Now that you've spent some time doing some "deep reading" with Emerson, what are your thoughts on this type of heavy, dense reading? Does it feel extra difficult in light of Nicholas Carr's assertion that digital texts make it more difficult for us to appreciate long, sustained reading? (Carr is the guy who wrote the article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Remember him?)
One way to make sense of difficult texts is to share your thoughts on reading strategies. In the next week, post a quick comment to this blog post, a thought on a reading strategy you've found useful for reading R.W.E.
Keep being deep readers, folks. (By the way, is Emerson even reading the book in this picture? Maybe he's in a transcendental state...)
39 comments:
Pretend Emerson is in the room.
Something I do to help make more sense of R.W.E. is take difficult sentences and rephrase them in the margins using my own words. I'm not sure why but this really helps me understand it better.
To help me understand Emerson, after I read a page I go back and look for when he makes a universal statement that the basis for his ideology, for example: "Society never advances"(Emerson 36).
Then I underline the sentence or the important part/words in the sentence. Finally I make note in the margin using a key word or phrase pertaining to the underlined passage, such as: "Progress?"
This may seem basic but when I am reading Emerson I make sure it is under the right conditions. For me, it is hard to read deeply in advisory, I try to do my Emerson readings when I am not rushed so I have time to process his more complex ideas. By making time to read I can also take a little break and approach Emerson again with a fresh outlook.
When I read Emerson, I read outloud. That way, I do not get distracted by other thoughts going on inside my head. Sometimes--yes, this is kind of dorky---I read in different accents. That makes it more fun for me. I get bored easily, and reading out loud keeps me on my toes.
I take Emerson in chunks. I read maybe 2 or 3 pages after I get home from school, do the rest of my homework, and then finish the assignment when I'm done with my other studies. This way, I start off knowing I only have to read 2 or 3 pages, and then I do not feel rushed to get done with the last couple pages at the end.
Something that helps me when I read Emerson is using highlighters and each color means a different thing. For example, orange means vocab and yellow means important passages. By switching colors every so often, I stay engaged and my mind does not wander.
This goes along the lines of what our Silc Claire said in class, but I summarize every few lines. I find that in these readings, Emerson switches from topic to topic very frequently, which is why it is important to summarize often. I started off by doing summaries at the end of the page, but this didnt work since there are usually more than one topic per page. Now, I summarize about 3-4 times each page.
If I find myself getting lost in Emerson's difficult writting, I read further and don't go back right away. When I re-read a difficult paragraph instantly the idea doesn't become any clearer. By moving on I pick up more context clues and it helps me garner ideas of the meaning of the part I didn't undertand.
I use similar tacticts as Rosie. I always have either my dictionary or dictionary.com while I read Emerson. Even for words I'm familiar with, I replace them with synonyms to try and rework a difficult passage. Putting in definitions of words and rephrasing a sentence helps to understand his tricky meanings.
I believe Emerson writes to an audience where individuality is very important. It really helps me to read a page or two and get the basic idea of what Emerson discusses; then, like our journal entries, I take Emerson's beliefs and apply them to my own life. I ask if I agree or disagree with what he is saying, and that helps me comprehend what is being said and also makes Emerson's writing much more significant to me on a personal level.
I always have my dictionary out, and as I'm reading I try and stop every few paragraphs and sum up what I think of what he's saying. If I realize I just read a whole page and can't summarize something that small, I'd go back and try to see what I missed, then continue on.
When reading Emerson, it is a necessity to have dictionary out. Then, when I find a word that is unfamiliar, I look it up in my dictionary and replace it with the word in the sentence. This allows me to try to make sense of difficult sentences that may have multiple words I do not know. Also, if i cannot figure out what Emerson is trying to say, I take the sentence word by word and really analyze his writing. These things have allowed me to comprehend and understand Emerson's difficult and dense writing.
I have found that while reading Emerson, it is extremely important to understand his topic sentences. I feel that those are often his claims and the body of his paragraphs are often his warrants. By comprehending each claim, it is much easier to see what Emerson is arguing. I also found that circling the subject in confusing passages is helpful. It helps me figure out what Emerson is talking about.
When I read Emerson I usually read it twice. The first time I don't make any annotations. This way I just make sure I am able to understand the general idea. I really try and focus on what Emerson is saying. The second time I read, I make annotations on Emerson's ideas along with my own. This way I have read each passage twice before I have written anything down. When I look back at my text later for reference, I have more thought out annotations.This approach to Emerson takes a little more time, but it is definitely worth it for me.
when i read Emerson, in the margins I rewrite what i think he is trying to get across, but in my own, quick, short phrasing. I write things that will stand out as im reading over them later on, so that I can pinpoint a phrase where something stuck with me or a want to remember a strong point. I say things like, "become a new person-throw it all our the window" or "failure-yeah right". They are short and sweet but I can refer back. I also make really big stars next to important claims.
First of all, I actually like reading Emerson because he is really passionate and his arguments are clear and concise. But his language can get confusing sometimes, especially when Emerson will refer to someone or something at the beginning of a paragraph. He uses the proper name once, then uses a pronoun, like "it" or "he," for the rest of the paragraph. I like to write the real name of the object in the margins or above the pronouns, and then re-read the paragraph. This makes his point more clear.
When I read Emerson, I go to my room in a confined place where not only can I read with no distractions, but I can also use my computer to quickly look up definitions. I try not to be too critical, because often times I can find very specific situations where his argument may not work. You need to keep in mind that his arguments are usual universal truths, and although it may be easy to find flaws in our modern day, you need to look at the idea as a whole, and you will appreciate what he is trying to say.
Like Matt, I also go to my room so I can read in perfect silence with no distractions. This allows me to direct all of my concentration to Emerson. Also, I read difficult passages out loud. With the punctuation inflected in my voice, my voice will naturally reflect points of emphasis which helps me to understand Emerson's claims better.
When I'm reading Emerson, I seem to space out a lot, and when this happens, I know that I am not comprending a word of what Emerson is saying. So now, whenever I start to get distracted and can't seem to focus, I just take a break from reading. Later, I can start fresh and be fully alert.
The best way for me to read Emerson is to simplify each sentece and write it above the original. The in the margins, I write a brief summary of each paragraph. When I find ideas that I feel are important, I draw stars next to them. These methods make reading somewhat slow, but it helps me get a better understanding of the text.
When reading Emerson, for me the most effective way to get as much possible out of it is to to be in a calm and patient mood. If I had just gotten home from an active day I would rest a little to ease my nerves a little before starting. I find that if I am not patient, I simply brush aside claims I dont like without giving Emerson a chance to explain himself. When annotating I like to rephrase and restate important claims at the bottom of each page so I remember them more clearly
When I am reading Emerson I find it really helpful to write key points to go along with each paragraph or every few sentences to keep me on my toes. Otherwise the whole reading starts to blend together. Also, I always have my computer open for quick access to a dictionary. I know a lot of people have already said these, but that it is what really helps me to understand the readings.
When I read emerson, I try and paraphrase his arguments every time that I see that hes made a new one. Then on the bottom of the page I make a generalized ideal of that page, and then I say whether or not I agree with this ideal. This makes it much easier to do the journals as well because it forces you to analyze his arguments constantly, thus improving comprehension, rather than flipping back to a passage and then forming your opinion.
Like some other people said, I look up words as I go because one word can change the meaning of a sentence. I also go and read each sentence twice, one without annotating, then with. I know it seems tedious, but once you get the idea of the whole sentence it's easier to pick it apart word by word. It makes it a lot easier to focus on the text if you know what you about to read (specifically)
Similar to what others have said, it is most helpful to me when I rewrite what Emerson is saying in my own words. Once I am able to understand what he is saying, I typically ask questions in the margin about certain claims Emerson makes. Sometimes this helps me to understand the passage even more because it forces me to think one step further.
When I read Emerson, I also use the method of rewriting important claims in the margins, but in my own writing which is easier for me to understand. I also try and find examples in modern day times of the important claims Emerson makes, it really helps me get a clear understanding of what he's trying to tell us.
One thing I do while reading Emerson is place stars next to key points or particularily thought provoking lines. Therefore, when I am writing a journal or discussing in class, I am able to quickly jump to these key passages, while often help further a discussion or invoke new thoughts or arguments from myself or others.
While reading Emerson, some reading strategies I found that helped me understand the text better was to read short segments at a time, and to summarize each paragraph in your own words. When I read short segments at a time, I found it much easier to stay focused instead of reading all 7 pages at once. When I summarized each paragraph in my own words, it forced myself to make sure I understood what I read. It also made it easy in class when we are discussing import quotes to quickly remind myself what the context of the page the quote is on.
When I read Emerson, I first read the page through and circle all of the words that I do not know. Then, I look up the words using an online dictionary, and reread the page out loud. Reading out loud seems to help me focus on the reading instead of getting distracted by other thoughts as people mentioned before. After reading each key point, I try to relate the claim to a real life situation so that I can apply Emerson's claims to events that have either happened in my life, or events that I have witnessed in other people's lives. I think of this very similar to how I thought of to the third part of the journal, and I write a sentence or word in the margin to trigger my thoughts when I read through my annotations. This helps me apply Emerson's ideas to my own life.
The first thing I do when reading Emerson is make sure I am close to a computer so I can look up words and allusions. When I am reading I always underline passages where Emerson is making a major point. Then I draw an arrow to the margin and summarize his point in a short phrase. At the bottom of each page I take a sentence to summarize all the points made.
Before I start reading Emerson I turn off my cellphone, my tv, and go into a quiet room where I know no one will come in and distract me.
I also always underline important quotes and restate the sentence(s) in my own words.
When i read Emerson or other difficult reading i like to read and reread in a kind of staggered pattern. I'll read two paragraphs, then when i re-read them along with the paragraph before it to try and make better sense of it all. It's like taking one step back and two forwards. This helps me to keep track of the flow of the argument, and the repetitiveness of the reading helps me pick out small things that i missed the first time.
Reading Emerson can get very confusing if I take in too much information at once. I think it always helps to stop and look back at what you just read. Usually what I do is I write the main claim Emerson is making at the top of the page. Then with either a pen or a highliter I circle or mark the supporting arguments he makes throughout the page. I feel it is a simple way to keep each page organized.
When i read Emerson, I try to read with his voice in my head, and with as much articulation and clarity as I can. Even if this means reading slower than I usually would. As far as annotating goes, I do it after I read a paragraph to rehash it what the claim and further conclusions were
While reading Emerson I take in what I read with an open mind. When Emerson's ideas and warrants to how a self-made man did not totally make sense to me I tried to find a real life example to help me understand why he thought people should live in that particular way. Also as Claire told us in class, I found that if I tried to define all the words I didn't know I would spend hours reading Emerson so I learned to only define the words most crucial to understanding a passage. Also in my readings I found a lot of times I would skim over a passage to first grasp what Emerson was warranting and then I would go back and read more in depth with some idea of where the argument was going.
When I read Emerson, I try to pick out the main metaphors and claims he makes, and write them in the margins in my own words. That way, I can look back at the reading after the first time I've read through, and find exactly where he's talking about a certain topic or claim that I might not have understood the first time, and I'll read it again. I think if I can pick out and understand the most important claims that Emerson writes, then I can understand his essays as a whole.
After I read a paragraph that I find difficult to understand, I translate the paragraph into my notebook (in a language that I can quickly comprehend). This helps especially when we are discussing these paragraphs in class. I can just look back in my notebook and I have a little summary. Also, I read outloud and this helps me to keep myself focused-but I'm not sure if this would work for everyone...
Just about everything has been said in terms of good comprehension strategies for Emmerson. The most important thing I found was while reading Emmerson to have the right mindset, by that I mean we all must realize that, taking Emmerson's advice, we should listen to ourselves and our own interpretations of things. So I believe it is crucial to know that Emmerson probably did not want us all to do exactly as he said, he wants us to interpret his advice for ourselves and make it fit into our lives.
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