Reading: One work I would never have read on my own is Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess. At first, this poem didn’t seem appealing because the dramatic monologues seemed old-fashioned and presented some obstacles to connection. However, after I analyzed it for my infographic assignment, I appreciated how Browning used diction, narrator, and tone to expose the Duke’s possessive and disturbing nature. I would not have expected such psychological depth in an 1800s poem, especially one told through a single speaker. Reading it taught me that older literature can still feel surprisingly modern when I understand how its techniques shape meaning.

Interpreting: The hardest work to interpret at first was definitely The Picture of Dorian Gray. There are so many themes-fear, beauty, morality, influence-all entwined so tightly that it was hard to decipher what Wilde really wanted readers to take away from his work. In order to understand the text, I used close reading strategies from class-most of all diction, tone, and symbolism in important scenes. Through my reflections and later my theme paper, I came to interpret the novel as a warning about how fear of truth and consequence can destroy a person from inside out. Now, this novel makes sense as a tale where the fear and death are interwoven forces: they practically order Dorian’s collapse.

Analyzing: The work where the author’s artistic choices affected me most was again My Last Duchess, which I studied through my literary infographic. Browning’s use of an unreliable narrator, chillingly calm tone, and subtle symbolic details really showed me how language can quietly reveal a character’s deepest flaws. I really don’t think I would have grasped how one polite-sounding line could expose a speaker for being cruel until after this class. Now I am much more aware of how writers use structure and voice to guide my reactions, even when the text appears straightforward. This awareness will shape how I read future works.

Evaluating: The work that I would most recommend someone else read is Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. I chose it because it is one of the clearest examples of how literary elements-like rhythm, repetition, and imagery-can create an atmosphere that may stay with the reader long after the poem ends. My criterion for this choice is whether a text not only tells a story but also makes the reader feel something through craft alone. Poe’s poem represents fear as an intimate, psychological experience, and in such a manner as is seldom seen-through sound and mood. I would hope someone else could appreciate how powerful language becomes when it reflects a character’s emotional unraveling.

Conclude and Assess: Reading such a wide range of texts this term has helped me grow by teaching me to slow down, analyze details, and look for meaning beneath the surface. Of the three major projects, the Creative Remix was where I gained the most because rewriting Montresor’s voice forced me to understand Poe’s choices more deeply and consider how point of view transforms a story’s emotional impact. It also helped me recognize how authors use silence, guilt, and tone to shape a character’s humanity or lack of it. If I were to look back on this portfolio years from now, what would stand out most is how my understanding of literature has grown-from merely reading stories to interpreting them with confidence and purpose. More than anything, this course taught me that each text is layered with intention and how I now have the tools to uncover those layers.