week 1: introduction

 Hi everyone!

My name is Katherine, I am a Human Geography major, and this is my second to last semester at UBC! I started my degree at UofT and moved back home to Vancouver after my first year. I absolutely loved living in downtown Toronto and going to school there however life events brought me back here. I do feel very fortunate that I was able to transfer back to UBC and have the opportunity to complete my degree here, even if it is taking me a while. 

In my free time I try to get outside as much as possible either with friends or on my own, whether it be simply going for a walk or going to spend time at the beach - I feel best after having spent time outdoors in the fresh air. If my schedule allows for it I try to catch the sunset as often as possible. It is most ideal if my day is finished by the time the sun is setting, however during school that is rarely the case (as I’m sure most of us can relate). 

I am nervous for this course and what it entails, being at the start of the course and looking ahead it all feels rather daunting. I feel most settled in academic work when there is a right answer or accurate frame of thinking that I know I should be striving to reach. I do find comfort in the fact that there are ‘rules’ to be conscious of while we explore the canonical works of this course, yet I still feel a sense of uncertainty knowing there is no right or wrong answer. I am very interested to see how this course will ‘play’ out, and what conclusions I will reach along the way. I personally have a challenging time analyzing literature in-depth, with my comfort zone being to take the text for its apparent meaning. My past experiences with exploring literary analysis did leave me with a sense that there was one correct interpretation to be had, and I hope that in practice throughout this course, my confidence in diving deeper with my own interpretations and analysis skills will grow. However that being said, I always appreciate external views that broaden my own perception of a text, and hope that this course will aid in my willingness to go beyond the apparent meaning. 

I am looking forward to seeing how I feel about analyzing novels in comparison to analyzing poetry, and I wonder if I will feel differently about either form of literature once I am able to apply the strategic methods of reading and analysis we will learn throughout the course.

Q: Most people I know fall into one of two categories, either they are quite fond of poetry or they avoid it at all costs. I have not come across anyone who feels neutral towards poetry (meaning they enjoy consuming poetry but are just as happy with a novel instead). I wonder if there is anyone in this class that does not feel strongly either way in regards to poetry but would still be content to read it recreationally if the option were presented to you?