A Comparison of Two Personal Essays

             The two essays I read today at first glance didn’t have much to share in comparison. However, after stepping back for a moment I found that both shared similar qualities. They both were able to provide a purpose and both utilized descriptive and illustrative language. Also they shared the genre of a personal essay. After this though, similarities ended abruptly. While they both fit into the same general genre their tone and presentation were completely different. I would be lying if I didn’t bring the length of the writing into perspective as well. All together though I clearly had a favorite.

                

               In the first writing I found myself drawn in. The writer used a colorful pallet of words that helped describe scenes with detail. In his description of fire I found myself standing in front of it witnessing the brave men combat the flames. I felt attached to his story and his thoughts. I felt an impact that I did not in the second writing. I would like to attribute this the writers tone and his choice of words. He didn’t bombard the reader with too much information and he didn’t speak in circles. The essay itself was short and had a punch. I left feeling that I had taken a walk through the writers mind and thoughts.

                The second piece although informative left me uninterested. Although I am passionate about aiding people with disabilities I found myself feeling cold towards this piece. Unlike the first I felt the writer decided that she needed to just go on and on without really describing what her days are like. I found myself thinking “yeah ok but why should I be interested?” This is how I felt the whole time which besides being a bit harsh, was how others might have felt as well. The language was drawn out and I was waiting for the point page after page. Unlike the first reading the writer tried to hold on to the audience’s attention for too long and once she had it she failed to throw interesting pieces to the audience. Although informative I found myself not feeling connected to the writer as I did in the first and that was crucial.