Hi. I'm reapplying through UCAS this year to (hopefully) study English Literature. When I applied last year I opened my personal statement with a quote from Keats - "words are images of thoughts refined / is my soul's pleasure and it sure must be / almost the highest bliss of human kind". I'm trying to demonstrate my love of Eng Lit, without sounding like everyone else. Anyone who's applying for Eng knows how competitive it is, so I need some originality!
Does that quote sound too pretentious? Or is it a good opening? Opinions needed!
Posts: 146
Threads: 33
Joined: Jun 2003
Reputation:
1
It sounds alright as quotes go, but you also need to think about how you're going to work it into your statement. Are you going to start with "Keats said..." or lauch straight into the quote? Also what's going to come next - you'll need to justify including this quote somehow.
I would generally advise against using quotes though - how is your statement going to be original if you're using words someone else has written?
Ok, just written the 1st draft of PS. To clarify, last year I had the quote as the opening, then commented on it and how it applied to me. This time, I have put:
Although the realism Larkin utilises is appealing, the Romantic hyperbole of Keats especially attracts me. The beauty of the language he employs is at once inspirational and rousing, whilst remaining tainted by the tragedy of his life. The lines from Keats’ O Solitude, If I Must With Thee Dwell effectively sums up my feelings towards literature: “words are images of thoughts refined, Is my soul's pleasure; and it sure must be Almost the highest bliss of human-kind”.
Thats the close of the third paragraph of the PS, just after talking about why I love lit.
