Search results for 'tag:Regards tag:Writing styles' matching tags 'Regards' and 'Writing styles'

Re: College Essay, proofread/tell me what you think :]

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:50:38 GMT

Cheerleading has provided a major aspect of my life since I was in seventh grade. Throughout middle ~~school~~ and high school I ~~have~~ participated in many extracurricular activities, both at school and in my community. As one of the activities that has had the strongest influence on me, being a Cheerleader has taught me the value of hard work, the importance of ~~working as a~~ teamwork and of time management. Competing as a member of a cheerleading team also requires a great deal of dedication as well as a positive attitude.

Competitive cheerleading involves five components: stunting, tumbling, dancing, jumping, and cheering. To progress in the two main and most impressive aspects of the sport, stunting and tumbling, requires intensive training, which is physically and mentally strenuous. Participants must build up physical endurance, strength and coordination ~~in order~~ to increase their skill levels as well as mental preparation to avoid the risk of injury. It can take many years of drilling ~~new skills~~ and routines to acquire the skills to become a successful, competitive cheerleader. Although it is a difficult process, feeling the ~~self~~ satisfaction and pride when oneâs team wins a competition makes this tough journey well worth the effort.

Most high schools' sports seasons generally last ~~about~~ between two and three months. ~~Being that c~~Cheerleaders must first ~~fulfill~~ meet their responsibility of cheering ~~for~~ during ~~both~~ football and basketball games. Since Cheerleaders must also ~~compete~~ take part in their own competitive events, ~~this can cause the~~ a season to can last as long as nine months. ~~As a result,~~Team-mates therefore spend a lot of time in each other's company, during which time close bonds and a high level of trust may develop between cheerleaders; this level of trust is crucial during stunting ~~as well as~~ and tumbling. A competition routine would not be complete without all members of the team working to reach their fullest potential for the competition season ahead and exhibiting the highest level of skills in their routines.

Trying to manage a busy schedule can be ~~exceedingly~~ overwhelming without ~~the use of~~ proper time management. Organization, having a positive attitude and ~~being driven~~ the drive to meet all responsibilities and expectations are all ~~necessary~~ needed when ~~one is placed with the task of~~ managing a demanding schedule. Being a student athlete and an active member of my class while ~~maintaining~~ working in a part time job has taught me the real value of proper time management .

My high school career has benefited from being a competitive cheerleader and from taking part in all class events . Simply by participating in a sport that I am passionate about, Iâve acquired the valuable life-skills that I listed earlier. I am confident that these skills have improved me as an individual and will serve me well in the future.

<<Hello! A very interesting essay.! Well done.

I am sure I have applied the proofreading corrections incorrectly (I only just noticed the tabs on the right - sorry!) but I had a stab at tweaking some of your English, as you requested. I'm afraid I know absolutely nothing about cheerleading - a) I am male b) I am from London, England where cheerleaders are pretty rare, I am sorry to say.

Apart from my suggestions, if it is of any help to you, I have observed two things about your writing style, which you may want to examine for future essays.

You often turn your sentences into the 'passive voice' - e.g "Much time is spent by me in practising my stunting". Instead of a more active, "I spend a lot of time practising my stunting." The latter example is more positive and much more interesting to read. You will know when you are doing it when you begin your sentences with a verb ending in -ing, e.g. Being, trying, progressing etc.
Avoid wordiness. You have a tendency to write ten words when three will do the job nicely and more clearly. E.g. "Being a member of a competitive cheerleading team as well as an active participant of all class events has been highly beneficial to my high school career". I reduced it to "My high school career has benefited from being a competitive cheerleader and from taking part in all class events" Again, I switched form passive to active and cut out the words that were not needed. Just a thought. What you wrote is not incorrect, just not very elegant and it sounds just a tiny bit pompous.

I hope you don't mind these comments? I am only making them so you won't need people like me messing with your writing any more. Good luck with this essay and with your cheerleading competitions.
Please don't bother replying, since I only stumbled across this site by accident and I doubt I will be back again.
Warmest regards from across the Atlantic,
Graphicsguy from London.>>

Re: College Essay, proofread/tell me what you think :]

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:48:11 GMT

<<Hello! A very interesting essay.! Well done.

Apart from my suggestions, if it is of any help to you, I have observed two things about your writing style, which you may want to examine for future essays.

You often turn your sentences into the 'passive voice' - e.g "Much time is spent by me in practising my stunting". Instead of a more active, "I spend a lot of time practising my stunting." The latter example is more positive and much more interesting to read. You will know when you are doing it when you begin your sentences with a verb ending in -ing, e.g. Being, trying, progressing etc.
Avoid wordiness. You have a tendency to write ten words when three will do the job nicely and more clearly. E.g. "Being a member of a competitive cheerleading team as well as an active participant of all class events has been highly beneficial to my high school career". I reduced it to "My high school career has benefited from being a competitive cheerleader and from taking part in all class events" Again, I switched form passive to active and cut out the words that were not needed. Just a thought. What you wrote is not incorrect, just not very elegant and it sounds just a tiny bit pompous.

Formal Writing

Devil_god2101 — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:21:45 GMT

Hi all,

I am a student from New Zealand studying Measure for Measure by Shakesphere and we have to write a formal essay going beyond the text.

Here is the question

Context/setting:

This activity may be used as an extension to the study of a text. Students will develop an essay exploring an issue both within and beyond the text. The ideas in the essay can be developed in a variety of ways. The issue could be explored predominantly outside the text using the text as a springboard, or with a greater focus on the issue as seen within the text.

You will produce an essay of at least 500 words which explores an issue.

You will be assessed on:

Â· how well you develop your ideas about the issue within and beyond the text

Â· your ability to use a writing style that is appropriate for an essay

Â· how well you structure your writing with a introduction, body and conclusion

Â· your accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Introduction

Texts sometimes challenge us to think more widely about the impact issues have on us or the world we live in. Students examining a range of texts linked by a âwar storiesâ theme might be challenged to go beyond the texts studied in class and explore what forces define who New Zealanders are today, given that world wars have helped define our national identity in the past.

You will take an issue raised in one or more texts you have studied in class and explore the issue beyond the text in an essay. As you develop your writing about an issue, you will guided through the process by a sample based on a âwar storiesâ theme. Your essay will be at least 500 words long. Your readers are your teacher and other students.

Task 1 Focusing on the issues in the text

a) As a class, list on the board several possible issues raised in one or more texts studied. Express the issues as questions. Which of these issues hold some relevance for you and can be explored in a modern day setting? To help you with this stage, a sample based on the âwar storiesâ theme is included.

Task 2 Taking an issue beyond the text

Choose an issue from task 1 which has relevance for you. Plan three main points you could make about the issue where you discuss the issue beyond the text and make links to the world we live in.

Task 3                       Taking a position - writing an introduction

Task 4                       Developing a structure â taking the issue beyond the text

a)          After your introduction, develop three main points where you write about the issue beyond the text. You can also refer back to the text as you develop your ideas. Each paragraph should have an S/E+C structure:

b)       Other paragraphs follow the same S/E+C structure. Identify the statement then examples and comments in each of these two paragraphs.

c)    Draft paragraphs for the three main points you will make in the body of your essay using the S/E+C structure.

d)   Draft a conclusion which re-emphasises your central opinion of the issue.

e)    Your finished essay will be at least 500 words long. It will:

Â·         develop ideas about your issue both within and beyond the text. The ideas in the essay can be developed in a variety of ways. The issue could be explored predominantly outside the text using the text as a springboard, or with a greater focus on the issue as seen within the text.

Â·         use language appropriate for a readership of students and your teacher

Â·         have an introduction, body and conclusion. Each main point will use an S/E + C structure as shown in Task 4 (a).

Â·         use writing conventions accurately (spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax, paragraphing).

Exemplar A: Excellence (A+)

What should teenagers learn from the sacrifices of earlier generations?

What matters to some teenagers today? This stereo, those clothes, that car, whereâs the party? What about, âShould I go and fight for my country?â To many teenagers in 1914 going to war was an exciting prospect. It mattered, just like the clothes and the car matter in 2002. Would todayâs young New Zealanders react in the same way if they were suddenly faced the prospect of sacrificing their lives for their country? Not likely. We should learn from the sacrifices of earlier generations. Anzac Day is not a feeble excuse for a public holiday. It is a time for teenagers to acknowledge some important lessons about what really matters.

We lose a sense of who we as a nation if we let popular modern day events obscure Anzac Dayâs significance. Wins in major sports like rugby against other countries are often presented by the media as our defining moments. Many young New Zealanders seem to regard sporting success as all that matters to us as a nation. We need to see past the superficial glamorised way the media presents these victories as great national moments and their sports stars as heroes. Anzac Day is one public occasion in the year when New Zealand recognises its ordinary heroes, those who put their lives on the line for their country. We should also acknowledge those who honour their whakapapa and remember their ancestorsâ deeds in individual ways too. In the documentary The Last of the Anzacs Joe Pere placed soil he collected from Gallipoli where his grandfather fought and died at his motherâs grave to bring his spirit or wairua home. This kind of personal tribute is just as important as public Anzac Day ceremonies in recognising what our ancestors have done for us. It should hold greater significance for us than some media hyped sports result.

The disaster at Gallipoli also should also teach teenagers that knowledge and understanding are more powerful weapons than fighting. At the end of The Last of the Anzacs: 102 year old Anzac veteran Doug Dibley revealed a simple yet powerful insight: âIâve learned something Iâll never forget the rest of my life â how fruitless war is.â We should take notice of a man who had seen the horrors of war nearly 90 years ago. War is no game. The Anzacs had no idea of the brutal horror which lay ahead of them, the nightmare, the great misadventure. As teenagers they had hardly lived a quarter of their lives. Someoneâs child who had finished school and just started work was now charging uphill to certain death into machine gun fire at Chunik Bair. Perhaps if they had received some kind of insight into what war was about then they would have had second thoughts about going. Today we expect instant access to information in a way which was unimaginable in 1914. Imagine a teenager about to go to fight for king and country logging on to www.gallipoli.com, seeing how awful it was and saying no thanks!

There is little difference between teenage attitudes in 1914 and 2002. Young people often seek adventure and excitement. Listening to the stories of Les Leach and Doug Dibley in The Last of the Anzacs I found myself relating to their attitudes. In 1914 many young people saw war as an opportunity to take part in âthe great adventure.â It was revealed that Les Leach lied about his age in order to enlist. He was not alone. Many of those teenagers were scared when they joined up not of the risk to life and limb, but unbelievably that âit would be all over before we got there!â I appreciated how a generation of young men were scarred for life by what they thought would be a âlarkâ. Their values, their perspectives on life were changed for ever. I realised how lucky I am in that it is highly unlikely I will face anything resembling their awful wartime experiences. Some of my generationâs obsessions with superficial material things like cars, clothes and stereos seems trivial when compared to the emotional trauma the Anzacs had to deal with.

The fact that many people of all ages turn out at dawn on April 25 shows that New Zealanders still value Anzac Day and those who fought for their country. It is vital that teenagers appreciate their sacrifices in order to learn what is best for our country in the future. Lest we forget the saying âthose who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.â

Exemplar B: Merit (A/B+)

Is there any truth in fiction?

Is there any truth in fiction? We known Peter Weirâs film the The Truman Show is purely fictional and the people just characters, but there are alarmingly similar parallels between Trumanâs naivety and that of a nation being watched and monitored without knowledge and consent.

The Truman Show challenges us to consider the authenticity of our own lives, and take a look into our world today. It shows us a vision of a TV-made man, the unwitting star of a life manufactured for perpetual broadcast. Truman lives a life with actors as friends, sets for each âsceneâ of his life, and cameras watching his every move. Contemplating The Truman Show I was left wondering, is this concept really that paranoid or that far from reality? How far is it from our reality here in New Zealand?

Surveillance is everywhere in New Zealand. For example, Christchurch is said to have more surveillance than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. But where are the cameras and what is their purpose? Perhaps as a nation we should be considering whether or not this is really necessary. Should we be so accepting of such an invasion of our privacy? A large department store recently installed cameras in a womenâs lingerie department. The reason for this was that many items of clothing were going missing. While the purpose of surveillance is easy to understand, we must challenge it from another perspective. It is wrong to invade oneâs privacy without their prior knowledge. How can we justify this?

Another point to consider is do the cameras that surround us really provide security and protection? In the Truman Show, Christoph is like an over-protective father figure who can also be likened to God. He created a world for his âsonâ and had total control over that world. In a rather warped sense he âprotectedâ Truman. Truman would be kept away from all danger in his world and no harm could come to him. We trust the surveillance in our country to give us protection much like Truman trusted his world to be reality. We allow ourselves to be watched and monitored in the fake belief that this will keep us safe. But at what expense do we allow this to happen? Do we really want such intrusion into our privacy? There have recently been a number of shows on television that peer into peopleâs lives twenty-four hours a day like Big Brother. The difference between these shows and real life, though, is that these people choose to put themselves in these situations. Perhaps such people are just so desperate for fame, fortune, or simply just a little attention. However, we do have a choice.

We need to weigh up the issues of safety versus our individual right to privacy. It is something we should consider very carefully. In contrast to the intrusion of privacy that took place in Trumanâs life, we, in New Zealand must be vigilant in our demand for privacy.

So far I have the main idea "Abuse of Power"

I don't no what my three points can be i think i can write about technology and corruption, but i don't know how to link technology to Measure for Measure. I want to write something like the A+. The topics are different it has to relate to NZ. I am not asking anyone to write it for me but can anyone guide me. I have 3 days to get this sorted before the actual assessment. I have a few more examples if you guys want to look at, if you want to please let me know.

So please help me prepare this formal essay.

Re: verifying the rule

Clive — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 02:32:34 GMT

Hi,

1. As a rule, what comes after a preposition must or should be a noun or any noun equivalent?

2. I saw a lesson content writing that is written like this without the regard for English article rules, is it OK? Is it a norm to employ this type of writing style for lesson content section writing?

Lesson Content: Specify location and tell about location.

I think you are asking whether an article is needed after the preposition 'about' in this example. No, because this is just a title, and articles are often omitted from titles.

Best wishes, Clive

verifying the rule

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:31:49 GMT

Hi,

1. As a rule, what comes after a preposition must or should be a noun or any noun equivalent?

Lesson Content: Specify location and tell about location.

Re: Why aren't there more Western movies like ''The Good, the Bad...

Jackson6612 — Tue, 15 May 2007 00:22:59 GMT

Stannum wrote:

Jackson, I feel compelled to take this opportunity to clear the air a little with those in authority and I thank you for giving me this space.

I have been writing solely in English for about 47 years during which time I have widely and eclectically read anything I could get my hands on. I lived two highly intense lives as a soldier and a cop which has left me with view of the world that is less than average and more than beige.

In English only forums I try to be lucid and precise but when discussing art with intelligence such as yours I shun such strictures.

Everybody who does not understand my word patterns is invited to ignore such posts.

I try to craft a small piece of art with each response. What is the point of reciting the words of a dead white male. I have my own words and my own writing style that is comprehensible to anyone with the wit to be interested in something like me and I am not interested in communicating with those of less with than that. This is a vast forum and there are writers of varying register covering the whole gamut of range from The Queen's veddy veddy proper to a Surfer's Slang.

Hi Stannum,

I do have some questions about your last post. But I would ask them later.

Sometimes one's words can tell us a lot about him. Your words tell me that somewhere inside you there is a poet. You have a poetic style of writing. That's a great thing. I'm not sugar coating my comments. If I don't like something, I do not comment on it. You view things through art. That's a hard thing. Not everyone has wit to appreciate or understand artistic view.

Yes, you have your own words. That's the reason in my prior posting I said that every time I read your post you make me use a dictionary. If someone is not able to understand your words, then he can ask you for further help. He can also ignore your post because he is at liberty to do so. As far as I am concerned, I would not call such a person a true learner who ignore someone's words. We should appreciate every little bit of help which we receive from others. Every person has a right to write in his own style. You have your own unique style. You first view your words through art, and then arrange them to form an artistic sentence. Well, this is not an easy thing to do.

Unique things are always hard to comprehend. Only a true man dares to face them when he comes across them. That said, you are also a good person with lots of brains. I wish you good health and happiness. Take care.

Kind regards, Jackson

Re: how to pronounce numbers

Eng_teach_in_germany — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:04:39 GMT

ok.. I would just like to clarify something - I do in fact make my students aware that zero is commonly pronounced as the letter 'O'. I teach to German people, most of whom are already aware of this due to years of English courses in school, etc..

In German, the word for 'zero' is 'Null' and it's always used for phone numbers. SO, 'Null'='zero'. That is the unamiguous, technically correct and exact translation. I teach the students that it is more correct to say 'zero' because it is literally not the letter 'O', no matter how post-modern you wish to be. I don't make a fuss over it, I'm fully aware that many/most people use 'Oh', and I don't care if my students use 'Oh'. I even use it sometimes myself. It's just not a big deal. As I stated in a previous post, I just tell the students 'the full story'. They are never confused about it afterwards and very little time is required to be spent on it. Similarly, I've spent enough time on it here as well. The End.

In regards to the related topic - whether or not there is actually such a thing as 'correct' English, my response is simply that in practice, 'on the ground' so to speak, an 'anything goes' approach is inappropriate. In a philosophy class it might be fine to discuss how everything's relative and so on, but in real world ESL teaching it's advisable to 'stick to the rules' of English grammar as much as possible. Of course language changes over time. Of course there's no perfect, absolute, master version of English set in stone forever. There are very cohesive standards and rules however(which change gradually over time) which make it possible for us to communicate clearly with each other, and to pass on the knowledge of our language to non-native speakers.

Take for example this (now online) book written 90 years ago, entitled 'How to Speak and Write Correctly':
<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/hwswc10h.htm" target="_blank" title="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/hwswc10h.htm">http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/hwswc10h.htm</a>
While the author's writing style may seem slightly antiquated, it's still fine and 99% of his description of English grammar still applies today, nearly 100 years later. The other 1% consists of the sort of changes and developents that are often discussed on this forum.

The problem of what is correct or not of course often comes up in TESL when British and American English use different words or spelling. At the end of the day you have to teach either one or the other, or teach both. Usually it depends on which one the client/student is most likely to need.

Please proof read my book report please

tofu — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 08:58:47 GMT

just check for sentence structure and grammar please....its due on tuesday 4:00PMEST

thanks!!!

if u want the WORD file..leave your email so i can send it to u

Lost Names, by Richard .E. Kim was an interesting book to read because it shows the loving memory of a family and a lively portrayal of life in a time of anguish.

Richard Kim was born in 1932 in North Korea. In 1970, he started to write Lost Names to introduce the way Koreas lived. However, as time passed, the book evolved to a new level. He had many small details and by rearranging and interpreting a series of events, he was able to create a masterpiece that engages the reader to have a sense of what it felt like living in turmoil. Kim disregards the fact that the book is an autobiography or a fiction. According to Kim, âAll the characters and events described in this book are real, but everything else is fiction.â However, even though the author claims the contents of this book is fictional, it generally reflects upon the narrator early years of life.

Lost Names consists of seven vivid chapters that desribe the life of a Korean family struggling to live a life under colonial rule. Each chapter is chronological series of events that span from 1932 to 1945. The first chapter, âCrossingâ tells the story of the family crossing the Tumen River to Manchuria due to the new job the father found after he was released from prison. . The narratorâs father prison term is often mentioned in the book and itâs evident during the later parts of the book that his presence has deep impact on Koreans but as well as the Japanese. This leads to a start of a hard journey that the family must endure for the next 13 years. As we progress further in the book, we notice the family has moved back to Korea. This is also the time where the boy starts to go to school. During his years at school, he endured being discriminated against the Japanese as well as humiliation from the students and teachers His name was also erased by the Japanese when he and his father went to the police station to retrieve a new name. This was a painful time for the family especially for the boy, âI am going to lose my name; I am going to lose my name; we are all going to lose our namesâ The last chapter, âIn the making of history --- togetherâ tells us the story of liberation and how a new beginning has been paved for the next generation.

The title, Lost Names refers to the âJapanese Pacific War policy of forcing Koreans to replace their own names with Japanese onesâ However, I feel that it has a deeper meaning to it, especially the word Lost. Many Koreans that lived under the Japanese policy had no choice but to change their name or adapt to their lifestyle. Students had to speak Japanese at school, and had to worship the Japanese Emperor. The Japanese had an objective and that was to âeradicate consciousness of Korean national identity, roots and all, and thus to obliterate the very existence of the Korean people from the face of the earthâ Even though they were living in Korea, they were being controlled by the Japanese. One scene that I mentioned above was when the boy and the father went to retrieve their new names. All of the Koreans that had to get their name changed lost everything that includes: their name, their pride, and their culture. They are lost because they feel they do not belong to this world anymore. Many Koreans ended their own life because they were ashamed of their culture. February 11, 1940, was the day that they lost their names. It was a consequence for not correcting the mistake for the past generation, however, it created a new beginning for the current generation. When the father hugged the boy and told him âSomeday, your generation will have to forgive usâ, it meant that he hoped the current generation would not perform the same mistake the past generation did. The boy didnât know what was going on but when they visited the grave of his ancestors, he realized everyone was hopeless. Everyone was âwhining, wailing, chanting, bowing to the graves.â The father hoped that in the current generation, his boy will not have to say âI am ashamed to look in your eyes.â He hopes that his boy can face his ancestors with pride and dignity.

This leads to the final chapter where the boy has matured significantly from the time his name was changed. His conversation on liberation with his mom and father revealed the mistake that the past generation did. The boy was ashamed because liberation was given to them; it was âa giftâ according to his father. The boy felt that the Koreans didnât put enough effort to achieve liberation. Liberation happened because of Japanâs capitulation to the United States. The narratorâs father mentioned it was because his grandfatherâs generation was much disorganized and did many stupid things that could have been avoided. They could have guided the country to its right path but instead left all the problems to the father generation. The only thing that they could have done was to survive. This was the mistake that the past generation did because they focused all of their energy to survive. Their whole life was based on survival. It was nearly impossible to start a movement because the Japanese had established their power. However, instead of being filled with revenge, the narratorâs father asked himself, âWhat can I do to change the situation aroundâ. By surviving, they could lead the next generation so they donât repeat the same mistake as the previous generation did. That is why the narratorâs father wishes his son to be the pillar for the next generation. He doesnât want his son to see survival as his only goal because life is more than just surviving. The meaning of life can be interpreted in many ways but one meaning is to live life the fullest without regrets and to experience different things where you can treasure so you can pass it on to the next generation.

One of the positive aspects in the book would be the writing style Kim uses to bring the book to life. The story is full of descriptive details that allow the reader to feel the pain and frustration the character is going through. âThe bamboo sword smashes my bottom, jolting me with a numbling blow that instantly shoots thousands of sharp needles of pain through my bodyâ¦â¦.My body is shaking, and my knees trembling, and I cant control my body.â In addition, the way the author shifts from past to present to describe an incident is used effectively as it can give the reader the ability to foreshadow events in the future. However, this may also be the negative aspect of the book as sometimes it maybe too confusing for the reader to know what is going on because the storytelling goes back and forth. Another negative point would be whether the details were accurate or not. The first event took place occurred in 1933, that was when Kim was only one year old. Itâs hard to believe that Kim can actually remember what happened since he was still in his mother arms. Futhermore, Kim was thirty-eight years old when he wrote this book. Many of the incidents occurred when he was fairly young. During the span on 1945-1970, many things changed such as Kim serving the war for South Korea. Did Kim write these events based on a eight â thirteen year old mindset or on a thirty year old matured, war-oriented mindset.

One of the reasons why Kim wrote Lost Names was because he wanted to âto teach Koreans to accept responsibility for their lives, to stop blaming others, the Japanese, the Chinese.â He wanted to express his feelings and hardships by putting his experiences in a book. . He wishes that the reader will understand that hatred will only cause more suffering and that one must learn from its mistake so they can retrieve what is lost again. A similar example would be the U.S and Iraq issue. Things have not improved ever since U.S waged war on Iraq. Civilians are randomly slaughtered and the U.S has caused more chaos from before. The hatred towards the Iraqis has created a even bigger problem from before.

I was in awe after I finished reading Lost Names. The real life situations that the author depicted made me realize how much suffering and agony my friendâs grandfather faced when he was also suppressed by the Japanese. It gave me a better understand of what might have happened to my friendâs grandfather. In addition, it was interesting to read a book in a Korean point of view. Iâve learned that the life we have is very different to the narrator of the story. When I was his age, I was playing Super Nintendo and enjoying my life while the narrator was building airfields and fighting for freedom. However, the freedom we have now is due to the perseverance of the people that suffered in the past. It is because of them that we can enjoy the meaning of life. In the end, I definitely recommend Lost Names to all ages as itâs an excellent novel that shows hardships of one family and how they overcome it to accomplish their goals.

Re: Mona

Radrook — Sun, 20 Jun 2004 12:53:59 GMT

I agree that it might be Keat's writing style that is to blame.
Actually, I read Keats mostly for study purposes.
I do find reading his poems a struggle.
"Ode to the West Wind" for instance.
I tend to run out of interest somewhere in the middle of it.

I always attributed it to his constant penchant for using adjectives and metaphors.
This can lead to sensory overload in which nothing is emphasized and nothing stands out. Like a blur of scenery when a car is going so fast that one is unable to focus on any one landmark.

Tennyson, in contrast, I read for the pleasure of the atmosphere he creates as well as the ease of understanding. Everything is crystal clear and he doesn't seem to be going out of his way to embellish his imagery. Not to say that Keats over does it in this area. Only to say that this reader has difficulties with such a style.

Frost I find much of his writing entertaining.
I do not particularly like his blank verse though.
I prefer his rhymed poems.

Kind regards
Radrook