AP English First Semester

This school year in English, I have seen an improvement in my essay writing. Last year, I struggled with writing essays in AP English, but so far I have been proud of my scores. It is possible that my writing has improved because I'm writing about literature rather than focusing on the composition aspect of writing. My analysis of literature has substantially improved since our short story unit. Before, I would read a story for fun and I wouldn't focus any energy on breaking apart the story and coming to conclusions about the author's intent in their writing. I wasn't aware that there was a difference between commercial fiction and literary fiction, a major distinction I can now recognize.

One part I didn't like about this semester was the drama unit. I have never really enjoyed reading plays unless they were fully explained to me along the way. Freshman year we read Romeo and Juliet, which wasn't as bad as Oedipus Rex or Hamlet because I always volunteered to be Juliet and I felt useful during our reading. Oedipus Rex, and especially Hamlet weren't pieces of literature that I enjoyed or would recommend that someone read in their spare time. Every time I read Hamlet I wanted to fall asleep because I couldn't understand what was going on, which made reading the play difficult.

Next semester, I hope that we continue on with the vocabulary because it is one of my favorite parts of English and I love memorizing. Also, I want to continue improving my writing. 

The Rover

During The Rover, it was very hard for me to keep track of what was going on between characters. It reminded me of how I feel when reading Shakespeare plays. I always have a general idea of the plot by watching or reading intently, but I lack a knowledge of the details that typically come with reading the English language. Reading and hearing Old English is like reading or hearing a completely different language. Spanish and German are the equivalents of Old English. I can't imagine having to memorize the lines of the play or to place myself in the shoes of one of the characters by dressing and presenting myself in a similar manner to how they would have acted in those days. I don't think that teaching Shakespeare or presenting plays such as The Rover is completely necessary. We no longer live in that age and no one speaks as they did back then. Every well-known play that was written during that time has been adapted to a modern version. Why do we need to learn the older versions? I would be just as happy knowing that there is a previous version and I would respect that someone had written the play in such a complex language, but I have never found enjoyment in reading the plays. I love English and it is my favorite subject, but I absolutely hate the drama unit. I really would like to know why we teach Shakespeare. I'm not trying to be rude, but why is it needed?