ENG4U: Sam I Am

In an age of incredible technological advancement and thorough safety precautions, near death experiences are harder to come by these days. Ted-Ed speaker, Ric Elias, found himself walking out of a plane crash that should have, in all likelihood, brought his story to an end. With a new outlook on life, Elias took to the Ted-Ed stage to share his experience with the public, and offer some advice from a man who nearly lost it all. Throughout his speech, Elias emphasizes three key lessons that his near death experiences had taught him, in hopes that others can see the light in the same way he had. The speaker skillfully used various methods of development, stylistic devices, and diction in his attempt to remind the audience of the things that should matter most in a person’s life. 

In order for his message to be received with the full impact that was intended, Ric Elias opened his Ted talk with a brief narration of the events which would eventually lead him to the stage. He recounts the minutes leading up to his plane crash, describing his seating arrangements and his dialogue with a flight attendant. Within his narration, Elias utilized subtle imagery techniques. In fact, the very first word that he spoke was, “Imagine”. With the help of this device, the speaker’s narration was able to engage the audience by tapping into their senses. By immersing the listeners in the scenario on which the narration is based, Elias gains their attention right from the get go. After his initial story is received, the audience is more capable of putting themselves in the shoes of the speaker, and can understand the message to follow with greater empathy. The most glaring method of development unfolds throughout the entire duration of the talk, and does a very effective job of communicating the speaker’s thesis. Ric Elias employs the cause and effect method of development as the pillar of his Ted talk. Elias first narrates his near death experience in engaging fashion, and proceeds to spend the remainder of his speech noting the changes in outlook on life that have surfaced as a result of what he had endured. 

Ric Elias demonstrates a variety of stylistic devices during his speech which help to convey the general thesis. Getting to work early with the fancy literary tools once again, Elias presents an Onomatopoeia to the audience during his initial narration, describing the sound of the engine as, “Clah clah clah clah”. The verbal imitation of a sound significant to the experience of a plane crash allows listeners to gain a better understanding of what the speaker had undergone, which eventually strengthens the emotional connection, or pathos of the presentation. Pathos is also apparent in Elias’ speech towards the end, where he appears quite choked up and emotional as he begins to address his children and fatherhood. 

Another key stylistic device was utilized as the speaker began his transition from the cause portion of the speech, to the effects that it would have. Elias uses an analogy to convey his new outlook on life, stating that he “collects bad wine, because if the wine is ready and the person is there, [he] is opening it”. This metaphor has a profound effect on the audience’s understanding of Elias’ thesis, as it demonstrates his revelation that we should try to put ourselves through as many experiences as possible in our short lifetimes, because they are, in fact, short, and increased exposure to opportunity leads to a more fulfilled life. 

In addition to the content of his speech, Ric Elias’ Ted talk is presented through a variety of camera angles in order to convey different messages. In particular, you may notice that there are two particular sections in the speech where the camera is focussed more closely on the speaker’s face. These zoom-ins occur as Elias is describing the moment of impact in his plane crash, and again as he speaks of his children, two moments which happen to carry heavy emotional baggage. By bringing the audience closer to Elias’ face, the camera crew and production team allow viewers to tap into the emotions portrayed by the speaker during these specific moments to help them fully understand the significance of the change that Elias’ near death experience has provoked. 

Finally, Ric Elias controls his speaking tone and diction with expertise to further engage audience members. Despite the situation that he is describing, Elias maintains a sense of calmness during his speech. Although it may appear inconsequential, the relaxation in his voice speaks volumes about the changes he has undergone due to the accident. Elias speaks of how he has cut out the negativity in his life, and focussed instead on happiness. This newfound tranquility is reflected in the relaxation of the speaker’ tone, as he never appears to be flustered or anxious. In terms of diction, Elias keeps it simple, using mostly informal diction as if he were talking to a friend. The use of informal diction acts as an engagement tool, allowing listeners to feel as though they are in a regular conversation rather than being given a speech amongst a large crowd. 

All in all, Ric Elias certainly utilized many tools to capture the attention of the audience, and help them better understand the positive change that a near death experience gave rise to. Personally, I admire the lifestyle adjustments that the speaker emphasizes, and I believe that if we can all take a page from his book (excluding the plane crash of course), the world would be a better place.

Before he was a household name boasting his own iconic shoe brand and six NBA championship rings, he was a 17 year old kid just like me. We’ve all heard the story of how MJ would shoot 100 free throws everyday to become the best basketball player he could be. I know what you must be thinking – here we go again with another teenaged boy raving about their dreams to be a star athlete. In reality, I play varsity basketball and will undoubtedly make a fool of myself every time I step on the court, which is not a common occurrence to begin with. All of that goes to say that as of right now, there is no passion burning a pit in my stomach. I don’t lose sleep over aspirations in sports, music, or becoming an astronaut. For me, the most important thing is to live a full life, enjoying myself along the way, and when my time is up, having left behind a positive mark on those who mattered to me the most. 

    When it comes to living a full life, it’s important to make sure that you have enough time to accomplish all that you want to accomplish, and the way to do that is to make sure to stay healthy. As an added bonus, many habits that contribute to good overall health are practices that thoroughly enjoy. Being active, for example, is a surefire way to keep yourself in good shape, and also happens to be something that contributes a great deal to my overall happiness. I’ve always valued sports in particular, growing up playing hockey at a high level, and playing a variety of other sports when back injuries brought my hockey career to an end. In addition to being active, proper nutrition is a concept that I couldn’t live without. At the end of the day, I want to make sure that when my time in the workforce expires, I am healthy enough to do what brings me the most joy, and that will definitely require more fitness than just swinging a golf club.

    In order to be able to leave a lasting impression on the people in my life, I will have to expand my knowledge in a plethora of categories. A university degree will not only help me in getting a job, but will also provide me with a new set of skills to be applied in my own life, and to be passed onto future generations of Richardsons. In case you couldn’t tell already, I am quite family oriented, and there are few things as important to me as providing my children, and my children’s children, with all the tools that they need to live a fulfilling life themselves. This includes a stable financial situation, as well as a strongly imposed moral code, among other things. One thing in particular that I hope to expand on in the future is my artistic awareness, specifically music. I took piano lessons for many years, and have since taught myself to play the guitar at an intermediate level. It is of the utmost importance to me that my children grow up in a culturally rich environment, and an appreciation for the arts is something to be highly encouraged . 

    At the end of the day, what I am the most passionate about is ensuring that when people think of Sam Richardson, their thoughts are exclusively positive. I am passionate about making friends laugh, teaching younger generations what I know to be true, and enjoying myself along the way. To sum things up, if people in the future were to write stories about me, I want to make sure that I would be one of the good guys. 

In the english language, there are certain phrases that are seldom spoken. Among these lies the exclamation, “Essay writing is my favourite”. Although I would never go as far as to praise it, I have never truly experienced the same disdain for writing formal essays as many of my peers. My confidence when it comes to formal writing is good, but I am obviously far removed from an expert on the matter. This means that the two articles offering new perspectives and guidelines in regards to essay writing were a worthwhile read as I prepare to write my first piece of ENG 4U. 

“Let’s Bury the 5-Paragraph Essay: Long Live Authentic Writing”, by Brian Sztabnik, begins by highlighting a trend shared by many popular writing samples as of late, with all of them sidestepping the universally standardized five paragraph format. Throughout the article, the author continued to suggest that writing is most effective when it is authentically created, without the constraints of strict format requirements. I believe this to be true in most cases, however, I believe that the five paragraph format is still useful when it comes to the development of students’ writing. Many younger students depend on the structure provided by the five paragraph format to organize their ideas, and remind them to use sufficient methods of persuasion. For experienced writers who are looking to elevate their style and tone, original formatting can prove to be very effective in engaging readers. 

In “Write Less, Say More: the Power of Brevity”, by Danny Rudin, the author emphasizes the importance of being clear and concise. The majority of the article focuses on how using less words and a simpler vocabulary can help get the message across the most efficiently. This contradicts what many high school seniors may believe to be true, as they see a high word count combined with fancy diction as a recipe for good grades. Similar to the article previously mentioned, the author’s points hold true to a certain extent. There will always be times when long winded writing and formal diction are necessary. For instance, most pieces of legal writing require a ton of detail, and formal writing characteristics due to the expectations of the professionals in that field. With that being said, Danny Rudin is absolutely correct when he suggests that many writers need to shorten their writing. Oftentimes, big assignments can intimidate students and lead them to ramble on and on, just for the sake of filling space. This decreases the power of whatever message is intended for audiences, as readers have to fish through all of the nonsense in order to draw the same conclusions they would have if the writing was clear and concise.

After reading the two articles, I hope to employ some of the concepts that I learned into my writing throughout the remainder of the semester. I have never been the guy who sticks exactly to the script in terms of planning every sentence I write in an essay, so I’m sure that getting away from formal five paragraph formatting will come somewhat naturally. Perhaps I won’t stray too far from the format that has been drilled into our minds since the sixth grade on this upcoming essay, but I will be sure to mix in some of the authors’ ideas as the semester progresses and I have opportunities to write less formally.

When we think of superheroes, most of us conjure up images of Spiderman, Captain America, among a variety of other day-saving characters sporting spandex. What we don’t realize is that many of our favourite heroes have one thing in common – they were brought to life by the revolutionary creator, Stan Lee. In The Guardian’s, “Stan Lee: The Greatest Storyteller”, author Damien Walter points out the great impacts that the visionary had on the fictional world of superheroes that we can all enjoy today.  Stan Lee was the father of a new type of superhero media that is relatable to the underdog. He foreshadowed the future meaning of “geek power”, and showed how intelligent individuals can use innovation and science to hold power, whether it be for good or evil. Walter makes the case that through all of his contributions to superhero lore, Stan Lee will go down in history as one of the greatest storytellers to have ever lived. 

Throughout the article, Damien Walter uses numerous methods of development in order to sway his audience and advance his thesis. Most obviously, the author uses classification to show readers that a common theme is present among Lee’s characters. Walter makes references to heroes such as Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, and Iron man, providing brief descriptions of the characters in order to show that they all rely on science to come out on top at the end of the day. By providing readers with these examples, Walter creates a classification for many of Lee’s characters, setting them apart from previously seen superheroes based on the tools that they use to save the day. This allows the audience to pick up on a trend which is integral to the thesis that he is attempting to convey. 

In addition to classification, the author uses contrast to emphasize his thesis. Walter alludes to the archetypal hero from before Stan Lee made his mark, noting that they would usually triumph through strength or ruthlessness. With this trend in the mind’s of readers, Walter mentions numerous Stan Lee characters who do not share the same traditional macho-man hero traits. Instead, it is made clear that Lee’s heroes use their minds to solve problems, contributing to the evolving concept of what it is to be heroic. By contrasting the heroes from past generations to the creations of Stan Lee, the author was able to clearly show readers the difference in the portrayal of heroism, and how Lee’s ideas would later become more mainstream than anyone had ever expected. 

The stylistic device that is utilized by Damien Walter is symbolism. Walter continuously references the originality of Lee’s characters, in the sense that their power comes from knowledge rather than physical ability. Having reinforced this theme throughout the entire article, Walter throws in a subtle note regarding “geek culture”, and how power is now held by those who can innovate and use science the most effectively. This may seem like a meaningless comment, however, the mention of the real world is actually crucial in getting the message across. In the article, Walter suggests that the rise of Stan Lee’s heroes symbolize the changing of the guard in terms of what it means to be powerful in the real world. Where as big muscles and a leather jacket may have represented power before, it’s new embodiment is the smartest, most innovative, or most tech savvy among us. 

Not only does the stylistic content of the article aid in the construction of the thesis, but the formatting of the piece itself actually has an impact on the effectiveness of the article.  The piece is broken into multiple smaller paragraphs, featuring a large image of Stan Lee at the beginning. This formatting decision was made with the purpose of engaging readers and convincing the audience to read the entire article, and not just the first sentence. If articles are made up of only massive blocks of text, many readers will be intimidated and discouraged to read the entirety of the piece. When the text is broken up into multiple small paragraphs, however, audiences don’t experience the same dread of having to read an article that appears so taxing. 

In biographical texts of any sort, tone plays a key role in aiding readers as they attempt to gauge the author’s feeling towards the person of interest. “Stan Lee: The greatest storyteller”, is no exception, with author Damien Walter flaunting his advanced vocabulary at various points throughout the article to help further his thesis. For example, Lee is described in the piece as charming, heroic, and even prophetic, three adjectives that I, personally, wouldn’t mind having slapped beside my name. Walter’s choice of word’s bearing overwhelmingly positive connotations provides readers with insight in regards to how Walter truly feels about Stan Lee. 

To wrap things up, I would have to fully agree with Damien Walter on his comments that Stan Lee’s superhero lore foreshadowed the recent shift in power dynamics in the real world. As I reminisce of the days when I would read Ant-man comics, or play  pretend Spiderman with my brother, I realize how great of an impact Stan Lee had on millions of kids worldwide, and I am grateful for the gifts that his creations have given all of us.

Before he was a household name boasting his own iconic shoe brand and six NBA championship rings, Micheal Jordan was just a 17 year old kid just like me. We’ve all heard the story of how MJ would shoot 100 free throws everyday to become the best basketball player he could be. I know what you must be thinking – here we go again with another teenaged boy raving about their dreams to be a star athlete. In reality, I play varsity basketball and will undoubtedly make a fool of myself every time I step on the court, which is not a common occurrence to begin with. All of that goes to say that as of right now, there is no passion burning a pit in my stomach. I don’t lose sleep over aspirations in sports, music, or becoming an astronaut. For me, the most important thing is to live a full life, enjoying myself along the way, and when my time is up, having left behind a positive mark on those who mattered to me the most. 

When it comes to living a full life, it’s important to make sure that you have enough time to accomplish all that you want to accomplish, and the way to do that is to make sure to stay healthy. As an added bonus, many habits that contribute to good overall health are practices that thoroughly enjoy. Being active, for example, is a surefire way to keep yourself in good shape, and also happens to be something that contributes a great deal to my overall happiness. I’ve always valued sports in particular, growing up playing hockey at a high level, and playing a variety of other sports when back injuries brought my hockey career to an end. In addition to being active, proper nutrition is a concept that I couldn’t live without. At the end of the day, I want to make sure that when my time in the workforce expires, I am healthy enough to do what brings me the most joy, and that will definitely require more fitness than just swinging a golf club.

In order to be able to leave a lasting impression on the people in my life, I will have to expand my knowledge in a plethora of categories. A university degree will not only help me in getting a job, but will also provide me with a new set of skills to be applied in my own life, and to be passed onto future generations of Richardsons. In case you couldn’t tell already, I am quite family oriented, and there are few things as important to me as providing my children, and my children’s children, with all the tools that they need to live a fulfilling life themselves. This includes a stable financial situation, as well as a strongly imposed moral code, among other things. One thing in particular that I hope to expand on in the future is my artistic awareness, specifically music. I took piano lessons for many years, and have since taught myself to play the guitar at an intermediate level. It is of the utmost importance to me that my children grow up in a culturally rich environment, and an appreciation for the arts is something to be highly encouraged . 

At the end of the day, what I am the most passionate about is ensuring that when people think of Sam Richardson, their thoughts are exclusively positive. I am passionate about making friends laugh, teaching younger generations what I know to be true, and enjoying myself along the way. To sum things up, if people in the future were to write stories about me, I want to make sure that I would be one of the good guys.

Welcome to my (Sam Richardson’s) blog. Throughout the semester, this site will provide personal commentary, literary insights, and a variety of other blog posts which will be sure to make your semester a little bit more tolerable. Enjoy!