A Course Reflection on Readings Essay

Total Length: 801 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 0

Page 1 of 3

Reflection: Poem, Short Story, NonfictionOne poem that has had a great impact upon me was Gwendolyn Brooks’ 1963 poem entitled “We Real Cool.” The poem was so memorable because it was written in ordinary language and packs such a tremendous emotional punch at the end, despite only being a few lines long. “We real cool. We/ Left school. We/ Lurk late” (1-3). I loved the ways in which Brooks used ordinary English, even though some of the slang was very old-fashioned to my ear. She used these rhetorical techniques give voice in the language of young people to a collective generation who would, in the words of the final chilling lines of the poem, “die soon” (8). The poem is articulate, yet gives a voice to people who might be regarded as inarticulate, by outsiders.The self-awareness of the characters that young death was always on the horizon, even though they were having fun drinking and enjoying music, underlines the possibility of using language to express a deeper truth than might be evident on the surface of their actions. It reminded me of how people often look at the younger generation, thinking they do not care when they are having fun. Often that fun is very desperate. I think this is also true of my generation. All of this is conveyed through the sophisticated and nuanced use of language, without telling the reader this fact directly in a clunky or straightforward fashion.
A short story I really enjoyed was Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat.” This was a very moving short story about an abused washerwoman. Like Brooks’ poem, it gave…

[…… parts of this paper are missing, click here to view the entire document ]

…Instead of seeing certain English as wrong or right, it was much more helpful to see different word choices as just that, choices, rather than something that proved someone was intelligent or an inherently good writer.All of these different examples of writing highlight that ultimately the most important aspect of good writing is to convey meaning, and to have an emotional impact on the reader. Sometimes, in the case of poetry, that impact is conveyed through the use of imagery, rhythm, metaphor, and implied meaning. At other times, creating a fictional story, even one with fantastical elements, can have the greatest impact on a reader as in the case of Hurston’s “Sweat.” Finally, nonfiction works like Smitherman’s writing can enable me to become a more informed consumer of the words I read and ultimately a….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"A Course Reflection On Readings" (2022, May 06) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/course-reflection-readings-2179690

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"A Course Reflection On Readings" 06 May 2022. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/course-reflection-readings-2179690>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"A Course Reflection On Readings", 06 May 2022, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/course-reflection-readings-2179690