Krystina Gloria

The first artifact I chose is a stasis theory paper on hard rock, its subgenres, and its influence by Christianity. I chose this paper because I felt it best exemplified my ability to analyze and synthesize sources. Stasis theory is a form of writing a paper that encourages critical analysis of the topic a writer is exploring. The writing process for this paper was a bit difficult, as I typically write with a lot of passion and personalization, such as anecdotes of personal opinions and experiences. As with most nonfiction, personal anecdotes are not commonly used in a synthesis paper, therefore, I had to revise this paper over and over.

The prompt for writing this paper was to create a stasis analysis on a subject that I selected from a list of 29 different topics, one of which was a musical category that I could choose. The paper had to be a minimum of 1200 words and use at least 6 to 10 relevant sources. I was tasked with determining which sources were usable, credible, and relevant. I was also tasked with explaining the definition and influences/beliefs I used to create this paper.

While developing this paper, I focused on finding as many factual articles as I could and synthesizing the information from them. I then used this information to form a cohesive explanation about the effect that hard rock had on society, as well as the influence that Christianity had on hard rock. It demonstrates my critical thinking ability by incorporating credible sources to create a logical flow without containing excess filler words or confusing jargon. I then incorporated photos to aid in forming visuals for the reader.

The biggest problem I had during the writing of this paper was my own struggle with nonfiction writing. I used my creativity to write a paper on a subject that I am passionate about without making it an opinion or persuasion piece. I did this by avoiding using personal anecdotes and experiences, and by synthesizing many sources together. My use of photos that paired well with the text without promoting one side or the other helped form an informative piece without being influential or biased.

The second artifact I chose is a poem that I wrote about pregnancy, giving birth, and the postpartum period. I chose this piece for genre mastery because I feel as though it best represents my understanding of the genre of birth poetry. My proper use of many poetry elements demonstrates my deep knowledge and skill in creating works within the genre. The attention I paid to meter, rhyme scheme, and verse assisted in creating a piece that fit the guidelines for this type of poem. The decisions I made for point of view, theme, metaphor, and tone aided in making evident my voice within the work.

I wrote this piece as an Ottava Rima, which is a poem with 8-line stanzas and an ABABABCC rhyme scheme pattern. I thought about making this poem a Sestina, which has six 6-line stanzas and one 3-line stanza, but decided against it. I felt as though fourteen lines were not enough to express the emotion that I wanted the poem to capture and provoke in the reader. The stress on the rhyme scheme of an Ottava Rima amplifies the power of the words within the poem. The enjambment created by the form of the poem aides in increasing this power by interrupting a sentence to focus on one specific word at the end of a line. These power increases help the reader understand the emotions and experiences that inspired this poem.

Writing this piece meant a lot to me, and the emotion within the piece communicates how I was feeling during the time that I wrote it. My use of enjambment amplifies the emotion in each stanza, as well as in each line within which it was used. I used an Ottava Rima form for this piece because I felt it best expressed and emphasized the subject matter at hand without stifling my voice within it. The point of view and tone I chose for this piece were extremely important and purposeful, as well, as I did not want the piece to be about me in particular. I want others to be able to relate to the poem and the feelings within it, whether or not they have gone through the experiences that are alluded to, or outright stated, within the poem.

The third artifact I chose is a multimodal project I created based on the book “Song for a Whale” by Lynne Kelly. This is a multimodal project consisting of a video, a transcription of said video, and a paper addressing a topic from the novel on which this project was based. I chose this project as my best work because I feel it exhibits many of my skills due to its multimodal composition and my passion for the subject matter. I feel that this project shows how much my writing has developed, as well. My abilities to synthesize sources and inform while creating a piece that is not heavily opinion based are highlighted within this project. My ability to provide personal experiences without stating my opinions as facts are also demonstrated.

This project is not just a review of the book, but information for and an analysis on the biggest conflict of the subject matter for the book: deafness. The revision process shaped this to be my best work by allowing me to develop and pinpoint my ideas and voice within the project while including supporting evidence. Some of the decisions I made for it were a bit challenging, whereas others just seemed like the right fit for the project. One specific challenge I faced when both writing and revising this paper was in trying to not include too many of my personal opinions while still including my personal experiences. One decision I made that felt right for this project was to make it more than just a paper.

I feel as though the creation of this project illustrates my writing and revision process by showing a combination of the two pieces provided before it. The analysis and synthetization from my paper on rock is combined with the passion and emotion from my birth poem in this project. It draws elements from both previous pieces to form something that is not as relaxed as poetry, but not as rigid as a stasis theory paper. After adding in the video format, this multimodal project creates one piece that is both informative and can foster many emotions in the reader.