Introduction To Major Writing Assignment

The first major writing assignment for the class was to write comparison/contrast essay.This is the first piece I have chosen to share with you.The title is “From Tranquil to Terror”. I remember my frustration at trying to decide what my topic would be. I knew the topic needed to be strong but not so complex that I could not break it down into content that was reasonable to structure in the three pages I was assigned. That said, my topic went from comparing all of the oceans, to comparing lakes and oceans, and finally to comparing two aspects of the ocean. I settled on this topic because I was able to base a lot of the content on my own personal experience. I found this topic to be a great choice for a compare and contrast essay, because I feel as though I was able to show how something that looks one way can be deceiving and can change drastically. I believe the title is a good reflection of this. What I really liked and seemed to capture the idea of my essay was a quote by author Herman Melville, taken from his novel Moby Dick.

"These are the times of dreamy quietude.when beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the oceans skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly remember,that this velvet paw but conceals a remorseless fang"

In the end, after three drafts and countless revisions, I was very satisfied with the paper. I felt like I was really able to create the kind of visual experience that I enjoy so much when I read. I was able to do this by using personal examples and supporting them with creative details.
I hope you enjoy it.