Abhijit Mehta
Writing 20
Reflection on work done this semester
My Writing 20 class this semester has given me the opportunity to become a more effective writer. Writing numerous informal assignments and two major essays has allowed me to both practice the mechanics of writing and to improve my writing style. I have become much better at clearly stating an agenda and outlining a “map” for an essay and at using my essays to introduce new ideas that a reader would not be able to get from only reading my introduction. However, I think that the greatest asset that I have developed throughout this course is the ability to bring my opinions and personality into my writing, and this can be seen by comparing my w1 and w2 assignments.
My w1 essay was about the difference between Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” and the Simpsons episode that satirized that poem. My first draft of w1 sounded very much like an essay that one would churn out for a high school English class. In it, I merely described what the differences were between the two versions, without adding any of my own interpretation or opinions. The final draft of w1 was much better, but it was evident that my interpretation had been added into the framework of the original essay, rather than being an integral part of the essay. (Click here for a specific reflection on the development of w1.)
When I was writing the first draft of my w2, I tried to incorporate my own opinions into the essay from the beginning. The entire topic of my w2 was to describe words used by mathematicians and physicists how the use of those words reflects a playfulness in mathematicians and physicists. Since I have grown up with a lot of the “math language” that I talk about in w2 I have seen people be confused by it. I wanted to use my essay share some of the love and enthusiasm that I have for math, and so even though my essay developed quite a bit from the first to the third draft, (click here for a reflection on the development of w2), my interpretations and opinions were an integral part of the essay from the beginning, rather than an afterthought.
For example, we can compare the introduction of my first essay to the introduction of my second essay. It is very telling that while w1 starts with a very matter-of-fact set of sentences, w2 starts with my actual opinions and personality. That difference shows some of how I went from dry description to actively taking part in my essays.
Another indication of my development as a writer is seen by comparing my conclusion paragraphs. My w1 has a conclusion that basically summarizes the important ideas of my paper, and while it leaves the reader with something to think about, it is very short and to the point. The conclusion of w2, on the other hand, uses the entire essay to try to show the reader why it is so important for the common person to try to understand the playful attitude of mathematicians and physicists.
When I wrote w1, I was still getting used to expressing my own opinions and ideas. By the time I began to work on w2, I was relatively comfortable with expressing my own views on paper. I believe that the ability to express my opinions and to work them into a logical paper is one of the most useful things that I have learned this semester, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to develop that abililty.