Rose Brown Ms.

Ingram 2/22/13 Dear Alex, I have learned so much from this class it is truly more than just any English 1102 class it has helped make me the person I am today. Throughout this semester this class has not only required us to write essays, annotated bibliographies, and blog post but it has required some sort of soul searching and helped us truly step back and self-analyze ourselves whether that be that we live our everyday lives with an imaginary audience or truly live out a personal fable. This class has been very therapeutic, educational, and helps one not only learn how to truly analyze their work through peer workshops and revision but also how to analyze things on and off paper. Through many assignments assigned in this class I have learned different tools to use when writing as well as in my everyday life when it comes to decision making (not always major decisions) and even techniques you might use in a paper. An example of using techniques you might use in a paper in real life would be tools such as diction, tone, theme, syntax, and imagery. I use diction in every conversation whether that be through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Weebly, phone calls, or even text. I have learned to even use tone outside of English class in conversations with other people not that tone has not mattered before because it definitely has but now I am more aware or cautious on how I approach subjects with other individuals such as my peers or other adults. My use of theme has truly expanded although one might consider this childlike or immature now in everyday life I look at my day as a theme such as if my day is going bad I might look at the theme as the song Survivor and then the theme for the day for me would be Survive push through all the bs and crap and not give up! My use of syntax has also expanded in that I try to talk in sentences and not only sentences but sentences that make sense not slang and texting terms. I also have begun to take advantage of the writing tool imagery in my conversations so I not only captivate the audiences attention I keep it with my use of imagery so now they are visualizing it in their head and waiting for what I am about to say next.

I have learned everything through the many different assignments in this class from the free-writes and blog post it has allowed me the freedom to explore different subjects as well as myself but also has taught me boundaries when it comes to my work so I do not go off subject and if I do, I know how to put myself back on the right tracks and pull my reader back in. Through peer workshops which we have been doing a lot lately although it was never stated I have learned that there is a relationship between the writer and the reader. The relationship does not have to be perfect nor do both partners have to see eye to eye but they do have to listen to one another. The reader obviously has to listen to the writer because they are an audience they chose to be a part of. The reader has to listen to the reader in order to reach a bigger audience than themselves and plus if they want revision other than their own they have to take into account the readers perspective and suggestions as well as critique. Intellectual growth and maturity has definitely played a huge role for me throughout this course thus far in and out of class. I have not truly self-reflected as much till I enrolled in this class and now that I have I am discovering new things about my writing and myself every day. With intellectual growth and maturity my papers have not only gotten greater in length but also in quality. Quality meaning not onl the subject or theme I am addressing in the paper but its overall effect on the reader both clarity wise and did I persuade the reader to experience things from my perspective. Writing process and revision has aso played a huge role for me in this class, one thing I have learned from English 1101 was that I need to revise, revise, revise and I am glad that Ms. Ingram reiterated this because it not only embedded itself in my brain but also in my heat. Now I strive in class to revise my essays and papers and out of class revise my life so not only does it look better and clearer but do the decisions and choices I make, make sense to me or those around especially since I am striving to be a role model. Learning for me has not only been from the different assignments in this class but also from the things that were not assigned such as just listening to Ms. Ingram talk about things pertaining to class and not pertaining to class definitely inspired me to research deeper into the subjects she was talking about, taking an endeavor of the mind and heart. The biggest endeavor I have took while in this class of the mind and heart has

definitely been the Whats It Like To Be You essay. In this essay I reached down deep deep into the depths of my soul traveling down into an abyss that I rather had truly left alone and never revisited. Despite my hearts capacity I reached down to write the essay since the essay was about me I decided to talk about my trials, tribulations, and triumphs since that is all my life has ever been about mainly trials and tribulations. Here is an excerpt from my paper in which I wrote a poem to describe the way I felt concerning a relationship in which an ex of mine ended for reasons to this day I do not know Grabbing the pavement with my face, looking at the phone like its to blame Fetal position upon the hard ground like it was a womb that kept me safe And I just cried in the womb slowly drowning in heartbreak Felt like I killed myself but at the same time it was a rebirth a new name I do not think but I honestly know that is very useful to use the things I have learned in this letter because without them I would not be the same person, I would not act the same way, or even react the same way. With everything I have learned which was discussed in this letter I can truly be successful if I not only acknowledge I now have these tools to work with but if I truly use them I will progress as a writer and as an individual. What does it Mean To Be Healthy? has been the central theme in this class the entire semester and with everything Ms. Ingram has taught I have learned what it means to be healthy. To be Healthy is to be many things such as to eat right, to not be obese, to work out daily, to not smoke or drink, or to even be alive but to me I see healthiness as a virtue that we all want but can never truly accomplish till we are at peace with ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Sincerely, Rose J