大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第一篇
What Is More Important
What Is More Important: Character or Academic Achievement?
What is the criterion to judge the performance of a student? Some believe that the exam marks should be the first standard concerned. A student's first priority is to study well, and academic achievement can show the result of a student's efforts and capability. But some disagree by holding that good character should be
considered first when talking about the performance of a student, as character shows that whether a student has correct basic moral value and proper behavior. As far as I am concerned, sound character is more important in judging a student's performance. Firstly, good exam marks can not be everything as that won't follow a student's whole life. But sound character will be the only thing that lasts for long. Secondly, if a student has very poor character, good marks will be meaningless. When the student has grown up, his academic achievement will probably be used for wrong purpose. I, therefore, believe that we should reform the education system and care more for students' character cultivation.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第二篇
在教师节前夕, 由你以“My Beloved Teacher”为题写一篇英语短文赞扬你所敬爱的老师。 提示：李老师，51岁，男，高一时教你班物理。他对工作认真负责，对同学严格要求，耐心辅导，在他的帮助下，你很快赶上了班上其他同学。 词数:100左右。
Mr. Li is one of my beloved teachers.
He taught us physics when we were in Senior One. He was old but he taught very well. He could make his class lively and interesting. http:// made good preparations for his lessons and was strict with us,too. I used to be poor in physics. http:// helped me with my lessons very patiently.
Thanks to his help and hard work, I made good progress and caught up with the class. Teachers’ Day is coming. I wish him healthy and happy!
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第三篇
Thanks to burgeoning technology,the past decades have witnessed the thriving of clone its application into human has made clone reach an unprecedented marvel gives rise to much concern among scientific human cloning should be advocated has aroused heat far as I am concerned,the merits of human cloning outweigh its demerits. On one hand,it’s safe to say that even the best clone technology has the possibility of failure,and this truth is also publicly known by scientific cloning is the indulgence of this it fails,it will do harm to cloned animal cloning experiments,the survival rate of the cloned species is very cloned species that have survived often have more or less some physical researchers have begun to clone a human being,which leads to the birth of disabled infants because of the failure of human cloning crude phenomena leave us with a are the evidence of the crime resulting from human cloning and the trample on human order to succeed,those crazy scientists cruelly kill the lives of many cloned men,which is no doubt crimes rather than any rational persons will support a research at the cost of killing people?What is worse,result of this research will bring people with terrible research is a kind of technological progress that will make man liable to extinction. On the other hand,even if the cloning human experiments will succeed,it will also make chaos on civil legal ’s clear that cloned men have no is known to all,nature persons all have are the parents of the cloned men?In fact,cloned men can’t find their parents no matter through which are only research results of would be irresponsible to clone a human being,for they will become orphans thoroughly after they are that circumstance,will those crazy scientists undertake the responsibility of fostering these cloned men?Perhaps no one will ’s incredible to imagine that one will live a happy life that has both physical problems and lower social will be willing to educate them?Cloned men are just victims and experimental games. Technology is a double-edged properly,it will be advantageous to the whole improperly,it will have great negative balance I hold on the stance that the scourge of human cloning is sum up,this technology should be restricted and the government should take effective measures to do with it.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第四篇
假设你叫李华，你从报纸上得知世界上8种熊中有6种面临灭绝的危险，人类活动是造成熊类濒危的主要原因。你决定给世界野生生物基金会（WWF）写信反映这一情况、提出你的建议，并希望基金会采取行动对熊类予以保护。参考词汇：熊类bear species
Dear Sir or Madam,
I’ve learned from a newspaper that six of eight bear species in the world are dying out. Scientists say that humans are their biggest threat because some parts of bears are very expensive as medicine. That’s one of the reasons why bears are often killed. In addition, many habitats of bears are being destroyed as a result of human activities, so bears are losing their homes.
To save bears, I think more reserves for bears should be set up so that they can live freely there. Laws should be passed to prevent people from killing bears.
Please give a hand to the endangered bears. They need help to survive.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第五篇
About Smells
in a recent issue of the independent, the rev. t. de witt talmage, of brooklyn, has the following utterance on the subject of smells:
i have a good christian friend who, if he sat in the front pew in church, and a working man should enter the door at the other end would smell him instantly. my friend is not to blame for the sensitiveness of his nose, any more than you would flog a pointer for being keener on the scent than a stupid watch-dog. the fact is, if you had all the churches free, by reason of the miing up of the common people with the uncommon, you would keep one-half of christendom sick at their stomach. if you are going to kill the church thus with bad smells, i will have nothing to do with this work of evangelization.
we have reason to believe that there will be laboring men in heaven; and also a number of negroes, and esquimau, and terra del fuegans, and arabs, and a few indians, and possibly even some spaniards and portuguese. all things are possible with god. we shall have all these sorts of people in heaven; but, alas! in getting them we shall lose the society of dr. talmage. which is to say, we shall lose the company of one who could give more real tone to celestial society than any other contribution brooklyn could furnish. and what would eternal happiness be without the doctor? blissful, unquestionably -- we know that well enough -- but would it be distingue, would it be recherche without him? st. matthew without stockings or sandals; st. jerome bareheaded, and with a coarse brown blanket robe dragging the ground; st. sebastian with scarcely any raiment at all -- these we should see, and should enjoy seeing them; but would we not miss a spike-tailed coat and kids, and turn away regretfully, and say to parties from the orient: these are well enough, but you ought to see talmage of brooklyn. i fear me that in the better world we shall not even have dr. talmages good christian friend. for if he were sitting under the glory of the throne, and the keeper of the keys admitted a benjamin franklin or other laboring man, that friend, with his fine natural powers infinitely augmented by emancipation from hampering flesh, would detect him with a single sniff, and immediately take his hat and ask to be ecused.
to all outward seeming, the rev. t. de witt talmage is of the same material as that used in the construction of his early predecessors in the ministry; and yet one feels that there must be a difference somewhere between him and the saviors first disciples. it may be because here, in the nineteenth century, dr. t. has had advantages which paul and peter and the others could not and did not have. there was a lack of polish about them, and a looseness of etiquette, and a want of eclusiveness, which one cannot help noticing. they healed the very beggars, and held intercourse with people of a villainous odor every day. if the subject of these remarks had been chosen among the original twelve apostles, he would not have associated with the rest, because he could not have stood the fishy smell of some of his comrades who came from around the sea of galilee. he would have resigned his commission with some such remark as he makes in the etract quoted above: master, if thou art going to kill the church thus with bad smells, i will have nothing to do with this work of evangelization. he is a disciple, and makes that remark to the master; the only difference is, that he makes it in the nineteenth instead of the first century.
is there a choir in mr. church? and does it ever occur that they have no better manners than to sing that hymn which is so suggestive of laborers and mechanics:
son of the carpenter! receive this humble work of mine?
now, can it be possible that in a handful of centuries the christian character has fallen away from an imposing heroism that scorned even the stake, the cross, and the ae, to a poor little effeminacy that withers and wilts under an unsavory smell? we are not prepared to believe so, the reverend doctor and his friend to the contrary notwithstanding.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第六篇
Everyone has goals. Many people do not reach their goals for lack of planning. These three sets of goals should be developed: lifetime, intermediate and short term. Lifetime goals should be written out. These goals should be clear and reasonable. For instance, the goal to win a research prize is clear and measurable. Other lifetime goals might include publishing a certain number of influential books or articles, earning a departmental chairmanship at a major university, successfully competing for a grant from the National Science Foundation or securing a consultantship with a big corporation.
Intermediate goals relate to outcomes during the next few years. For the beginning doctoral student, intermediate goals may include completion of course work and preparation of a doctoral research proposal. Like lifetime goals, these are measurable and clearly stated.
Short-term goals involve outcomes expected during the next 12 months. These goals are more performance oriented, and they help with achievement of intermediate goals. Examples of short-term goals are earning an A in a course, learning how to program a computer or performing an experiment.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第七篇
假定你是一名高中生，一次一位外国朋友问你，除了在学校学习英语之外还有什么其它途径练习英语。请你根据提示用英语(词数: 100左右)写出你参加“英语角” 的情况。 提示：1. 英语角” 于两年前成立，许多中学生参加，有时也有些大学生和外国友人来此。 2. 活动时间：每周六上午。 3. 活动内容：练习英语口语，谈论大家共同感兴趣的事情，交流学习英语的经验等。 4. 谈你参加此项活动的体会。 参考词汇：“英语角”：English corner
I’m a senior student. I like English very much. Besides attending English lessons at school, I often go to the English corner in the park near my home on Saturday morning. It was set up (formed) two years ago. Many high school students gather there. Sometimes, some college students and even foreign friends are present at the English corner. There, we practice our spoken English, talk about what we are interested in, exchange our experience in learning English and so on. I’ve learned a lot.
I have greatly improved myself in English since I visited it. It is really a great help to me.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第八篇
The Internet
In the era of information and technology, the Internet has played an improtant role in our society. With the Internet, its easy to get the information we need, improving the efficiency of our study and work. We cant deny that it is impossible for lots of people to achieve great success in the modern society without the Internet.
However, some people think that the Internet has a bad effect on the growth of the teenagers. The teenagers are too young to resist some temptations from the Internet. Some of them indulge themselves in the Internet and at last are lured away from the study.
In my opinion, we should pay more attention to the advantages of the Internet and make the most of it. Meanwhile, we should teach the teenagers how to use the Internet positively, and make the Internet a tool for their healthy development.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第九篇
Dear Jack,
I'm glad to have received your e-mail but I am sorry you are having some trouble in making friends.
In my opinion, friendship is one of the most important things in everyone s life because without friends we will suffer loneliness. If you would like to take my advice, you ll win real friendship. First, why not communicate with your friend when possible and tell him/her what you think about friends and friendship and let him/her know that you want to make friends with him/her. Secondly, you should learn to share your happiness and sorrow with your friends. Thirdly, it would be a good idea if you like to invite him/her to join in some activities such as swimming and ball games, which can make you learn to appreciate your friends and cherish your friendship.
I hope you will find these opinions and ideas useful.
Best wishes!
Yours,
Wu Dong
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第十篇
1.收入差距悬殊是当前社会的一种现象
2.人们对之褒贬不一
3.我的看法
参考范文：
Now the income gap is getting wider and wider. In some privately owned firms, joint-ventures, or foreign-fund companies, an executive's yearly income is ten times or even a hundred times as much as an ordinary worker's.
Faced with this situation, people will undoubtedly have different opinions. Some believe that it benefits the social and economic development since driving force is often derived from the gap. In other words, the gap inspires people and gives a push to advancement. Others speak of its side effect: income gap is often the root of social unrest and also contrary to our country's principle.
From my point of view, while it is true that the income gap may stimulate the social development to some extent, it causes trouble as well. An income gap that is too wide for most people to bear can neither contribute to the stability of a country nor promote its economic development. Therefore, while we are advocating the rapid development of our country, we should tolerate the narrow income gap but narrow the wide one.
②绿色食品
Directions:
Write a composition entitled Popularity of Green should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below in Chiness.
1.绿色食品现在越来越受到消费者的青睐;
2.为什么绿色食品如此受欢迎;
3.绿色食品将有更大的发展空间。
Popularity of Green Food
Due to its high-quality and original tastes, green food appeals to more consumers. From supermmarkets to chain stores, green food is found everywhere.
Why is green food so popular even though its price is usually higher than other food? On the one hand, recently a series of issues on food safety makes customers disturbed and anxious. In order to have the reliable food, more housewives opt to select green food for their family. Green food has been labeled as a kind of healthy, delicious and fashionable food. This is perhaps the most important reason for the popularity of green food. On the other haod, with the advance in living standard, people will pay more attention to the quality of food and their raised income is enough to cover the expenditure of food with a comparatively high price.
With the development of the society, green food is certainly to hold a larger portion in the market. In the near future, people will be accustomed to enjoy the fresh vegetable, fruits and cereals without pesticide residues, artificial feed and contarnination.(183 words)
③ 微信的影响
Wechat Conquers the World
Since the policy of Reform and Open in the last century, Chinese economy develops so rapidly. At the same time, the technology catches up with the world. The popular social communicational tool Wechat was created in China, but now it conquers the world and people is crazy about it.
The reason why people like to use Wechat is that the functions are all-sided. Before Wechat, the most popular social communicational tool like facebook though is creative, it has to download another software to better communication. While for Wechat, everything is simple, you don’t need to download another software. What’s more, you can pay and have the webcam with your friends. The comment that your friends give to you is more private, only the common friends can share. As it is so convenient, people say that they can do everything with a smart phone at hand.
Technology changes our life and people’s need promotes the improvement of technology. We use our wisdom and create the new things. We should be proud of us and show to the world that Chinese people are creative.
④教育不公平
教育不公平
1. 近年来出现一些教育不公平的现象
2. 出现这些现象的原因和后果
3. 为了改变这种状况，我认为……
参考范文：
Equality of Education Opportunity
In recent years the problems which are caused by the inequality of education opportunity have attracted the public's attention. For instance, the backward teaching facilities and dilapidated school buildings in rural areas are in sharp contrast to those advanced facilities and well-equipped classrooms in urban areas, students from poor families cannot go to universities because of the high tuition.
There are several factors which contribute lo these problems. First, the distribution of resources is unbalanced between rural and urban schools. Second, educational loans for poor students are far from enough. Third, the inequality in some schools' admission policies also turns many students away. The education inequality can result in many bad impacts. On one hand, it can affect people’s future employment. On the other hand，it is the root of many social problems.
To change this situation, I think, we should take the following measures. Firstly, the government's spending on education should be increased and the allocation of public resources gives priority to rural and weak urban schools. Secondly, the implementation of the government financial aid system for students should be accelerated. Thirdly, the government should speed up education reforms to ensure everyone has equal access to schools.
⑤永不言弃
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic Do We Need “Never give up”? You should write at least 150 words following the outline given below in Chinese:
1. “永不言弃”一直被认为是一种积极的生活态度，是个人成功的关键因素
2. 但是，也有人认为适当的放弃才是明智的选择
3. 你对此的看法及理由
【范文】
Do We Need “Never give up”?
It is widely accepted that “Never give up”, a strong and positive life attitude, is the key for individual success on the grounds that permanent persistence may boost our confidence, strengthen our will, and provide us a second chance for success when we are in hardship. However, others argue that sensible abandonment is more precious than blind persistence because the wise one should choose the most suitable area for himself/herself.
In my opinion, we need to learn to give up timely. The most immediate reason is that we should adjust our aim carefully in order to go ahead continuously. Sometimes, to give up those unrealistic targets is essential for success. Besides, the attitude “Never give up” exhausts us both mentally and physically. Only through learning to give up can we lead a pleasant and relaxing life. Finally, the temporary comprise means a new start, a beginning bringing new hopes, expectations and opportunities for us.
Passive as giving up sounds alike, it represents a more mature and realistic mentality. If those opposing this attitude can take into consideration of its benefits, then this may seem acceptable in our lives.
⑥支教
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic Aid Education in China. You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below in Chinese:
Aid Education in China
1. 支教的现象
2. 支教的意义
3. 你的观点
【范文】
Aid Education in China
There has been a hot topic recently about college students’ being encouraged to help children in the poor and remote areas.
Generally aid-education is helpful in two aspects. First of all, it can broaden volunteers’ horizons in poverty-stricken regions. For instance, it is a golden opportunity for volunteers to experience a completely different life. In addition, college students have to adapt themselves to the harsh living conditions, meanwhile they can make friends with the children.
In my view, the future of China’s education depends on the joint efforts of the society, the government and all the citizens. To sum up, we college students should take the initiative in response to the appeal for supplying help to children in poor regions
援助教育在中国
有一个热点话题最近关于大学生被鼓励帮助孩子在贫穷和偏远地区。
一般援助教育是有用的在两个方面。首先,它可以扩大视野的志愿者在贫困地区。例如,它是一个黄金机会,志愿者去体验一种完全不同的生活。此外,大学生必须适应恶劣的生活条件,与此同时他们可以与孩子们交朋友。
在我看来,中国的未来的教育取决于社会的共同努力,政府和所有的公民。总之,我们大学生应该主动响应呼吁提供帮助在贫困地区的孩子。
⑦亚健康
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic How to Deal with Sub-health? You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below in Chinese:
1. 随着现代化的不断加速发展，全世界的物质生活水平不断攀升，但人们却日益受到“亚健康”这种不良状态的威胁
2. 亚健康的具体表现及在我国的蔓延程度(据调查，北京 75%、上海72%、广州70%的上班族都处于亚健康状态)
3. 在现代社会中应怎样解决亚健康问题
How to Deal with Sub-health
With the modernization of the world, people’s standard of living has improved a lot. Then there appears a state of sub-health among people which poses a new threat to them.
There are some typical symptoms for people who are in a state of sub-health. First of all, those who suffer from it often have a headache or backache. Secondly, they feel like having a rest frequently. What upsets us most is that, the situation is spreading countrywide. As a result, more and more workers in big cities are harassed by it, with a percentage of 75 in Beijing, 72 in Shanghai and 70 in Guangzhou respectively.
Then how can we solve this problem effectively? Experts suggest that the best way to keep ourselves healthy is to do exercises. It is also very important that people should form a good living habit, for example, getting up early and going to sleep early. Only doing so can we keep us healthy.
二、英语六级作文话题范文
① 你幸福吗
How to Enhance Our Sense of Happiness?
Along with the improvement of living standards, people are no longer content with being fed and clothed adequately. They are more concerned about how to enhance their sense of happiness.
To a large extent, happiness depends on individuals’ understanding about it. For some people, happiness relies on material basis, without which they can't live comfortably and decently. For others, they believe that happiness has nothing to do with money. Thus to enhance happiness is not equal to improving one’s material living standards. Instead, people are supposed to confront their life with right attitude, to be active and grateful in order to have a happy life.
For my part, money does buy happiness, but only up to the point where it enables one to live comfortably. To boost one’s happiness not only needs the material but also the spiritual enrichment. It encompasses living a meaningful life, utilizing your gifts and your time, living with reflection and objective.
② 大四空巢
1.目前许多大学校园里出现“大四空巢”现象
2.出现这一现象的原因
3.我对这一现象的看法和建议
参考范文：
On the Senior Empty Nests
For most senior students in universities, the last academic year has nothing to do with academics. To the frustration of professors, few courses are attended by students. And dorms are almost vacant with few lodgers. This kind of phenomenon, which has been called “Senior Empty Nests”, is common among universities of China.
Where have those absent senior students gone? Some lucky dogs have gone to their new jobs while the majority are still striving to get a job or engaging in their internship outside of the campus. The severe employment pressure has pushed senior students into employment market earlier. The anxiety of getting a job before graduation disturbs the restless mind of every student, which leads to skipping school of most students.
In my view, with senior students leaving campus earlier, their time of education has been reduced, which puts them in a disadvantaged position in the employment market. Students should start job hunting after finishing the courses of the last academic year. At the same time, the universities should provide career education for senior students.
③垃圾分类
The resources of the earth are limited. We should cherish and cherish these resources. So we're going to do garbage sorting, and reuse the available resources again.
At home, remind everybody garbage classification, water bottles, cans, such as waste paper packed together to sell, resources recycling, and made money, the waste batteries, cartridges, etc in the recycling bins. In school, you can reuse and reuse garbage, put in two different trash cans, one is recyclable and one is unrecyclable. Learn from your classmates and discuss ways to classify rubbish. In the suburbs, we will use two bags to classify garbage, pick up the garbage that we see and classify it, so that it is the best young pioneers. This allows you to easily categorize.
Everyone is sorting garbage, and the earth is beautiful. We will see the thick wood, the clear water, the blue sky and the blue sea, everyone has a sweet smile.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第十一篇
假设你是李华 , 你所在学校拟在下周开一个 _ 如何高效地学习英语 _ 的讲座。请你根据以下要点给史密斯教授写一封信 , 邀请他给学生做这次讲座。信的内容包括 : 讲座目的 : 让学生了解英语学习策略 讲座内容 : 如何高效学习英语 , 如何提高学习英语的兴趣 , 如何自主学习 讲座时间 : 1 小时 30 分钟左右。 参考词汇 : 策略 strategy
Dear Professor Smith,
Our school is planning to have a lecture on how to learn English effectively for middle school students next week and I m writing to ask you to come and give a talk on English learning strategies. It will help us understand how to learn English in effective ways and also increase our interest in learning it, thus making us learn it actively. Do you think one and a half hours will be enough for such a lecture? Please let me know as soon as possible so that I can make arrangements. Looking forward to seeing you and enjoying the lecture.
Best wishes.
Yours,
Li Hua
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第十二篇
Education
Aducation is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.
In some modern countries it has been fashionable to think that free education for all can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degrees refusing to do what they think is _low_work, and. in fact, working with ones hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor~ we can live without education,but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases in our towns.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work is suited to his brains and ability and, secondly, that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that it is very bad to be ashamed of ones work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第十三篇
When I was in high school, go to college ismy dream. Now I realize my dream. excited as I am, the first time I see mycollege.
My college is inside the biggest universityof Guangxi so that everytime I have to across a big campus to go out. At first Iam upset about that, but later on I get used to it. My college looksmodernization in general. When I arrive at the school gate, the first thing isthe boys’ dormitory and then is the playground. Look up! I see the canteen. I seethe girls’ dormitory turn left. But where is my classroom? I look around butcan’t find it. It turns out that it is separated by burrows. It’s strange,right? While I go across the burrow, I see another two big playgrounds and a tenniscourt at my left side. What is in my right side? Turn right, I see rows ofteaching building connecting with the library. This is mycollege. I like it notonly because of the evironment but also the people there.
Both the teachers and students there arevery nice. My roomates always help me in the daily life, the thing they usuallydo is wake me up in the morning. Other classmates always help me, when I meettrouble in study. My teachers are all kind and knowlegeable. Especially my headteacher, he talks with us and plays sports with us in order to make us get usedto the new life.
My college is wonderful. I love it. If youhave the opportunity, I hope you can pay a visit one day.
大学进阶英语期末作文范文 第十四篇
i was not yet 30 years old and was working as a firefighter in the south brons engine co. 82, probably the worlds most active firehouse at the time. it was warm and sunny, the kind of leisurely sunday that brought etra activity to the neighborhood and to its firefighters. we must have had 15 or 20 calls that day, the worst being a garbage fire in the rear of an abandoned building, which required a hard pull of 600 feet of cotton-jacketed hose.
between alarms i would rush to the company office to read captain grays copy of the sunday new york times. it was late in the afternoon when i finally got to the book review section. as i read it, my blood began to boil. an article blatantly stated what i took to be a calumny -- that william butler yeats, the nobel prize-winning light of the irish literary renaissance, had transcended his irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet.
there were few things i was more proud of than my irish heritage, and ever since i first picked up a book of his poems from a barracks shelf when i was in the military, yeats had been my favorite irish writer, followed by sean ocasey and james joyce.
my ancestors were irish farmers, fishermen and blue-collar workers, but as far as i can tell, they all had a feeling for literature. it was passed on to my own mother, a telephone operator, who hardly ever sat down without a book in her hands. and at that moment my own fingernails might have been soiled with the soot of the days fires, but i felt as prepared as any trinity don to stand up in the court of public opinion and protest. not only that yeats had lived his life and written his poetry through the very essence of his irish sensibility, but that it was offensive to think irishness -- no matter if it was psychological, social or literary -- was something to be transcended.
my stomach was churning, and i determined not to let an idle minute pass. hey, captain gray. could i use your typewriter? i asked.
the typewriter was so old that i had to use just one finger to type, my strongest one, even though i could type with all ten. i grabbed the first piece of clean paper i could find -- one that had the logo of the fire department of the city of new york across the top -- and, hoping there would be a break in the alarms for 20 minutes or so, wrote out a four-paragraph letter of indignation to the editor of the sunday book review.
throughout his poetry, i postulated, yeats yearned for a messiah to lead ireland out from under the bondage of english rule, and his view of the world and the people in it was fundamentally irish.
just as i addressed the envelope, the final alarm of my tour came in, and as i slid down the long brass pole, i felt unepectedly calm, as if a great rock had been purged from the bottom of my stomach.
i dont know why i felt it my obligation to safeguard the reputation of the worlds greatest poet, at least net to homer and shakespeare, or to inscribe an apologia for irish writing. i just knew that i had to write that letter, in the same way a priest has to pray, or a musician has to play an instrument.
until that point in my life i had not written much of value -- a few poems and short stories, the beginning of a coming-of-age novel. i knew that my writing was anything but refined. like a beginning artist who loves to draw, i understood that the more one draws, or writes, or does anyth
