Have I Grown?

Writing about literature always seemed impossible for me. It really did. I never knew where to start or where to dig for information or where to look for things. I felt like everything was simply up for the interpretation of the reader, and that could be anything. What was worse was anything that seemed too intimidating scared me off and I could never relax and enjoy those more complex readings. However, I was lucky to have two different English classes this semester that helped me see that breaking down literature isn’t super hard and it shouldn’t be scary. I’ve seen this in improvements I’ve made to my own writings, thanks to the hints and teachings from classmates and professors.

One of the first things that helped me realize that I was able to break down literature was an assignment we had in class, and that was to break down a short film called “The Silent Child.” I have always liked film and felt like I could analyze things there a little easier. Going back through my blog post, I’m actually surprised at the things I said. I see that doing this helped me see that I can do this same sort of “breakdown” through literature. I would have to work a little harder, but it was possible.

I think I made my biggest improvement by breaking down “Ars Poetica.” This assignment made me do a lot of things I would never do with reading something. It had me read and reread and reread again, sometimes out loud, sometimes highlighting pieces of alliteration or rhyme patters or off shapes of form. This exercise has honestly changed the game for me. I realized before this semester, I would never take the time to get to know a piece of literature. Understanding things takes time and effort, and it would silly to think that I could understand everything there is to know by reading it once. Doing this exercise helped me get familiar and comfortable with the poem, and when that happened, it made breaking it down that much easier.

I think that is the biggest thing I am pulling away from this semester, and how I’ve grown the most. I learned to get acquainted with pieces of literature, and to take my time with that. Rushing the reading or interpretations would make it sloppy and scary- which was usually the case for me. I learned to take my time and get to know it, and after that is done, it can be broken down a lot easier, and in that process, the piece will speak to you and mean more to you.