The content assigned to us.definitely broadened my ideas of every type of genre. For instance, “Cane” was very interesting to me because I suppose it would be considered a novel but it was very different in the way that it was structured. I think the dynamics of it adds so much value.. It gave opportunity to hear from different perspectives all in first person which gives the opportunity to intimately connect with every character.
This poetry selection thus far has also expanded my mind about what poetry can be and what it should be. I truly don’t think I understood poetry at all before this semester. I now understand the way that it is intended to be read, instead of reading it like a novel and wandering why I can’t get anything out of it. Not only do I have a deeper understanding for the original design of poetry, but with that information I am also able to appreciate all the stretches of poetry that we have read.
I expect short stories to be very simple and to have the goal of only conveying one basic idea but this definitely was not the case with some of the short stories we have read. For instance, “The Swimmer” by John Cheever definitely stretches the misconception that short stories theme’s are just simplistic in nature. This short story is hectic and has so much going on, while all at the same time effectively conveying the haunting concept of escapism in all of its’ fullness, depth and complexity.
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