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Annotated Bibliography (rough draft) Essay

In the entry â€Å"Shitty First Drafts† by Anne Lamott from Bird by Bird, the writer advances that â€Å"shitty first draf...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The eNotes Blog 8 Latin American Authors and Poets You Need toRead

8 Latin American Authors and Poets You Need toRead As a student and young reader, I am often inundated with syllabi and must-read lists that beat me over the head with the â€Å"essentials.† One can only be told to read Twain, Austen, Faulkner, Dickens, and Hemingway so many times before one itches to rebel. What else is out there? There have to be other great books outside of the Western canon, right? Of course there are. The issue is that so many great books get lost in translation. Latin America in particular is rich in a history of struggle and resistance; this spirit is reflected best in its literature. From Borges in Argentina to Neruda in Chile, here are eight literary heroes who should be on your personal must-read list. Argentina Jose Luis Borges, Ficciones Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) is one of the most important figures in Spanish language and Argentinean literature. His specific genre is hard to define, as he combines elements of surrealism, the human condition, time, and the metaphysical. In his collection of short stories Ficciones, Borges plays with the idea of paradoxes that readers are forced to puzzle out. What is real, and what is fiction? Ficciones won’t tell you, and it might drive you crazy; however, I’m not sure that Borges could distinguish between the two, himself. Alejandra Pizarnik, Extracting the Stone of Madness You cannot talk about Argentine poets without mentioning Alejandra Pizarnik (1936–1972). She was a central voice in Latin American poetry during the twentieth century. The poems in Extracting the Stone of Madness, like many of Pizarnik’s poems, draw readers into her personal turmoil. Pizarnik has a unique style of confession in that provides no answers, only tension. We are invited into the poet’s musings on solitude, madness, and death. It is impossible, with her candidness, for us not to reflect on those topics ourselves. Colombia Gabriel Garcà ­a Mrquez, Chronicle of a Death Foretold Garcà ­a Mrquez (1927–2014) was simultaneously a talented journalist, short story writer, and novelist, having won the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 1982- he was the fourth Latin American to do so. He was affectionately known in Colombia as â€Å"Gabo.† The very beginning of Chronicle of a Death Foretold tells us that Santiago Nasar has been murdered. It’s the â€Å"how† and the â€Å"why† that we’re interested in, and we learn those details through a very non-linear storyline. It’s a fascinating story of honor, shame, duty, and complicity. How can a village allow a man to be murdered, when the murderers themselves warn them? Laura Restrepo, The Angel of Galilea Laura Restrepo (1950–) is a Colombian writer who has transitioned from political columns to best-selling novels. Although she was never afraid to voice her opinions when it came to war and negotiations, this caused death threats which resulted in a six-year exile in Mexico. To this day, Restrepo divides her time between Bogot and Mexico City. In The Angel of Galilea, we see the influence of Restrepo’s past in the main character, Mona, who is a formerly optimistic Colombian journalist. Mona is sent to the village of Galilea, in the slums of Bogot, to investigate sightings of an angel. Drug addiction, abuse, incarceration, love, and angels- what more could you want? Peru Cà ©sar Vallejo, Trilce Peru has a rich history of literary giants, and Cà ©sar Vallejo (1892–1938) is one of them. It is impossible to read his poetry without seeing Vallejo’s true inner nature: full of desire for justice, full of sadness, intensely averse to pain- his own and others. Trilce is Cà ©sar Vallejo’s best-known book of poetry. His poems often defy interpretation, or perhaps they offer too many possible interpretations. The emotion is undeniable, however, and opens the door for us to see how Vallejo juggles the power of language with the power of lived experience. Mario Vargas Llosa, The Time of the Hero Mario Vargas Llosa (1936– )is another recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Vargas Llosa is overtly political in his writing, which makes sense, considering he has also made a career for himself as a journalist and politician in Peru. In The Time of the Hero, Vargas Llosa critiques Peruvian society in particular and hierarchical structures in general. The novel follows four boys in the Leoncio Prado Military Academy in Lima, Peru, as they grow and come to terms with the fact that their fates are inescapable. Chile Isabel Allende, House of the Spirits Isabel Allende (1942– ) uses aspects of magical realism in her novels- novels that often are tributes to powerful women operating in situations where they have little power. Allende has had United States Citizenship since 1993 and was awarded the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama. House of the Spirits spans generations, social divides, and political divides of a single family. What is the difference between love and possession? Can there be love without possession? Allende explores the theme of injustice when it comes to gender, social class, and who is allowed to be self-determining. Pablo Neruda, One Hundred Love Sonnets Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) became known as the people’s poet, and it’s easy to see why- he was a diplomat, Chilean consul to Argentina and Mexico, member of the Chilean Senate, opponent of repressive policies, and prolific writer. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. One Hundred Love Sonnets isn’t the only tribute that Neruda made to his wife, Matilde Urrutia, but it is a fantastic one. If you’re looking for romance, look no further than the man who wrote, â€Å"I want to do to you what spring does with the cherry blossoms.†

Monday, March 2, 2020

How To Write A Good Definition Essay, with Topics

How To Write A Good Definition Essay, with Topics How to write a definition essay (Writing Guide) How to start How to write a main part How to write conclusion Outline example List of topics There are quite a number of essays that students are supposed to learn in high school and in college. Most of these skills are not just crucial for class work and exams, but rather they are also when it comes to daily activities at the place of work. As such, these are skills that go along the way into helping students tackle career chores with more ease. The definition essays tend to be long and thorough. Though it is not as popular as most of the other essays, it can prove to be a challenge. As such, where given a choice, students are advised to choose those words which have plenty to write about. This is relative to the lengthy nature of the essay and could mean that the student may run out of ideas before they can meet the length threshold. There are those words that have a definite meaning, such as book, tree or even glass among others. However, there are those that have a more abstract meaning depending on the person giving the definition. In an example, a word such as honor, love or honesty will have a personal and an academic meaning. As such, the word choice for a definition essay is crucial, relative to the determination of the amount of content a student can write about the same. The essay is written in the best choice of words for the readers to understand what the writer is trying to explain. It is important that the writ er does not use jargons to explain a word as they are trying to get the audience to understand. As such, simplicity and clarity are the keys when writing a definition essay. As such, the definition essay elicits a debate among the readers and between the readers and the writer, with regard to what the definition of a certain word is. It is important the writer is able to engage the audience in a battle to determine the true meaning of a word from a personal and academic point of view. Structure of a definiton essay Like most of the other essays, the importance of the outline cannot be underestimated. This is relative to the fact that the outline acts as the framework within which all the ideas in the essay are organized. It is also among the baselines which help the writer brainstorm on the ideas to include, check for weak links in the content development, reduce the time it takes to write the essay and refine the ideas outlay for the audience. Below is an example of what the outline of a definition essay will look like. Introduction Attention getter Thesis statement Body Body paragraph one: History and origin of the word Body paragraph two: Dictionary explanation and use of the word Body paragraph three: Personal definition Conclusion Following the definition essay outline guide stipulated above, it is crucial to understand the various aspects which go into making a good definition essay. Each of the sections on the outlines play a crucial role to help the audience engage the mind of the writer and vice versa, in the debatable explanation of what a word will mean to either of the parties. Introduction for a definition essay The introduction of the essay is crucial, as the writer uses it to help the audience connect with the debate and the ideas floated in the essay. The first part of the introduction is the attention getter. This is also referred to as the hook, as it is developed in a manner to get the attention of the readers. There are quite a number of articles that can be found online, among other mediums and thus it is upon the author to make sure they get the attention of the readers for them to engage with the article beyond the topic. The writer has to make sure they have the best start for the paper to keep the readers going further into the text. Even for the teachers, it is important that the student is able to keep them interested, which translates into better grades. Thesis The other part of the definition essay is the thesis statement. Like the attention getter, it is important for the writer to have the ability to develop a thesis statement which draws the readers to wanting to know more about the word. The trick here is to make sure the thesis statement is framed as an argument. In an example, the word patriotism does not mean that citizens have to blindly follow the values of the government, but those the nation was founded on. This creates an element of debate, where the author may argue, the sitting government does not inspire patriotism among the citizens. This is a topic likely to spark a sharp debate and makes sure the audience is eager to get to the bottom of the debate. The thesis statement in this case is clear, which means that the writers should always avoid being vague. At the same time, when writing a definition essay, the writer should ensure the thesis statement is short and precise. It also has to be a complete sentence, not just a ph rase that leaves the audience hanging, while identifying the purpose of the paper. Like an outline, the thesis statement is a guide, but one that defines the structure of the paper more than the outline does. The bottom line is that, other than the thesis statement being interesting, it should also be relevant to the debate developed in the paper. Body paragraphs The body of the definition essay articulates the debate established in the thesis statement an elaborated in the introduction. The first paragraph of the body paragraphs debates the issues regarding the history and origin of the paper. The first paragraph is associated with introducing the word to the audience and helping them to better understand the baseline of the word and what it to be discussed in the paper. The first paragraph also helps to prepare the audience for the debate in the definition essay. The second paragraph of the paper is associated with defining the word according to dictionary meaning. The author may choose to select a number of reputable dictionaries to use, in the definition of the word. The second paragraph is a section that relates to getting the meaning of the word with an academic approach. The third paragraph of the definition essay is associated with the personal definition of the word. How to write conclusion for a  definition essay The last part of the definition essay is the conclusion, where the writer summarizes the main points building the argument and then closing with an attention getter, by referring to the introduction and thesis statement. Finalizing definition essay To make sure the definition essay meets the academic and professional threshold, it is important to proofread the essay. This is to make sure there are no mistakes which could lower the integrity of the essay. When choosing the right word for the perfect essay, there are some elements to consider which include using a word that is abstract and has a complex meaning. It is important that the word is debatable and one which is familiar. The other important aspects include reading up on the dictionary meaning of the word and then researching on the origin of the word. List of topics for a definition essay: Love Success Honor Honesty Patriotism Hate Terrorism Farming Technology Laziness Cheating Marriage Relationship Family Rudeness Respect Sacrifice Boyfriend Wife Husband Girlfriend Home Fashion Beauty Privacy Rights Heroism Courage Fear Poverty Masculinity Feminism