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.
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Hey Mimi, I agree with you when performing our poetry was very enjoyable. I have to say that writing poetry was a lot more fun than writing about poetry. You have more freedom to do whatever you want when writing your own poetry. When writing about a poem written about someone else you have to go and interpret and explicate that poem and it is very difficult and time consuming. When I was writing my poems it did not take me very long to put together my wrecking the first person poem and my found poem. I have written a couple more poems during my spring break. I enjoy sitting down and writing my own poems and see what I come up with in the end. At first it is very hard to put to be creative and put something like your own poem together but in the end it is very fun and enjoyable. I had a blast getting up in front of the class and presenting my own poetry. It was great to sit and listen to everyone else perform their own poetry.
You are absolutely right about the necessary environment in a classroom. If students do not feel safe, they will not be, or admit to being, creative. This is why I thought the found poem would be a good first step for high-school students. If they could begin by arranging instead of writing, and perform another person's thoughts instead of directly exposing their own, perhaps they can be eased into the idea. Particularly with adolescents, classroom bravery and solidarity are most easily achieved through baby steps.
Writing poetry does give one a greater appreciation for the poetry that's already out there. I, too, really enjoyed the readings. Everyone was very brave and quite creative with their work.
You're right about meaning being in the mind of the experiencer. In my first-person poem, I played with the fact that Frost's "The Road Not Taken" was seriously misinterpreted, even by the person he was writing about. An author can intend anything he wants, but once the poem is out there, the reader decides what it means.
Hi Mimi,
I agree, I absolutely loved the performance day! It was so amazing to sit back and listen to everyones poetry being read out loud. I was so impressed with everyone. It was so much fun.
Writing an explication of a poem, not as much fun, but not so horrible either. It gives you a chance to delve deeper into the meaning and language of a poem and helps to write your own poetry as well. Writing poetry can be difficult if you spend to much time worrying about the outcome. If you allow yourself the freedom of expression it can be an extremely rewarding experience!
oops, typo...I meant "too"
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