formal writing
milton one-word
cover letter
For my one-word Milton essay, I chose the word ‘Serpent’, and argued for its significance as a descriptor of the central issue of the text, Satan’s role as the adversary. At first, it was difficult to switch mental gears back to Paradise Lost, but after re-reading some of the poem with my annotations, I knew that I wanted to examine the dialectical nature of Satan and God. In my essay, I moved between defining my word and examining Satan’s other names, and connecting these ideas with the larger concepts from the text. I did struggle with making this transition smooth and understandable, and I look forward to peer feedback about the effectiveness of my argument.
writing
cover letter
For my one-word Milton essay, I chose the word ‘Serpent’, and argued for its significance as a descriptor of the central issue of the text, Satan’s role as the adversary. At first, it was difficult to switch mental gears back to Paradise Lost, but after re-reading some of the poem with my annotations, I knew that I wanted to examine the dialectical nature of Satan and God. In my essay, I moved between defining my word and examining Satan’s other names, and connecting these ideas with the larger concepts from the text. I did struggle with making this transition smooth and understandable, and I look forward to peer feedback about the effectiveness of my argument.
writing
I’ve had it with this motherf*****g serpent in this
motherf*****g garden: Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost
motherf*****g garden: Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost
What’s in a name? In John Milton’s pioneering epic poem Paradise Lost, quite a lot. The poem, which recounts the early biblical diegesis of the fall of Satan along with the subsequent corruption of humans, contains any number of designations for its antagonist, including ‘Dragon’ and ‘the lost Archangel’. Each epithet adds color to the poem’s depiction of Satan, bringing in a new dimension to the character. Taken together, the reader understands Milton’s portrayal of Satan and the character’s function, both within the story and as a larger communicator of meaning. In the very first reference to Satan within Paradise Lost, Milton chooses to use ‘Serpent’, and it is this moniker that serves as a central component of Satan’s identity (and thus the identity of the work at large). ‘Serpent’, examined alongside Satan’s other labels, offers the reader a preliminary framework with which to analyse a central subject of Milton’s opus: Satan’s role as the adversary.
In the opening of Book I, Satan is introduced to readers as the answer to a question; “Who first seduced [humans] to that foul revolt?” Milton asks. “Th’ infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile / stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived / the mother of mankind …” The commencement of Milton’s story establishes Satan as its antagonist, the foiler of mankind’s eternal paradise and the ultimate adversary of what is good and righteous. Paradise Lost’s raison d’etre, as stated by Milton in Book I, is to “justify the ways of God to men”. In pursuit of this goal, Milton establishes a clear binary: God, representing what is righteous, just, pure, noble; and Satan, representing the antithesis to those ideals. Thus, Satan serves an essential purpose communicating the meaning Paradise Lost, existing as an ‘other’ which the holiness of God is defined against.
Beyond Christiantiy, serpents have been assigned symbolism for centuries, in cultures around the world. Milton’s use of ‘Serpent’ corresponds to historical biblical depictions of Satan, reaching as far back as 1382, and likely much earlier. While the exact etymology can be difficult to trace, the conflation of snakes and the devil most likely has its origins in snakes historial status as unseen predators and one of few animals to pose a significant threat to early humans. Readers of Paradise Lost, from the time of publishing to the present day, bring their own understanding of the symbolism and meaning of serpent, but many would closely associate the word with their own cultural understanding of the devil. Indeed, the image of a snake devouring its own tail can be seen in Satan’s fall from heaven, his own actions damning him.
Throughout the poem, Milton employs a number of other epithets to describe the character of Satan, and, with each, meaning is communicated to the reader. Both ‘Arch-Enemy’ and ‘Arch-Fiend’ are used multiple times, with the adjective ‘Arch’ defining Satan as the uber corollary to God. Both terms are used in Milton’s prose to describe Satan, as opposed to being spoken by a character, further establishing the other-ness of Satan as an inherent component of the poem and not just a judgement made by a written character.
Notably, these epithets are not spoken in dialogue, and therefore they exist not as judgements from a character, but as part of the prose. Milton utilizes his role as poet to communicate this meaning, and takes advantage of the authority inherent in his descriptions. Milton’s descriptions (and the opinions and meaning found in those descriptions) can be taken by the reader as more truthful than what the characters in the story believe; we trust Milton, as the author, more than the characters contained within the narrative. The work also refers to Satan as ‘Dragon’, a label that serves a function similar to ‘Serpent’ by emphasizing the monstrosity inherent in the Devil. ‘Secret Foe’ speaks to Satan’s disposition towards decet, and in doing so offers God, Satan’s opponent, as a symbol of truth. ‘The Lost Archangel’ references Satan’s history as a servant of God, and highlights that the damning of Satan is a result of his own actions, not the cruelty of God.
An examination of the ‘Serpent’, and other epithets given to Satan within the epic poem, is a preliminary step towards any attempt of analyzing the poem's central undertaking. Paradise Lost is notable for many novel things in English literature, but chief among them is the close attention and literary space afforded to Satan’s journey, motivations, thoughts, and arguments. This is not, as some might believe, an attempt to justify any of Satan’s actions or to cast his goals in any sort of positive light. Instead, Milton believes that one’s belief in God is incomplete without comprehending the other side of the coin. For him, blind, unquestioning faith to a higher power is meaningless; true devotion can only be achieved through understanding and examining sin, and choosing to turn away towards God’s righteousness. This mindset drives the work’s depiction of the devil, as Satan serves an essential purpose in the work’s argument. As Milton shows us, no decision is true if it is made blindly; no faith authentic without a rejection of adversaries; no garden complete without a serpent.
In the opening of Book I, Satan is introduced to readers as the answer to a question; “Who first seduced [humans] to that foul revolt?” Milton asks. “Th’ infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile / stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived / the mother of mankind …” The commencement of Milton’s story establishes Satan as its antagonist, the foiler of mankind’s eternal paradise and the ultimate adversary of what is good and righteous. Paradise Lost’s raison d’etre, as stated by Milton in Book I, is to “justify the ways of God to men”. In pursuit of this goal, Milton establishes a clear binary: God, representing what is righteous, just, pure, noble; and Satan, representing the antithesis to those ideals. Thus, Satan serves an essential purpose communicating the meaning Paradise Lost, existing as an ‘other’ which the holiness of God is defined against.
Beyond Christiantiy, serpents have been assigned symbolism for centuries, in cultures around the world. Milton’s use of ‘Serpent’ corresponds to historical biblical depictions of Satan, reaching as far back as 1382, and likely much earlier. While the exact etymology can be difficult to trace, the conflation of snakes and the devil most likely has its origins in snakes historial status as unseen predators and one of few animals to pose a significant threat to early humans. Readers of Paradise Lost, from the time of publishing to the present day, bring their own understanding of the symbolism and meaning of serpent, but many would closely associate the word with their own cultural understanding of the devil. Indeed, the image of a snake devouring its own tail can be seen in Satan’s fall from heaven, his own actions damning him.
Throughout the poem, Milton employs a number of other epithets to describe the character of Satan, and, with each, meaning is communicated to the reader. Both ‘Arch-Enemy’ and ‘Arch-Fiend’ are used multiple times, with the adjective ‘Arch’ defining Satan as the uber corollary to God. Both terms are used in Milton’s prose to describe Satan, as opposed to being spoken by a character, further establishing the other-ness of Satan as an inherent component of the poem and not just a judgement made by a written character.
Notably, these epithets are not spoken in dialogue, and therefore they exist not as judgements from a character, but as part of the prose. Milton utilizes his role as poet to communicate this meaning, and takes advantage of the authority inherent in his descriptions. Milton’s descriptions (and the opinions and meaning found in those descriptions) can be taken by the reader as more truthful than what the characters in the story believe; we trust Milton, as the author, more than the characters contained within the narrative. The work also refers to Satan as ‘Dragon’, a label that serves a function similar to ‘Serpent’ by emphasizing the monstrosity inherent in the Devil. ‘Secret Foe’ speaks to Satan’s disposition towards decet, and in doing so offers God, Satan’s opponent, as a symbol of truth. ‘The Lost Archangel’ references Satan’s history as a servant of God, and highlights that the damning of Satan is a result of his own actions, not the cruelty of God.
An examination of the ‘Serpent’, and other epithets given to Satan within the epic poem, is a preliminary step towards any attempt of analyzing the poem's central undertaking. Paradise Lost is notable for many novel things in English literature, but chief among them is the close attention and literary space afforded to Satan’s journey, motivations, thoughts, and arguments. This is not, as some might believe, an attempt to justify any of Satan’s actions or to cast his goals in any sort of positive light. Instead, Milton believes that one’s belief in God is incomplete without comprehending the other side of the coin. For him, blind, unquestioning faith to a higher power is meaningless; true devotion can only be achieved through understanding and examining sin, and choosing to turn away towards God’s righteousness. This mindset drives the work’s depiction of the devil, as Satan serves an essential purpose in the work’s argument. As Milton shows us, no decision is true if it is made blindly; no faith authentic without a rejection of adversaries; no garden complete without a serpent.
formal writing for end of semester one
cover letter
I enjoyed this assignment, building off the work I did over the summer and incorporating the thinking that the class has done over the course of the semester. But, it did present multiple challenges during the construction of my argument, including incorporating both texts in one writing assignment and focusing in on the connecting concept that I chose. Despite the difficulties, I believe that I was able to communicate much of my thinking process.
cover letter
I enjoyed this assignment, building off the work I did over the summer and incorporating the thinking that the class has done over the course of the semester. But, it did present multiple challenges during the construction of my argument, including incorporating both texts in one writing assignment and focusing in on the connecting concept that I chose. Despite the difficulties, I believe that I was able to communicate much of my thinking process.
"What does it mean to repeat?" |
Scott + Greenblatt writing
What does it mean to repeat? Repetition in language can add emphasis or serve as a distinction. As a rhetorical device, repetition can work on both on a micro-level, with individual words repeating, or on a macro-level, where ideas or arguments repeat. It is this rhetorical device that binds together Scott and Greenblatt’s work, and serves as the primary method of rhetorical construction. |
Repetition in this context does not connote one to one repetition, where the same ideas are expressed in the exact same way multiple times for emphasis. Instead, ideas repeat to be tested against new theories, to be given more context, and to be re-examined from a new perspective. Think of the ‘spiral education’ framework often used in K through 12 schools, where concepts are introduced, then revisited in later years and investigated further, then re-revisited again and examined from the kids’ new perspective. This is a similar framework: in order to give the reader a chance to re-consider central concepts and change their ideas, these concepts appear several times.
But Scott and Greenblatt don’t simply restate their ideas; instead, they slowly uncover these complicated arguments over the course of the text, and allow the reader to engage with the arguments themselves. Full consideration and the requisite deep thinking won’t be undertaken by the reader if an idea is presented to them without any of their own engagement. Scott and Greenblatt’s approach is to utilize repetition to force the reader to grapple with both their own thinking and the rhetorical movements of the authors. This framework produces the end result of better reader comprehension: the reader giving each segment of the author’s argument full consideration, and truly ‘believing’ it, naturally ends with the reader having a deeper regard for the thought process that led them towards the end.
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Repetition is not utilized in the exact same way in each of the texts. In Scott, his construction of a meta-critique that serves as an example of his rhetorical argument relies heavily on repetition. By threading this exemplar throughout the text, he is repeating the core of his argument and, therefore, better positioning the reader to comprehend it. Scott’s repetition is centred around this use of form as delivery system for his argument. While Greenblatt certainly does utilize the form of his text to convey meaning, the repetition in Renaissance Self-Fashioning appears more often on a relatively more micro level. Greenblatt’s writing does not follow an obvious direction; instead, it winds around various ideas without committing to them. Simply because an idea is explored by Greenblatt does not mean that he necessarily ‘agrees’ with it, or that it services his larger argument. Greenblatt relies on the reader investing effort into the work, and working out for themselves how the text’s argument is constructed. Repetition in this context serves as a device for the reader, allowing them to revisit ideas that were raised by the text to see if they fit into the argument that is being developed.
But despite the differences, repetition serves as the major connecting force of the Greenblatt and Scott texts. In both, repetition helps construct their arguments in vital ways, allowing for more reader engagement with the concepts. Without it, not only would there be no fully formed argument, but the reader would be unable to engage with either text on the level it deserves.
But despite the differences, repetition serves as the major connecting force of the Greenblatt and Scott texts. In both, repetition helps construct their arguments in vital ways, allowing for more reader engagement with the concepts. Without it, not only would there be no fully formed argument, but the reader would be unable to engage with either text on the level it deserves.
cover letter
For this assignment, I worked to incorporate all of the components of the summer reading that struck me. I had to keep it limited because, I found, at a certain point adding more ideas just muddled the ones I was already trying to articulate. I found my commonplace book helpful, but in the future, I would like to work on organizing my thoughts. During this assignment, I spent a long time flipping between pages to find underlined sentences, when a well organized commonplace book would’ve made the whole process smoother. I found the graphic design aspect of the concept map difficult because I am not naturally comfortable with visual art, but hopefully it is able to communicate all my ideas.
revised formal writing
I found the central concept in the summer reading to be questions. No matter what the topic, questioning remained a central idea that was deployed to explore identity, define taste, reshape education, and so much more. It was important that the ‘questions’ box was in its own unique color to indicate how central this concept was. Each other piece on the map has a different relationship with questions.
‘Artist’, ‘Art’, and ‘Culture’ form the central dynamic that each human being interacts with. The readings exploration of art gave it two main reference points: culture, or society at large, and the artist, or the person who created it. The art cannot exist without both the artist who created it and the environment that influenced its creation. As A. O. Scott writes, “[t]he point of aestheticism was to collapse the distinctions between creator, critic, and spectator, to imagine each of them sharing equally in the rapture of art”. The ‘education’ box shows the relationship between culture, or society, and the artist. The codes that dictate how society works are ingrained in artists, whether they respect the rules or not. How each individual questions, (or does not question), what is around them determines what kind of art they can make.
The line between questions and education isn’t straight, to represent how fragile the relationship between the two is. Too often, education isn’t used as a way to grow people as learners, but as a way to teach the status quo without respecting questions. Questions are a universally available concept; in ‘A More Beautiful Question’, the author tells the story about Polaroid, which shows “that a game-changing question can come from anyone, even a naive child”.
‘Self Fashion’, or creating one’s identity, was a major theme within the reading. To examine how we each fashion of our version of ourselves is a complex and thorny ordeal, but it's critical to understand the relationship between ourselves, and society, the art we create, and the material world. None of these are two way streets; they are fluid components, each aspect changing the other only to be changed in return. Questions remain the central tool to examine this component of our lives.
cover letter (draft)
The writing below is an analysis of Mario Popova’s BrainPicking pieces. Linked is the main piece referenced, along with other exemplars. Popova’s writing is unique to the internet, merging together images, lengthy quotes, her own writing, links, and more. This unique style allows her readers to extract great meaning and depth from shorter pieces. As Popova puts in the grunt work of reading the original piece, she then picks select quotes that can communicate the main ideas to other readers. The images are not cute distractions; they reinforce the concept highlighted in each particular piece. Some BrainPickings are more focused, some are more abstract, some with more quotes and some with more original writing. In any case, her rhetorical strategies become clear, as does her intention: to give a guide map of complex ideals to her readers.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/03/26/nietzsche-on-truth-and-lies-in-a-nonmoral-sense/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/01/18/mary-wollstonecraft-imagination-letters/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/04/18/kierkegaard-concept-of-anxiety-time/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/03/27/alan-lightman-searching-for-stars-on-an-island-in-maine/
For this assignment, I worked to incorporate all of the components of the summer reading that struck me. I had to keep it limited because, I found, at a certain point adding more ideas just muddled the ones I was already trying to articulate. I found my commonplace book helpful, but in the future, I would like to work on organizing my thoughts. During this assignment, I spent a long time flipping between pages to find underlined sentences, when a well organized commonplace book would’ve made the whole process smoother. I found the graphic design aspect of the concept map difficult because I am not naturally comfortable with visual art, but hopefully it is able to communicate all my ideas.
revised formal writing
I found the central concept in the summer reading to be questions. No matter what the topic, questioning remained a central idea that was deployed to explore identity, define taste, reshape education, and so much more. It was important that the ‘questions’ box was in its own unique color to indicate how central this concept was. Each other piece on the map has a different relationship with questions.
‘Artist’, ‘Art’, and ‘Culture’ form the central dynamic that each human being interacts with. The readings exploration of art gave it two main reference points: culture, or society at large, and the artist, or the person who created it. The art cannot exist without both the artist who created it and the environment that influenced its creation. As A. O. Scott writes, “[t]he point of aestheticism was to collapse the distinctions between creator, critic, and spectator, to imagine each of them sharing equally in the rapture of art”. The ‘education’ box shows the relationship between culture, or society, and the artist. The codes that dictate how society works are ingrained in artists, whether they respect the rules or not. How each individual questions, (or does not question), what is around them determines what kind of art they can make.
The line between questions and education isn’t straight, to represent how fragile the relationship between the two is. Too often, education isn’t used as a way to grow people as learners, but as a way to teach the status quo without respecting questions. Questions are a universally available concept; in ‘A More Beautiful Question’, the author tells the story about Polaroid, which shows “that a game-changing question can come from anyone, even a naive child”.
‘Self Fashion’, or creating one’s identity, was a major theme within the reading. To examine how we each fashion of our version of ourselves is a complex and thorny ordeal, but it's critical to understand the relationship between ourselves, and society, the art we create, and the material world. None of these are two way streets; they are fluid components, each aspect changing the other only to be changed in return. Questions remain the central tool to examine this component of our lives.
cover letter (draft)
The writing below is an analysis of Mario Popova’s BrainPicking pieces. Linked is the main piece referenced, along with other exemplars. Popova’s writing is unique to the internet, merging together images, lengthy quotes, her own writing, links, and more. This unique style allows her readers to extract great meaning and depth from shorter pieces. As Popova puts in the grunt work of reading the original piece, she then picks select quotes that can communicate the main ideas to other readers. The images are not cute distractions; they reinforce the concept highlighted in each particular piece. Some BrainPickings are more focused, some are more abstract, some with more quotes and some with more original writing. In any case, her rhetorical strategies become clear, as does her intention: to give a guide map of complex ideals to her readers.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/03/26/nietzsche-on-truth-and-lies-in-a-nonmoral-sense/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/01/18/mary-wollstonecraft-imagination-letters/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2017/04/18/kierkegaard-concept-of-anxiety-time/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/03/27/alan-lightman-searching-for-stars-on-an-island-in-maine/
main writing (draft)
Language is lying to us.
Mario Popova explains how in “Nietzsche on Truth, Lies, the Power and Peril of Metaphor, and How We Use Language to Reveal and Conceal Reality”, her BrainPickings piece. Throughout the piece, she uses a variety of methods to communicate the complicated philosophical concepts to her readers.
In our constant and never ending search for truth, we often employ language as a way to ask questions, understand the answers, and collect our thoughts. In Friedrich Nietzsche’s 1873 essay “On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense,” (translated by W.A. Haussmann), he examines how humans use language as a blunt metaphor for the truth of our reality. Nietzsche writes “The “thing in itself” (which is precisely what the pure truth, apart from any of its consequences, would be) is likewise something quite incomprehensible to the creator of language and something not in the least worth striving for.”
Popova begins with some introductory quotes that notably aren't from the main author, as an appetizer before the main course: the ‘On Truth and Lies’ essay. Then, right away, Popova poses a question. Rather than simply write out her thoughts and lay out the material she has collected, Popova takes care to involve the reader with the thinking. This is the core of Popova’s style: it is an interactive experience, designed not as a one stop shop on a concept but as a guide map that the reader can choose to explore as they see fit.
Although it might seem simple, a major component of Popova’s piece is in its medium: a website. This allows her to both quote other sources extensively and link to them. Not only is this proper attribution, but each quote and each link presents a video game side quest for the reader. Did you like this quote? It asks. Click here to read more like it! Even if the reader was not particularly taken with a specific topic, Popova piles on plenty of other material that, while related in concept, varies in style and function.
This is also why Popova includes such specific visuals. Her pictures are not neglected over to a side, or sized down twenty times. Rather, they take up the entire column, and are large enough to see detail. Sometimes these images are clearly related to the writing; the first picture in the Nietzsche piece, for example, is more specific than the abstract art that comes later.
There is much more that contributes to Popova’s accessibility. Long block quotes from the main piece appear broken up, with added commentary by Popova around them. These are not random quotes either; clearly, the piece is written with care and deep knowledge of the Nietzsche writing. But, as many 1800s essays on philosophy can be quite a commitment, the Popova pieces structures it an a much more accessible way. Bright colors and big font are just two more examples of how welcoming the site is. Popova uses every tool at her disposal to invite the reader in, explain the material, and encourage personal discovery.
Language is lying to us.
Mario Popova explains how in “Nietzsche on Truth, Lies, the Power and Peril of Metaphor, and How We Use Language to Reveal and Conceal Reality”, her BrainPickings piece. Throughout the piece, she uses a variety of methods to communicate the complicated philosophical concepts to her readers.
In our constant and never ending search for truth, we often employ language as a way to ask questions, understand the answers, and collect our thoughts. In Friedrich Nietzsche’s 1873 essay “On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense,” (translated by W.A. Haussmann), he examines how humans use language as a blunt metaphor for the truth of our reality. Nietzsche writes “The “thing in itself” (which is precisely what the pure truth, apart from any of its consequences, would be) is likewise something quite incomprehensible to the creator of language and something not in the least worth striving for.”
Popova begins with some introductory quotes that notably aren't from the main author, as an appetizer before the main course: the ‘On Truth and Lies’ essay. Then, right away, Popova poses a question. Rather than simply write out her thoughts and lay out the material she has collected, Popova takes care to involve the reader with the thinking. This is the core of Popova’s style: it is an interactive experience, designed not as a one stop shop on a concept but as a guide map that the reader can choose to explore as they see fit.
Although it might seem simple, a major component of Popova’s piece is in its medium: a website. This allows her to both quote other sources extensively and link to them. Not only is this proper attribution, but each quote and each link presents a video game side quest for the reader. Did you like this quote? It asks. Click here to read more like it! Even if the reader was not particularly taken with a specific topic, Popova piles on plenty of other material that, while related in concept, varies in style and function.
This is also why Popova includes such specific visuals. Her pictures are not neglected over to a side, or sized down twenty times. Rather, they take up the entire column, and are large enough to see detail. Sometimes these images are clearly related to the writing; the first picture in the Nietzsche piece, for example, is more specific than the abstract art that comes later.
There is much more that contributes to Popova’s accessibility. Long block quotes from the main piece appear broken up, with added commentary by Popova around them. These are not random quotes either; clearly, the piece is written with care and deep knowledge of the Nietzsche writing. But, as many 1800s essays on philosophy can be quite a commitment, the Popova pieces structures it an a much more accessible way. Bright colors and big font are just two more examples of how welcoming the site is. Popova uses every tool at her disposal to invite the reader in, explain the material, and encourage personal discovery.
concept map