an editorial
by Anonymous
Reconsidering the Robin
18 March 2011
18 March 2011
"Reconsidering the Robin" is a short editorial about the coming of spring, and the robins that represent it. Our author establishes a very gossamer tone, while simultaneously making her point that people seem to take the beauty of nature for granted.
Beginning with just the title, this is established as a poetic piece of writing, due to the language used. The alliteration gives it a sort of flowy feeling that sets up the rest of the editorial well. Then, throughout the piece, the author uses very elevated language to keep it classy. She offers words that are used less colloquially, like "surreptitiously" instead of "sneakily", or "winter aconites" instead of "flowers." In simply doing this, she just gives the whole piece a sort of more important aura. Additionally, by using more beautiful and less ubiquitous language, she effectively reflects the beauty and originality she sees in nature.
Also, through detail, a sense of poetry is established. She alludes to Emily Dickinson: "Emily Dickinson may have 'dreaded that first robin so,' but she speaks for herself alone." Upon reading Emily Dickinson's name, readers are of course reminded of the famous poet often remembered for her writings of flowers and gardens, which is a nice segue into our author's writings of springtime.
Finally, the author's use of imagery is very effective to establish this ethereal tone. Poems often detail the wonders of nature, and while reading this editorial, one may forget that it is in fact an editorial; one may start to think it just a comment on the beauty of spring. Beautiful metaphors and dramatic comparisons are made, for example, "The snow withdraws, and returning robins follow it across newly open ground like shorebirds tracing a falling tide.", or "Give it a breast as vivid as the shoulder patches on a red-winged blackbird and the robin would never seem to recede the way it does as spring rushes onward, out-colored and out-sung by the birds of summer. " Though these words are not harsh and opinionated (as editorials often are), the beauty of the words are effective in conveying the beauty of nature, which may prove helpful to our author as she urges people not to take it for granted.
If this piece were an AP Essay, I think it'd have a nice tone. It's very formal, and its extremely poetic approach is unique for an editorial.
Beginning with just the title, this is established as a poetic piece of writing, due to the language used. The alliteration gives it a sort of flowy feeling that sets up the rest of the editorial well. Then, throughout the piece, the author uses very elevated language to keep it classy. She offers words that are used less colloquially, like "surreptitiously" instead of "sneakily", or "winter aconites" instead of "flowers." In simply doing this, she just gives the whole piece a sort of more important aura. Additionally, by using more beautiful and less ubiquitous language, she effectively reflects the beauty and originality she sees in nature.
Also, through detail, a sense of poetry is established. She alludes to Emily Dickinson: "Emily Dickinson may have 'dreaded that first robin so,' but she speaks for herself alone." Upon reading Emily Dickinson's name, readers are of course reminded of the famous poet often remembered for her writings of flowers and gardens, which is a nice segue into our author's writings of springtime.
Finally, the author's use of imagery is very effective to establish this ethereal tone. Poems often detail the wonders of nature, and while reading this editorial, one may forget that it is in fact an editorial; one may start to think it just a comment on the beauty of spring. Beautiful metaphors and dramatic comparisons are made, for example, "The snow withdraws, and returning robins follow it across newly open ground like shorebirds tracing a falling tide.", or "Give it a breast as vivid as the shoulder patches on a red-winged blackbird and the robin would never seem to recede the way it does as spring rushes onward, out-colored and out-sung by the birds of summer. " Though these words are not harsh and opinionated (as editorials often are), the beauty of the words are effective in conveying the beauty of nature, which may prove helpful to our author as she urges people not to take it for granted.
If this piece were an AP Essay, I think it'd have a nice tone. It's very formal, and its extremely poetic approach is unique for an editorial.
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