For this assignment, we wrote “This I Believe Essays.” The purpose of these essays were for us to write about something we are truly passionate about. In order to discover something we were truly passionate about, we listened to and read several “This I Believe Essays” written by other authors. This helped us get a sense of what a “This I Believe Essay” was. We also learned and discovered more about important historical leaders, such as Martin Luther King Junior. By learning about Marin Luther King Junior and his passion towards justice, it helped us get in the right mind set in order for us to write about something that was meaningful to us.
“This I Believe Essays” are not persuasive essays, so we learned a new writing skill called communal relevance. This skill helped us reach out to readers without forcing our belief(s) upon them. It helped us to remain unbiased. We also learned skills such as using authentic voice and narrative coherence. Narrative coherence means the essay has a unified flow.
This assignment required me to think beyond the shallow depths of my mind and venture into the dark, unexplored depths of my thoughts. Choosing something I was truly passionate about was difficult for me. I ended up choosing compassion because of my own personal experiences. I knew the effects of having compassion for others and not having compassion for others. I grew during this process because I was able to admit that I hadn’t been compassionate towards others, but because of that, that’s why I felt, and feel so strongly about this belief.
In my essay, I incorporated a quote from one of my favorite books, “Walk Two Moons.” The quote I chose was, “Don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.” I feel as though this was a strong quote for the topic I chose. I really like how I tied in the quote I chose into the personal experience I wrote about. This showed narrative coherence throughout my essay.
I struggled with verb tense while writing my essay. It was difficult for me to switch between why I chose compassion as my belief, and writing a narrative about compassion. It was hard combining the two into a cohesive essay. I would definitely like to get feedback from several people. I would also like to take out components of my essay that aren’t necessary, and add in parts that will make my thoughts clearer.
By writing this essay, I learned that it’s more effective to try and relate to someone rather than preaching to them. It’s a lot like peaceful protest in a way. This has also taught me to be more open-minded towards others’ thoughts and ideas. When someone is writing, or even telling you about something they feel strongly about, it’s hard to critique his belief, as a person’s belief is very intimate to him.
“This I Believe Essays” are not persuasive essays, so we learned a new writing skill called communal relevance. This skill helped us reach out to readers without forcing our belief(s) upon them. It helped us to remain unbiased. We also learned skills such as using authentic voice and narrative coherence. Narrative coherence means the essay has a unified flow.
This assignment required me to think beyond the shallow depths of my mind and venture into the dark, unexplored depths of my thoughts. Choosing something I was truly passionate about was difficult for me. I ended up choosing compassion because of my own personal experiences. I knew the effects of having compassion for others and not having compassion for others. I grew during this process because I was able to admit that I hadn’t been compassionate towards others, but because of that, that’s why I felt, and feel so strongly about this belief.
In my essay, I incorporated a quote from one of my favorite books, “Walk Two Moons.” The quote I chose was, “Don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.” I feel as though this was a strong quote for the topic I chose. I really like how I tied in the quote I chose into the personal experience I wrote about. This showed narrative coherence throughout my essay.
I struggled with verb tense while writing my essay. It was difficult for me to switch between why I chose compassion as my belief, and writing a narrative about compassion. It was hard combining the two into a cohesive essay. I would definitely like to get feedback from several people. I would also like to take out components of my essay that aren’t necessary, and add in parts that will make my thoughts clearer.
By writing this essay, I learned that it’s more effective to try and relate to someone rather than preaching to them. It’s a lot like peaceful protest in a way. This has also taught me to be more open-minded towards others’ thoughts and ideas. When someone is writing, or even telling you about something they feel strongly about, it’s hard to critique his belief, as a person’s belief is very intimate to him.