Jon Ignatowski

Presently, I have declared an Environmental Studies and English combined major with an Outdoor Studies Minor. I am particularly attracted to Environmental Studies, for it incorporates a broad scope of relationships within the natural environment. I am invested in the sciences, but I must find "significance" within the science, applicability to present issues. I took biology 101 in my freshman year, and found to be a parochial pursuit. I desire the relationships science establishes to every other form of study (anthropology, sociology, philosophy), resulting in my profound interest in Environmental Studies.
In addition to the sciences, I am also largely invested in written language. I appreciate literature, but I find that writing/composition has the inherent powers of liberty and individual expression. I feel that it is necessary to study the work of our ancestors and contemporary literati, but the ability to express genuine thought and sentiment is a much greater ability. I enjoy the study of writing, for it allows me to develop powerful communicative faculties.
I am a resident of South Chili, NY (Southwest of Rochester by about eight miles). My home is located in a pastoral setting, composed of horse farms, hay fields, and an abundance of wildlife. My homeland has historical significance, for it was once the rich hunting grounds of the Seneca peoples. They were slowly eradicated from the land in the early 19th century, and replaced by ardent, weather worn farmers. Their work is still engraved in the landscape today.
Aside from writing, I am athletically inclined, particularly running and Nordic skiing. However, I mostly regard myself as a denizen of the outdoors, my "permanent address" per say. I have spiritual and physical relations with the natural world that I cannot replace with our human fabricated institutions, even if the institution is relatively benign. I find happiness in the outdoors, and my interests run in infinite directions.
I enjoy receiving feedback, particularly critical feedback. Complements are beneficial, but I find the greatest value in critical comments. My work has and will never achieve completion, for thoughts and expression are continually refined by experience and wisdom. I need critical feedback to show me improvements that can be addressed, and improvements that are possible. In general, I tend to favor critical comments rather than compliments.
I find great influence in the well-known American poets; Frost, Longfellow on occasion, Whitman especially. I also admire the fluidity and passion in Pablo Neruda’s pieces, albeit they are translations. However, I believe Thoreau inspires me the most, mainly due to his emphasis on simple thought and expression.
I find that poetry allows the writer to break the confines of typical prose, and use the paper as a canvas. Words are not only words, but “paints” that can be applied in particular sequences and patterns. I admire poetry that can be readily interpreted, poetry that paints a vivid picture, and inspires the reader to continue his journey into written language. I seem to avoid poems that make little sense or seem to exude spontaneity rather than skill. I like to understand a poem, not pick through jargon for hours.
In this class, I hope to expand my appreciation of poetry, as well as improve my poetic faculties. I often feel that I am inconsistent and rather sporadic with my writing habits, and I hope this class will give me impetus to express my thoughts poetically. In all, I am looking for a greater reason to utilize poetry, to adopt it as a formal though process.