So I've been trying to think of common themes in my blog posts and for the most part I'd have to say it's language. The common elements are that I try not to write about what everyone else is writing about, so my posts end up being about small details in the play which I expand upon and find the importance of. Two of my posts had to do with the formal aspects of verse, and language seems to be a common theme throughout my posts. In the first post I wrote I focused on how a slip of the tongue can sometimes be a way for Shakespeare to comment on more important matters, and in my second post I focused on how the absence of a line can leave the audience confused as to the outcome of events. In my third post I focused on the role of blank verse in Shakespeare (also what I'm writing my paper on), and in my fourth post I focused on how Shakespeare used the language of a variety of professions. In my fifth post I focused on Shakespeare's use of caesuras (and a little irony that was pointed out to me in an essay I read). I think the most common theme that I've had is writing about the way Shakespeare uses language in his plays. As my posts have gone along I've gotten more and more into specific detail of the language he uses, and also have tried to think about whether it's just what he says, or if it's how he says it that matters.
So far I've liked the open ended nature of the blogging as it's a chance to talk about what interests me about Shakespeare. I'm not really that surprised that what seems to interest me the most is the language that Shakespeare uses. I think he's the best writer to have ever lived. I'm really fascinated by the way Shakespeare writes, and I'm interested in how he created all the brilliant works that he has created. I study Shakespeare not because the college says I have to (I could have taken other courses to fulfill my requirements), but because I know that if I'm serious about improving my own writing I do have to. I believe it's important to learn from the best, and that's why I've paid close attention to what he's doing and how he's doing it. When I wanted to learn how to write in iambic pentameter I sat down with Shakespeare and just read him for hours on end. With every Shakespeare course I take my meter improves.
I've enjoyed the plays we've read so far this semester, but I don't think I've ever read a Shakespeare play that I haven't enjoyed. I've enjoyed discussing them and analyzing them in my blog posts, and I'm glad that one of them inspired me to write a paper on the subject. I'm always amazed by the way Shakespeare writes, and I've tried to pay close attention to the language he uses in pretty much all of my blog posts. I didn't really do it intentionally, so that's probably a good indicator that subconsciously that's what interests me most.
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