Prompt 1

"For literature to be literature, it must constantly defamiliarize the familiar, constantly evolve new procedures for story-telling or poetry-making. And such change is entirely autonomous of the social and historical world from which the materials of literature are taken." - Page 5

"I am no prophet - and here's no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid."
     "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock" by T.S. Elliot

When I read that quote from Rivkin and Ryan, I didn't immediately agree until I read it a couple of times. At first, it seemed to me that they were stating that one must defamiliarize their writing in order to make whatever story they have into a piece of literature, but if I was to write a story about my day at school, and I wanted everyone to understand what I was talking about? I would want my peers to understand what it was like to travel across campus, to cross the Red Cedar, to fully grasp how beautiful that day was. So why would I not want that piece of writing to be familiar to those who wished to read it?
From here I was able to gather that that they act of writing if different from everyone; everyone sees their writing in their own way, and everyone writes differently. Therefore, it would be automatic when writing to put my own feelings and emotions into the work, and not those of others, even if it is for them, and I want them to understand what I am telling them. Looking at Elliot's work written above, I was struck with the answer to my question. To me, that piece of the poem states that he is getting old and that he soon will meet his Maker, and act that he is afraid of, but has come to terms with his inevitable end, in which everyone must face. Reading this passage, I do not know what it is like to be old, and therefore cannot express my fear on growing old and having to die. Although, there is still the fact that everyone faces death every day, and depressing aspect that we all face, but still, something that we don't think about every waking moment. So, I may not fully be familiar with what Elliot is writing about in this passage, but its with deeper thinking and diving into the rest of the poem, or the writing, that a reader can become more familiar with what the author is telling them. So if someone were to read about my day at school, they may have not lived through that experience, but in time they will grasp, understand, and become more familiar with what I have said in my piece.