Although the real-life translatability of many high school courses is up for debate; there is no doubt that English proficiency is a fundamental skill in life. Whether it be in post-secondary education, future professions or simply everyday social interactions, understanding and having an enhanced knowledge of the English language is something that can propel you to be successful in your aspirations and endeavours in life. ENG4U, as the culmination of all high school English courses, was a perfect stepping stone into the future: providing me with the means to develop complex literary skills. From the lessons near the beginning of the course pertaining to the language, structure and punctuation of high-quality work to the complex academic-level analysis of various renowned works, the effort I have put into ensuring every assignment was written to the best of my capabilities allowed me to understand my strengths and weaknesses and improve them based on the very timely and in-depth feedback from teacher Mr. Cohen.
One skill that is often overlooked is time management. Although I went into ENG4U with a somewhat sophisticated knowledge of writing, one of my biggest flaws was my ability to manage my time properly and submit my work on time (something I’m sure Mr. Cohen can attest to). In the production of my culminating project, I became relatively lackadaisical in setting an efficient work schedule for myself. While I ended up achieving a respectable grade on this project, I felt that it did not represent the entirety of my skill and that there was still some room for improvement that I left on the table as a result of my poor time management. However, I view this experience as positive. As I go into post-secondary education, I understand that there will be very strict deadlines for large projects. Now; with the understanding of what could’ve optimized my working process, I will be able to formulate proper strategies to tackle large tasks.
As the course winds down and comes to a close, it is important to reflect on what has been accomplished. Here are the five works I am most proud of:
Interestingly, poetry is my least favourite unit in all of ENG4U. However, my essay pertaining to the representation of nature within Canadian Romantic era poetry was one of my best works. In the essay, I was able to form a strong thesis and stick to it: a must-have of an analytical writing piece. Moreover, I picked out two great examples of the representation of nature within the era, in Bliss Carman’s Vestigia and Francis George Scott’s The Unnamed Lake. Through themes such as the human destruction of nature and religion, I was able to compare the two works and analyze the similarities and disparities in the language and structural features, such as personification, symbolism, imagery and various rhyming schemes. It was quite fascinating to look at the poets’ work from a particular view, aiming to understand their intentions and the methods they use to portray the beauty of Canadian nature. In all, I am most proud of this work due to the dedication and work I put into the assignment. Although monotonous at times, I was able to take my least favourite subject and confidently produce a piece I was fully content with. In the future, there will be tasks that I have no motivation to complete. Understanding the importance of putting effort into everything I do is a skill that will aid my progression not only as a student; but as an overall human being, beginning the next chapter of my life.
The writing style of author J.R.R Tolkien has always intrigued me. Despite The Lord of The Rings not being a central work of the ENG4U course, it is a true masterpiece of literature. In this hybrid creative/analytical writing assessment, I aimed to re-create Tolkien’s unique and sophisticated diction, build off of the context of the plot and employ the language and structure features he is known for, including but not limited to: vivid imagery, metaphors, similes, and captivating character dialogue. In my writing, I try to put emphasis on my wording and being able to describe scenery with great detail; very similar to how Tolkien masterfully created his world of ‘Middle Earth’. I feel that I effectively managed this, crafting a piece that accurately depicts Tolkien’s writing style and builds off the plot in an interesting manner. Furthermore, in the reflection portion of the piece, I was able to successfully analyze the methods I use and explain how and why they were utilized. Overall, this was not only an enjoyable piece to write, but one I am proud of as well.
Previous to ENG4U, the plays of the insanely famous William Shakespeare were always a subject of confusion for me. While I somewhat understood the analysis of the work, there was always a sense of perplexity when it came to fully understand the intentions and themes present within the play. When we began to read King Lear, I found myself improving on these previous doubts; I was able to interpret the various methods Shakespeare used throughout the work and confidently form my own ideas pertaining to them. The culmination of this was in my essay, where I was able to form a strong thesis based on the themes of a rise in morality and a fall in power for the character who shares his name with the title: King Lear. In my essay, I picked out three separate quotations from various scenes and acts of the play; analyzing features such as stage directions, greek philosopher Aristotle’s ideas of hamartia, peripeteia and anagnorisis, and the use of opinion and repetition, among others. In addition, this essay was the first time I utilized academic sources to support my thesis. However, I was able to pick out evidence from an abundance of different reliable sources that were crucial in helping me prove my thesis. This skill; in my opinion, is one of the most useful that I picked up throughout the course of ENG4U. In future writing; regardless of field, I am now able to find trustworthy evidence to support whatever I am authoring or researching.
Another creative writing assignment… can you guess what I most enjoy writing? Building on the points from the adaptation of Tolkien’s writing style; in this assessment, I was able to generate a clear picture of what it would be like for a schoolboy in Shakespeare’s time period (the 1600s). Using a first-person narrative style in combination with many of the same language features listed in the Tolkien adaptation, I employed the knowledge attained through studying London in Shakespeare’s time period to demonstrate my interpretation of what life would be like. Furthermore, I was able to use my own writing style for the assessment, focusing on the imagery and ensuring I utilized a variety of language features to engage the reader. As with some of the other coursework in ENG4U, it is always fun to take a look back at a different time period. From the romantic era to around the time of the first world war (All Quiet on The Western Front), the historic context of literature has always been a very interesting topic to me. I am quite proud of the way I was able to take this context and give insight into what life might have been like.
5. Unseen Prose Analysis - How is Suspense Created at the Beginning of Chapter 2 of "A Christmas Carol"
Finally, the Unseen Prose Analysis assignment. In this assignment, the renowned A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was analyzed, focusing on the beginning of the second chapter of the work. In this assessment, I go into detail once more about how Dickens’ language and structural methods (exaggeration, foreshadowing, changing the narration style) help solidify the themes within his work. One of the aspects that separated the production of this piece from others in the course was the time constraint. As mentioned in the title, the section of A Christmas Carol was one I had never read previously. Due to this, I had to come up with ideas quite quickly with limited knowledge of the context within the plot. Regardless, I felt that I ended up with a strong analysis of the themes. Moreover, I was able to hone my skills in producing work in a timely manner; tying into the aforementioned point of improving my time management for the future.
Bonus: This Website!
Everything in this website is tailored to my personal style. From the title, the font choice, the beige / cream and brown color scheme; everything reflects my personality. I felt it was important to keep a relaxed feeling in my website, as it provides comfort to the reader while also helping build a connection to myself. Moreover, my 'About Me' page highlights these values and interests, giving the audience a direct connection to who I am and how this might reflect in my work. This is also emphasized by the various images I curated to suit both my blog posts and about me page: further reflecting my aesthetic preferences. From a learning standpoint, it has given me valuable insight into how to manage digital content and understand the inner-workings of a functioning website. As society continually moves towards becoming more intertwined with the internet and digital platforms, I will have the necessary skills to excel and perform any online tasks with ease.
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