar Allan Poe was the most romantic of the major American writers. In his works, he did not bother to address the problems between good and evil, or to give lessons in behavior. He believed that if he were able to create beauty and touch the sensibilities of his readers, was enough. The poet believed that nothing could be more romantic than a poem about the death of a beautiful woman. Many of his works explore the theme of the suffering caused by the death of a lover. Another characteristic of his poetry is the music, giving the impression that the sound is more important than sense. Edgar Allan Poe is considered the "creator" of the police story, but its chief merit lies in the skill with which he was riding his stories. He planned to a good architect plans a building, involving the reader in such a way that leads "hypnotically" the outcome of the story.
This reveals the duality of his art and personality: on one hand "visionary and idealistic" poems steeped in sadness and horror stories and police. A man in a troubled life, dominated by addiction to alcohol and excess of opium. On the other hand, was a demanding craftsman, a writer who prided himself on his technique and rationalism that created his stories. It is this duality that the projects as one of the masters of world literature.
Participating in the general assembly is a big point of the class as you can express yourself and read the opinions. I have written questions and answered others. After writing about Edgar Allen Poe I decided to take a visit to the museum dedicated in his name. I have taken on a new found love for his poetry because of this class. After finishing this class I hope to pursue other English curriculums.
The Discussion on slavery I think has been the most intriguing topic thus far this semester. Slavery is still a very sensitive subject to many people as students could see on the General Assembly. There are a lot of questions still surrounding slavery. Coming from another country, we read about the slavery issues here in America. It was not until I was here, that I realized the issues still stand today. My initial thoughts were slavery was a thing of the past, but it is never more present.
What has helped me a lot to interpret the texts is the research that I make on the internet or in other books on the same themes that are being studied. Whenever I write an essay I begin to consider the points I want to address by summarizing the general idea, subsequent to I initiate to write what comes to me in the head, finally I edit my own ideas and text, making it a substantial and coherent text.
I hope to be doing a good job in the production of texts and also in how to expose it to the other students and professor. For me the greatest reward is to reach readers and make them interact with me so we can exchange experiences and opinions. Before I took this class, I would of not felt comfortable writing to the public. This class has made me want to pursue public speaking, so I can work on my presentation skills. I think by crafting those skills, it will help me when I graduate college and start to pursue my career.
I believe I deserve an A on this class for my hard work. I am always doing my best to fulfill the requirements as turning in assignments on due dates, interacting with other students, reading for the week, posting concise texts on my blog and participating on the general assembly. Last but no less important I consult the professor when I have an intriguing question and need help.
No comments:
Post a Comment