A forum submission for my online English class. looking for comments on gra

The following is about the subject of my thought process as related to the interpretation of literary text, and in this case, the section in our assigned book titled “Introduction to The Elements of Literature.” :



I approach the task of reading with the confidence that I have a brain, which is fully capable of digesting the material involved, even if that material includes areas, which are initially quite alien to me. I begin by focusing on becoming as relaxed as possible, a form of meditation. I then read the text making sure not to focus too much on any “unfamiliar” references to historical periods, words, etc. At this stage, I simply read without burdening myself with the knowledge that I am not an expert literary critic or even so much as an amateur critic. Once I have passively taken in the text, I allow my mind to go back over areas that seemed unfamiliar to me.



For instance, it was not as necessary for me to be very familiar with Aristotle’s Poetics as to understand the context within which the reference exists. In this case, the reference to Aristotle’s famous work allows the reader to understand that history has influenced the terminology of literature. This way, we understand that literary terms do not exist in a vacuum, that a human very much like ourselves, had created the groundwork for our understanding and communication concerning different forms of art, however ancient and imperfect.



Thus, what I have written until now is my approach to dissecting a piece of text. As I did with putting Aristotle in perspective within the reading, I might do with other particulars with which I am not specifically knowledgeable. Once I have all these “pieces” in their proper place, I can move on to grasping the general idea. I look for recurrent words or themes that stand out in my mind. The word “feeling” seemed to stand out for me, allowing me to connect more deeply to the idea that the author is trying to convey; the idea that reading and writing is not a robotic and lifeless endeavor, but that it should involve self-reflection and growth.



Afterward, I may go on to do more research on the features of the text such as Aristotle and his Poetics or the terminology of literature itself. I may go to an encyclopedia and read about Aristotle, who he was, what he believed, and how he fits into literary or dramatic art today, or I may use any of the vast resources on the internet to learn more.



Finally, I wrote the preceding text hoping to be faithful to my mind's voice. I must confess, I enjoy listening to my mental voice as I write.