In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
Karl Shapiro's poem "Auto Wreck" was published in 194 2 in his book Person, Place, and Thing , a collection of 51 poems. December 7,1941 wa s a turning point in World War II when the Americans, devastated by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , decided to actively engage Axis forces by deploying the military . A fter years of 'neutrality' (the US ha d already been helping the British by sending money, ammunition and food supplies since the spring of 1941 ) , action had been imposed on them, so to speak. It seemed his being drafted into the army and serving in the Pacific Theater brought about Shapiro's inspiration to write . Four book s of poems were published from his days in the army. Stationed in New Guinea, he wrote V-Letter and Other Poems which gave him the Pulitzer Prize in 1945. "Auto Wreck" can be con strued as the direct result of what Shapiro experienced during the war. The hollow logic of war, the arbitrariness of human li...