Assignment 0

My name is Meggie Ryer, and I am an English major and Spanish minor. I like English because I enjoy analyzing literature as well as reading authors' works in depth. It's nice to be able to find aspects of literature that I can relate to as well, thus allowing me to understand different forms of writing and critical reading. Some poets such as Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and E.E. Cummings have also been easy for me to relate to throughout my English studies, as these writers aren't too abstract for me to understand where their ideas are coming from. I think there's a lot to be said about poetry, but what I find great about it is readers can relate poems to themselves in any manner they want. When I read a poem, whatever the poet meant by it, I personally read between the lines to get a feel for what the words mean and can relate them to my own experiences. If I write poetry, I try not to rhyme for the fun of it, but I just want to write simple phrases down as a means of saying something more profound. In this class, I hope to be able to analyze poetry on a more accurate note, rather than thinking too much about the abstract quality of it. Also, I want to be able to write poems that don't sound corny but can affect other people in some sort of way.

Aside from English, I like Spanish as well, because it helps me to understand another culture through speaking the language and studying the history and contemporary aspects of Hispanic culture. I plan to travel abroad to either Spain or Kenya, where I can use my ability to speak other languages to my advantage, immersing myself in other cultures.

I'm from Cumberland, Maine, which is a small town just 15 minutes north of Portland. Maine is not like what many people from far away think it is-- Southern Maine is not rural as is Northern Maine, as there are many small towns located around the greater Portland area. I spend most days in the spring, summer, and fall at the ocean, where up along the coastline there are great seafood restaurants and hotels. It really is the Vacationland.

I would say my interests and hobbies at school include photography, soccer, and lacrosse. On a more relaxed level, I like to spend time with family and hang out with friends, the usual.

Generally I have had good and bad experiences getting feedback on papers and other forms of brainstorming. Throughout high school and my first year in college, I have had mostly positive feedback on papers, whether it involved inspiring remarks or positive criticism on how my paper could improve. I appreciate honest criticism, and the more criticism I have received, the more I was conscious about my work and what it meant to outside sources; however, last semester I did receive negative feedback on most of my paper, forcing me to reconstruct my thesis. Because a professor rewrote my thesis for me, I didn't think it strengthened my ability as a writer-- I couldn't work off of my own mistakes but rather had to use his new idea of a thesis.