Essay on Personal Statement of a Literature Reader

I have always been passionate about English Language and Literature and am equally fascinated by the scientific linguistic study and the variety of literary genres involved and how the two collate. As a voracious reader myself, I enjoy exploring the ways the features of language are used in Literature to challenge, inspire and educate. From my GCSE years I have known that I wish to pursue a joint course of this nature to degree level. I am keen to analyse my favourite literature with further knowledge of the linguistic techniques used and gain additional insight into what makes the best texts so timeless and effective. On my English Language course at A Level, I have been introduced to the concept of categorising texts which includes†¦show more content†¦Both subjects have enhanced my essay writing; I enjoy developing the structure of a well-balanced and logical response and then employing relevant textual evidence to support my argument. My courses at A Level fuelled a desire to read the works of other prominent writers throughout the years. Recently I have enjoyed exploring Arthur Millers views on the individuals frustration with social constraints and have found the poetry of Auden to be a powerful reminder of hard times in the past. My favourite works are often those which feature a poignant satirical or political message, which still resonate today, for example Jane Austen. My study of poetry has enhanced my appreciation skills such as the employment of figurative language and the differing poetic techniques employed by writers of the Romantic period such as Wordsworth and Blake. I have participated in two work placements where I developed my interpersonal, communication and co-operative skills; for example in a music retail store I was responsible for demonstrating keyboard instruments to customers and in a local bookshop I was trusted with handling money. I look forward this year to a two-week placement at Manchester Evening News where I will shadow the work of professional journalists and gain insight into my chosen profession. I have participated in a variety of enhancements at school, ranging from giving literacy support to younger students before their GCSE exams andShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe And The Cask Of Amontillado1384 Words   |  6 Pagesremarkable literature writer. The Raven, Annabel Lee, and The Cask of Amontillado are just a few of Poe’s work that staples the theme of gothic literature. This essay will allow you to see the gothic elements Edgar Allan Poe uses through his most common poems. Gothic literature has many elements which play into its definition. The actual definition is a style of writing that is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom. (19th Century) There are three main types of gothic literature. TheseRead MoreGood Readers Good Writers1199 Words   |  5 PagesNabokov: Providing a Flood and Lifeboat In Nabokov’s 1948 â€Å"Good Readers and Good Writers,† the reader has the opportunity to view the possibilities of a beautiful collision of a major reader and a major writer. This piece discusses reading and writing: skills that have become standardized and slightly devalued as education has advanced. Literacy has become so expected that little thought is put into what defines a good reader or writer; Nabokov tackles this idea head on. Nabokov’s intentionRead MoreUnderstanding the Background of Meeting at an Airport by Taha Muhammad Ali668 Words   |  3 Pagespieces of literature outside its historical context; however, it is more beneficial if the reader has background knowledge. Taha Muhammad Ali was a Palestinian poet that was born in 1931. He grew up in Saffuriya, Galilee which is located in the Middle East. Ali was self-taught through his readings of classical Arabic literature, American fiction, and English poetry. Ali then began to write poems in th e 1970s. He wrote a poem entitled â€Å"Meeting at an Airport† which is based on his personal experiencesRead MoreA Modest Proposal Essay1335 Words   |  6 PagesMatt Peyton Mrs. McLelland AP Literature and Composition - 2nd November 11, 2017 Psychoanalytical New Criticism For all of time people comprised of evil ideologies have inhabited the earth, lurking in the shadows of the honest people in the world. Despite the suffering of others, power and personal gain is the ultimate goal of these corrupt human beings. Through the lens of new criticism, the two pieces of literature, Brave New World and â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† use literary devices such as imageryRead MoreLiterature And Everyday Life : Toni Morrison s The Dark, And White Privilege And Male Privilege Essay1699 Words   |  7 Pagesplays in literature to its looming existence in our everyday lives, race has an undeniable influence on many aspects of our lives. Toni Morrison and Peggy McIntosh, a writer and an activist respectively, both have the urge to understand this presence and impact of race in literature and everyday life specifically. Through self-reflection and attempts to see from others’ perspectives, both Morrison and McIntosh manage to answer their own questions regarding race and its role in literature and everydayRead MoreThe Shack By William P. Young1619 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween how general readers read and interpret the content of this book and how conservative Christian readers look at it. The divergence of viewpoint on The Shack represents an interesting matter as such a conflict might be seen as negatively affecting the popularity of this book, but that has not been the case. Analysis of The Shack will focus on the the two different reactions to this book, positive by many personal readers but negative by conservative Christian readers. To begin with, oneRead MoreEssay On Its More Than Just Rain Or Snow1748 Words   |  7 Pagesso important about rain? Rain is never just rain, but what comes with rain is what makes a story what it is, because rain forms the setting and starts to form emotion in the reader. Rain can be scary, cleansing, or just annoying, but with each of these types of rain comes a different setting and this can lead to the reader experiencing different thoughts about the storyline and the book itself. With rain comes floods, mud, cleaning, re-birth, and many more, so when an author describes a rain sceneRead MoreThe Formalist Critics, by Cleanth Brooks1513 Words   |  7 Pagesintrinsically obvious points of works of literature if we view the work through the different lenses of literary theory, however we are always viewing the literary work through a subjective lens, since the author and the critic cannot subjectively separate themselves from themselves and in making these points he contradicts himself. Cleanth Brooks starts his essay by listing â€Å"articles of faith I could subscribe to† (Brooks 19) and pointing out statements about literary criticism that might go withRead MoreThe Theories Of New Criticism1472 Words   |  6 Pagespreeminent approach to teaching literature in college and high school curricula. Centered on the idea that there is a single, fixed meaning inherent in a literary work, New Criticism is text centered with no consideration given to the author or the reader. The text exists in and of itself, and New Critics advocate methodical and systematic reading, focusing on the structure of the text to define its meaning (Definition, n.d.). Louise Rosenblatt’s groundbreaking work in Literature as Exploration (1938/1995)Read MoreRyan Smithsons Ghost of War1099 Words   |  4 Pageswritten becomes obvious. The major issue with war literature is that the everyday civilian has no problem reading it however they are unable to connect to it. Typical war literature is to inform but the information is lost along the way with the abundance of bloody battles and psychological break downs. Powers has written war literature made to draw in the reader and keep his/her attention. However with Ghosts of War Smithson has given the reader a book that they can connect to while telling a true