Another reflection…

Let’s see, to start off, I guess I would say that I feel a lot more comfortable with this class than I did at the beginning of the semester. I started out fearing that this was all over my head and there was no way I was ever going to be able to keep up, and while I do still get lost sometimes, in general this class isn’t as intimidating as I originally anticipated.

One thing I feel really good about is the research portfolio. While going through all those articles and writing about them was extremely tedious at the time, I definitely think that it has made me a better writer. I feel like I’ve gotten a grasp of how to write in this kind of format and critical style, and as an English major, this is definitely an important skill to have. Completing this assignment has also helped me be a more critical reader, as I don’t always automatically agree with author’s like I used to… I now look at an author’s assertions and question them and the validity of their arguments. So I guess what I’m saying is, while it sucked to write all of those critical reviews, they really helped me, and I feel more prepared to continue on the path of the English major after having done them.

On a similar note, the practical criticism papers have accomplished the same end for me, I believe. It’s such a rewarding process to initially look at a poem and have absolutely no idea what it means, then go through all the steps involved in a close reading: analyzing the diction, syntax, rhetorical strategies, etc. and finally understand what the poet is trying to say. I actually really enjoy doing this; I think poetry is fascinating, and doing criticisms like these is pretty fun for me, as nerdy as that may sound.

As far as the daily readings go, I admit I could be more diligent in completing them for classtime. If it’s down to deciding which class’s reading I’m going to do for the next day, I have been known to let this class slide a little bit. I think this is where my comprehension of the material comes in, or rather lack thereof. I know we all agree that 17th Century literature is difficult to read for pretty much everyone, and I guess I just tend to skip over something if I don’t understand it right off the bat. Awful habit, I know, but I get frustrated really easily by reading that isn’t immediately obvious or seemingly interesting at first glance. The prose readings in this class are particularly difficult for me. For some reason, I just can’t get into them, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. I guess poetry carries so much more hidden meaning for me that is waiting to be uncovered, that I find reading poems a lot more appealing.

Overall, I feel better about this class, it’s helped me become a better writer, and I feel more comfortable with my decision to become an English major. Yay!