My Dedication To Learning English Literature

E.M Forster stated that great literature “transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote”. This is true in that literature has the power to reflect on the course of history and have a poignant effect on the reader. English literature is my passion as it is life enhancing and encourages the understanding of different perspectives through eloquent writing. Shelley recognizes that writers “apprehend the true and the beautiful” while reflecting the values and aspirations, the certainties and uncertainties of the societies in which they live. Literature has the ability to discover life and deepen knowledge of changing issues of society, science, philosophy and ideas relating to life (like Berniere’s exploration of the current social turmoil that drug crimes entail in “Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord”). This ability fuels my enthusiasm and my urge to understand a text in a rigorous and thorough way and relate them to a diverse literary culture.

I am developing an interest in Renaissance literature, predominantly with poetry and how they explore themes of death. Jonson’s elegy “On My First Son” is a private contemplation that explores these themes sensitively. In comparison, Donne’s “Death, be not Proud” personifies death as an arrogant male braggart. I find the play works of Shakespeare provocative in terms of morality and judgment. For example, in “Othello”, Shakespeare demonstrates the animalistic nature of Eros and how it blinds and manipulates people.

I read avidly and engage with a range of classic texts and periods, from Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” to Fitzgerald’s “The Beautiful and the Damned”. Reading how the apathy both the Patches have for their lives results in a fate worse than death, it roused my enjoyment for writing my own critical responses to narratives. I am interested by Waugh and Greene’s representations of the triumphs and failures of love. The elusive beauty described in Romantic literature interests me as it reinforces the importance of art in society. Their representation of the purity of the natural world appeals to me as it reflects my appreciation of nature (Blake’s use of pastoral imagery in “The Blossom” is a prime example of this).

Literature incorporates my love for Philosophy which I have been studying at A-Level. Keats writes that “heard melodies are sweet but those unheard are sweeter” in “Ode on a Grecian Urn” which conflicts with the premise that existence must be a predicate of greatness in the Ontological Argument. Literature translates into other art that I am passionate about such as the study of art history and music. There are parallels between the surcharged emotion of Romantic composer Tchaikovsky and Keats with his “Gordian complication of feelings”.

Similarly to Lucy in Forster’s “A Room with a View”, I also enter a “more solid world” at the “piano”. I am pursuing my grade eight piano and have attained a grade 8 distinction in my vocals exam. I attend theatre trips and university lectures on philosophy, art and music. Teaching English to children in Uganda showed me how powerful education is and inspired my vocation to go into teaching in future years. To aid this, I volunteer weekly at a primary school and I help read with disadvantaged readers in my comprehensive school, as well as being part of the head girl team. These have taught me responsibility, leadership and teaching skills which I can emulate in my future English studies. Working at a Cafe in which I have helped run a monthly book club has enabled me to be involved with discussions about topical novels.

I am an independent and inquisitive learner. Entering the Emag competition developed my critical analysis of texts and I have written about topics I am passionate about (like the refugee crisis) through my writing for the school website. My zeal and dedication to academic studies will lead to a greater appreciation of English literature holistically.