Grade 11 English has been a long journey, especially since it was the longest term of the year. However, the best part along the journey sometimes isn't the end, but sometimes it's the things that you learn along the way. Whether it be new stories that you learn about, finding new words that you've never heard of, or succeeding in an assessment that you found difficult a week before. Personally, I believe that the most important part of that is being interested in what you're working on. This helped me develop a new skill this year that can be very valuable in writing, and I believe was the most important this year: understanding the true context behind a topic.
To celebrate these important landmarks in this year, I've selected 5 works of mine that I am most proud of.
Personally, the work I enjoy most is the kind of work that I get to choose what to work on and create to my liking. This was an example of this, where I combined Hamlet with the Martin Scorsese's mob movie 'Goodfellas'. This was enjoyable for me as it allowed for a unique creative output that I could create myself. I was especially proud of the adaptation of names, and the mimicking of the narration style used in the scene of 'Goodfellas' which allowed for a somewhat realistic adaptation that could be used as a comedic parody.
2. Poetry Essay
Next to my adaptation, my poetry essay was second-most proud work. I really enjoyed researching this one, as I found the stories of Shakur and Owen to be interesting. Personally I liked the story of Tupac the most, and it was interesting to see how his lyrics were so rooted within political activism, and generally was interested with his story. Not only did this help, but in writing the essay, but it also made it much more enjoyable. This was probably the most fun I've had on an english assignment.
Furthermore on the topic of an essay, I also enjoyed the essay I wrote on Hamlet and his madness. I found this piece very interesting to write as Hamlet is an extremely complex character and there is so many levels to his actions that can be interpreted. This allowed for a really deep analysis of his character and the events that unfold to corroborate and provide the basis of a good essay. Additionally, I was proud of the result as well as I believe that it was a pretty good essay.
As I mentioned before, I generally enjoy writing in a creative writing format. I had the same fun here, as 'Lord of the Rings' is one of my favourite series, and it was enjoyable creating this work. I was proud of this as I both enjoyed it and did well on it. Not only did I follow the writing style to my liking, I established an extension on an already developed world that continued on the theme of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary writing.
Another year, another piece I write on Red Rising. I promise this will be the last time (probably). I'm proud of my review for Red Rising, not because it was better than all of my works, but because it was the first piece of writing this year. While It may have not had the best writing, it set the baseline for me to improve and do better on other assignments. This was my stepping stone to achievement.
A Little Bit About the Website
When people see this website I want them to see a reflection of me, and my mind. My writing is meant to be a reflection of self, and I hope that my works can display that to anyone who reads them. In order to reach this goal, I just did what I would want to see on a website. This means that everything isn't hard to find, and its actually able to be connected to by the reader. Additionally, this is improved with the simple colour palette, and easy-to-access menu that still manages to be in-depth enough.
Although I have never taught you (and will never because you are well passed elementary school), I really enjoyed reading your reflections on the work you’ve completed in English. It’s quite clear that you’ve really thought about your learning and know how you learn best - a skill that I hope all students will develop. Well done and keep on thinking about your thinking!