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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P7R-klGYV85lWQQsMd9J9eTmD1vIJmn7AC2hNO-fgJ8/edit?usp=sharing

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One of my strengths as a reader is my ability to connect poems to the author's biography. I know it’s not always best to assume things about the writer, but I also believe an author’s life often influences their work, and it’s fun to theorize about those connections. I enjoy thinking about how a poet’s experiences might shape their themes, style, or voice. As a writer, I think one of my biggest strengths is my willingness to try something new and keep working through the uncomfortable moments when something isn’t working. When I write something I don’t like or can’t figure out how to fix, it’s frustrating, but I don’t give up right away. Even if I’m not happy with the final product, I’m still proud that I pushed through the challenge instead of quitting. For example, when I wrote my Harlem Renaissance poem inspired by the Langston Hughes prompt, I had to use rhyme for the first time. After writing the poem, I really didn’t like how it turned out. I revised it and still wasn’t satisfied, but I was proud that I tried something new and kept working at it. Even though it didn’t feel successful to me, my peers helped me see that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I’m also proud of the feedback I gave this semester. I think I did a good job of offering thoughtful responses without trying to rewrite someone’s work for them. I focused on sharing how I interpreted their writing and asking if that matched their intent. I tried hard to use the "note, react, ask" structure in every comment so that my feedback was clear and useful and not just vague praise or criticism.

Something I find challenging is trusting my interpretations and letting them stand. This applies to both reading and writing. While working on the Perusall assignments or the CraftTalks, I often felt nervous about posting my thoughts out of fear that someone would say I was wrong or disagree with me. Over time, I became a bit more comfortable, but it’s still something I struggle with. I often second-guess myself and worry about how others might react to my interpretations. When it comes to revising, I find it difficult to work with what I already have. I tend to want to start over completely, especially when new ideas come up that I’m excited about but don’t know how to fit into my current draft. Sometimes starting over helps, and I end up with something I like better, but other times, it’s just time-consuming and doesn’t feel like real revision. Learning how to integrate new ideas into existing work is still a skill I’m working on.

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Connections Between Cultural Productions of the Modernist Time Period and Contemporary Cultural Productions

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Connections Between Cultural Productions of the Modernist Time Period and Contemporary Cultural Productions

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This is a quote from my Modernist Critical Essay. I draw a connection between H.D.’s portrayal of internal isolation and the psychological effects of our current digital environment. In The Garden, the speaker is surrounded by life and beauty but cannot connect to it, which is a feeling mirrored today in how people are addicted to their phones. People are constantly surrounded by connection yet often feel empty and disconnected. The speaker’s quiet frustration and suppressed desire for action reflect how many individuals today silently struggle with various silent issues. By comparing this emotional landscape with the one H.D. presents, I show how Modernist poetry can still illuminate the alienation and disconnection people face in today's age.

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Reflection on Understanding of Philosophies of the Modernist movement in connection to Modernist poetry

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Reflection on Understanding of Philosophies of the Modernist movement in connection to Modernist poetry

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This is a section of my Modernist Critical Essay where I write about how H.D. follows Ezra Pound’s Imagist theory. In analyzing The Garden, I discuss how H.D. applies Pound’s rule: “Use no superfluous word, no adjective, which does not reveal something.” I write, “Instead of going in-depth into how fragile the rose is or even what ‘cut in rock’ means, H.D. trusts the image itself to carry meaning. The starkness of the imagery allows the emotional impact of the poem to be felt indirectly, which aligns with Imagism’s preference of avoiding extra details to create a succinct and direct presentation of an idea.” This shows my understanding of how H.D. doesn’t just follow Pound’s advice in word choice, but also in allowing the image to do the emotional work without needing explanation. I’m learning that one of the core philosophies of Modernist poetry is that meaning doesn’t have to be explained directly; in fact, the power of Modernist poetry usually is found in what is left unsaid. By noticing how H.D. relies on minimal language and heavy imagery to express alienation or suppressed emotion, I’ve been able to identify key Modernist themes and how they’re shaped by the poetic theories of the time.

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This is one of my comments on Sheltered Garden by H.D. In this comment, I used specific evidence from the poem, like the shift in tone marked by the word "O" and the image of the "sharp swish of a branch" to draw a deeper conclusion about the speaker’s emotional state and H.D.’s underlying message. By focusing on the contrast between the delicate flowers and the speaker’s longing for something more wild and unrestrained, I synthesized this imagery with prior knowledge about cultural associations between flowers and female sexuality. I connected this with background knowledge from class readings about H.D.’s personal life, such as her father’s disapproval of her relationship with Ezra Pound. This allowed me to interpret the poem not just as a reaction against artificial beauty, but also as a metaphor for a woman’s desire to break free from restrictive expectations and take control of her own choices, even if they led to mistakes. This shows my ability to combine poetic evidence with previuous knowledge to make a more nuanced interpretation.

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​​This is my comment on Tract by William Carlos Williams. This comment shows close reading skills as I analyze the shift in tone within a single stanza by paying close attention to the poet’s word choice and punctuation. I notice how the stanza begins with an easygoing, instructive tone, shown by the word “See!” I then identify a sudden tone shift marked by “For Christ’s sake,” which introduces a burst of frustration and emotional urgency. This change is reinforced by the use of an exclamation mark, showing how Williams uses punctuation to further reflect the speaker’s frustration. Finally, I point out how the tone calms again, as the speaker returns to his more calm and teaching voice. By breaking down the stanza moment by moment and considering how each phrase contributes to the poem, I demonstrate an ability to closely read and point out the author’s poetic choices and how they shape the speaker’s voice and message.

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This is one of my comments on Risk by Anaïs Nin. I think this effectively shows my close reading as I zoom in on the different parts of one line to try to break it down. I first chose the line “And then the day came” and then zoomed into the first part of “And then.” I pointed out how this phrase points to a past since the words work to connect 2 ideas or events; one that happened before and one after. I then move on to the second part of the line that says, “ the day came, which is what the past is connected to; so what happened after. This kind of interpretation shows my close reading because I’m analyzing not just the meaning of the full line but how the author’s choice of small, seemingly simple words and phrases creates movement and builds anticipation in the poem.

I also focus on the line “was more painful,” which splits the poem in half and shifts the tone from light and full of potential (like a flower bud in spring) to something unexpectedly heavy and emotional. By identifying how the word “painful” alters the mood and challenges the reader’s initial assumptions, I demonstrate my attention to the emotional weight of individual words. This kind of analysis shows that I am not just summarizing the poem, but interpreting how its structure and language choices work together to create meaning.

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Hello and welcome to my Padlet! Throughout the semester, I’ve delved into what modern poetry is. Before this course, I’d written free verse poetry, but I had read very little poetry and much less analyzed it, and now I can say that is not the case. I’ve read about prominent figures of the modernist period as well as some of their works and analyzed them. I’ve also engaged in discussions about poets and their poetry to work on my skills as a critic. The content and practice I was exposed to this semester opened my eyes to the world of poetry and made my appreciation grow for writing in general. I had known that writing was power, and now I see it more as that. It is an incredible form of self-expression that continues to impact the world in great ways. With that being said, I know I can’t just say that I’ve learned something— I have to prove it, so the rest of this Padlet will showcase my close-reading skills, my analysis and synthesis skills, my understanding if modernist philosophies along with its patterns, my ability to make connections between cultural productions of the modernist period to contemporary cultural productions, and reflect on my awareness of the steps of the writing process. Sit back and enjoy!