The Apothegms of W.H. Auden

How do I know what I think, until I see what I what I say?

That Auden, always thinking. I like this quotation and I think that, for me, it is quite true. I often have a bunch of mixed up notions in my head about this or that topic until I sit down to make an opinion for myself. In order to form that opinion, I write. That's why I think that I enjoy the EJournal activity so much. I rarely engage with the texts that I am reading in a really full extent unless I am writing a paper or preparing a presentation on it. EJournals give me the opportunity to write about every text, discussion, or idea that I find interesting and go with it to a full thought. Usually, I just read and call it good until class discussion. I really need to work on that because writing, even informal responses, to a book is a great way to get at the questions/insights that I have. So, in my case, writing gives me the clarity that I need to form an opinion or theory about a text. Auden is brilliant. I think that I shall hang this saying above my door when I'm a teacher...or maybe I'll go with Dr. Morgan's decorative sign "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" from Dante's entrance to hell. :O) Just kiddin'.

By the way, I looked up the word "apothegems" as we had it spelled in class and found that it is actually "apothegms". I was disappointed by this because I liked having the word "Gem" within it. Sort of refers to the saying as a valuable, beautiful piece of wisdom. :O)