Russian Literature, Taught by Gayla Diment, was my first Honors class I took. We analyzed and read the works of two major Russian writers, Nabokov and Brodsky. Throughout the quarter we read almost 10 books by both of the authors. I learned a lot about how Communism and the USSR affected Russian literature along with how to better analyze works of poetry and prose. One was born during the end of the Russian Empire and the other was born during the heart of the USSR. In the end both were exiled to America. Their lives have greatly affected their writing, and both of the them often write about the USSR and their experiences. My favorite writer of the two was Brodsky. He was less formal and serious in his writing. Additionally, he focused on similar topics of my favorite poet, Sylvia Plath. I have never been a fantastic writer and creating 13 and 15 page paper was difficult for me. Even though I struggled with both, I did improve in my writing on the final. I would never pursue a major in Russian literature, but there were some aspects of the class I enjoyed. Most of all I was able to improve my writing and practice analyzing poetry and prose, something that I haven't done since my Junior in high school.