Portfolio Reflective Essay-Revised Draft

When I first began this class, I had a lot of misperceptions about it. I thought it would be boring and agonizing at times, but it has turned out to be the exact opposite. Between the reading and the writing, I have come to learn and understand more about American literature than I originally thought was possible. I feel that I have grown as a person while enrolled in this class, as well as developing better writing styles and expanding my knowledge on all of the aspects of American literature. All of the assignments up to this point have been very interesting to write about, and I love how the reading ties in with it. I have had some problems with the reading in the beginning, but now I know how to understand the material. Throughout this reflective essay, I will demonstrate that that I have acquired and improved my skills as a writer and a reader for topics in American Literature and the time period involved.

It is sometimes difficult to read and understand material that was written all the way back in the 1800s. What I have learned is to review the material several times and often do research on the Internet concerning a particular time period or a group of people, such as the Romantics and Romanticism. I have learned a great deal about the Romantics and Romantic literature. I find it particularly interesting how the Romantics helped to fight and justify slavery in America. They also valued the individual and valued feeling over thinking and reason. People are still like this today, but maybe not quite as strong as the Romantics were. The list of all the things that American Romantics did goes on and on. Thoreau, Poe, and Whitman are all examples of American Romantics. Thoreau was an American Romantic who had different ideas on many topics. He was about living the full life and defining your best self. I displayed my knowledge of this in particular with my blog post: http://cdelongenglish241spring2011.blogspot.com/2011/02/living-full-life.html. From reading Thoreau, I saw his views on how to live a good life. It’s not the materialistic things that are important as much as the little things such as love and family. You really have to sit down and think what we actually need, not want, in order to live a full life and be happy with it and ourselves in the process. It’s also about understanding the Sublime, and dealing with the obstacles that are in the way of living a full life. Thoreau believed that it was possible to find the sublime in everyday life, although it was sometimes a constant search. Thoreau was a simple man and did not need many things in order for him to have a full life. Simplified life made Thoreau’s life fuller.

While reading about Edgar Allen Poe, I thought what an intriguing person. Poe was a one of a kind writer in the fact that he basically wrote within the same genres. I often wondered, and still do, how his mind worked. Maybe being an American Romantic had something to do with it. What exactly is it about these specific genres that intrigued Poe to write about them? I think the reasoning behind these specific genres is that ghost, thrillers, and horror were the subjects that Poe thought about the most. It was easy for him to write on these topics and with his imagination flowing, you never knew where the book would take you. Also, it seems that Poe really believes in these things, and can focus in more detail because of his confidence. I also displayed my knowledge of other information in several other areas such as a post to blog called: http://cdelongenglish241spring2011.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-is-american.html. This was an important topic for me as it really made me embrace my rights as an American citizen, and just realizing what a great country America is. The freedoms that we have as American citizens are fortune. Many other countries do not have a democratic government, which is even worse. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. What a great place to live!

Another important writing assignment was my DB Post on Slavery. I have found this to be one of the more interesting topics of this class, because there are so many different views on this matter. There are many questions that come into play when discussing the issue of slavery. For me, the big issue is why this was ultimately necessary and why is it so hard to find a workable solution to the problem of slavery? I understand more about the issue of slavery now than before because of the Online Discussion Forum. After the reading and Discussion Forum, I can say that I have gained a deeper understanding on the issue of slavery. This was definitely one of my favorite topics to discuss, and I demonstrated this as I had lots of interaction with members of my class concerning the issue of slavery through the Online Discussion Forum. There were several disturbing posts when I first interacted, but after learning and understanding, I see why slavery was ultimately necessary. One of the topics that really hit home for me and brought out a lot of thinking was my DB Post on Nature. I really enjoyed both parts of this assignment in particular. I was able to be outside going for a walk, and then writing about my journey. It was wonderful to become one with nature and just soak up everything that it has to offer. Developing your own relationship with nature is truly is a beautiful thing. Too many people take nature for granted and we have done a pretty good job of destroying it and our ecosystem over a long period of time. However though, the damage can be repaired. This is both literal and physical. Damage to our ecosystem and Nature also ties with my blog post titled Social Practices and Problems: http://cdelongenglish241spring2011.blogspot.com/2011/02/social-practices-problems-and.html. I chose the topic of our dependence on foreign oil and global warming for one reason. It is a large issue that is facing America today and the years to follow. In this essay, I displayed how my writing skills have improved and how I am able to discuss things more clearly.  

Overall, I feel that I have grown throughout this class not only as a person, but also as a more experienced and developed writer and reader. I am able to discuss topics online with other members of my class, and understand the material. It is sometimes confusing because I feel that I have to put myself in that time period to fully grasp the information. It is not always easy when you are using to living in 2011, but it’s interesting to go back and think: What would I have done if I had been born in that time period. How would my life be different? They are all interesting things to consider and have helped me in my learning and understanding of the literature. An example to display this is more communication on the Online Discussion Forum. I really enjoy interacting with other members in my class, and viewing their position on certain topics. In the beginning, I felt that I was completing the bare minimum, but the professor has really brought everyone together to interact. It’s not boring…it’s interesting and fun at the same time. I would definitely have to give the professor credit for that. I also enjoy writing the essay comments for members in my committee. It is always nice for someone else to critique your work and let you know where areas can be improved. This also benefits me as well due to other people critiquing my work. Although there is still half of the semester left, I can confidently say that I am looking forward to it. I enjoy the reading and writing aspect of this class, and also look forward to becoming an even more developed reader and writer than what I already am. When looking back, I have already come so far. This alone is a great accomplishment, and can’t wait for the next chapter.