Introductory Post

Although I am currently undecided with regards to my major, my interest is in the humanities and more specifically Government and History. Firstly, I enjoy studying people and their interactions because I feel I can gain a self-understanding from this process. The triumphs and blunders that key historical figures have made, for example, are psychological case studies which may help me better myself as a person. With respect to History, the marquee events of the past are as intriguing as the world’s greatest fiction. Yet more importantly, these stories are integral to an understanding of the world today – how it came to be and how it may further develop. In a similar way, I find the subjects covered in Government to be fascinating while at the same time allowing me to understand the crux of the present world and what may become of it.
I am from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Approximately a four hour drive from Ithaca, the capital of Ontario has roughly the same weather as Cornell. Some Americans may notice my slight accent or be startled by certain different customs – for example we celebrate Thanksgiving in October – however my country of origin is of a very similar nature to the States. Our television, for example, is for the most part made up of American shows and our dominant corporations are U.S based; as a result, our culture is infused with this one.
I like many sports, most prominently golf and football. They are two very different sports and I enjoy the former for its focus on mental ability and the latter for its contact aspect. I was on my school’s Canadian football team for 4 years and have played golf ever since I can remember. In terms of popular culture, I enjoy Pink Floyd, the TV show Entourage and am a big fan of Al Pacino when it comes to movies.
Good writing involves solid structure but at the same time a variance in pace and syntax. It has nothing to do with verboseness or complication. Often complication is a product of good writing but not vice versa.
For my first paper, I chose to write about The Silken Tent by Robert Frost, more specifically its last line. I chose this subject because the central image of the poem was fascinating and I thought it was a good basis from which I could effectively explore the main tension of the work – that between the woman’s freedom and constrictions. As I was absent for the first couple classes and had a day to do the essay, a more thorough appreciation of the poem might have allowed me to be more convincing and specific in my paper however I hope I was able to get my point across.
I hope to learn what makes good poetry. I also hope to learn how to best analyze it. Moreover, I simply want to be exposed to good poetry as up until now I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Lastly, I hope to improve my writing in every aspect as it is a fundamental academic skill worth refining.