Monday, December 3, 2012

Semester in Review DRAFT



This semester
During this semester, we have read and discussed so many great writings from Early American Literature. I have mentioned this many times, but I have read more this semester than I have ever in my life, and I am really enjoying it. One of our first assignment s was the essay of “What is American?, by Hector Saint-John de Crèvecoeur. A great piece of writing that showed how life in America was during the Revolutionary War. The struggles people were going through in their old homes and the struggles of life in America.  With this essay, Hector Saint-John de Crèvecoeur became the first American author to write an European bestseller.  Next was the great Ralph Waldo Emerson, and his work, “Self-Reliance" which states “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” A great piece of writing that makes you ask the question, who are you really? Also this week, we were able to read some of the works, of one of my favorite author’s, Edgar Allen Poe.  Poe who lived in Richmond, and went to school at University of Virginia, might be one of the most famous writers in American Literature. I still need to visit the Poe Museum in Richmond, and his room at UVA which is only 5 blocks from where I work. I was able to listen to the audio from,” The Tell-Tale Heart” and the poems, “The Bells”, and “The Raven” , all masterpieces that will be read forever.
Next was Thoreau’s essay, “Walking” and “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” "Let me live where I will, on this side is the city, on that the wilderness, and ever I am leaving the city more and more, and withdrawing into the wilderness". This was my favorite assignment, we got the opportunity to take a walk in nature and talk about what we observed. It was very relaxing and I found a new lunch spot by doing this assignment.

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