Poetry Performance

Performing our poetic creations was very enjoyable. I think that poetry should be read aloud because it not only brings our senses and interpretations to a higher level but, we can experience it in a new way. It brings us closer to the speaker/poet and gives a sense of understanding that cannot be reached without physical oration of the words. In poetry, words mean everything. This means that words/language is the meat and basis for a poem's life. We wake this dormant creation by "breathing" into it our voices. The inflections of our voice caused by the punctuations or rhythm of the poem gives the poem extra beats, like the beating of our hearts.

Performing our poetry helped me gain a closer understanding to the speaker/poet's purpose and meaning of the poem. It helped me get into a specific mood that the speaker/poet wanted me to be in. I was able to grasp the tones and themes of the poems through the performances. It gave me a heightened sense of the words that were being used and I enjoyed every minute of it.

There is an intimate connection that performing has on the audience and its author. In a way, the poem becomes something real because there is a live-human mediator to make connections. After all, life is all about making connections, interactions, and reactions. In performing our poetry, all of the three "-tions" were immediate and intimate. The fact that we are experiencing something immediately is the most important part of performing our poetry.

I was less enthusiastic about writing my own poetry because I thought that everyone would think it was lame. I tried not to use any derogatory language because I didn't know how everyone would take it. I think that our class is very open-minded and friendly but, due to the fact that we don't get to see each other very often, I didn't know how everyone was gonna react. But, once I got started, I figured that if my poetry was confusing in anyway, at least I will be able to talk to people about it. This is why I think performing it is important. It all goes back to the immediate three "-tions" I mentioned above.

I'm not a creative writer, and when I am given an assignment as such, I feel very vulnerable. However, I remember that I used to like creative writing assignments when I was younger and so tried to channel that part of my life back into the process of writing my poems. I feel that this assignment is a good one to use when teaching because it will allow the students to not only show hidden talent but, it will give them a heightened sense of confidence and a deeper connection with one another. I think that as teachers, we have to remember to establish a sense of trust within our classrooms first before we do these kinds of assignments. It isn't enough to just ask the students to perform and react or give input about another student's poetry. We have to make connections and build an environment that can support and nurture our students life.