I have never been good at poetry. Never. I can appreciate poetry because it's something deep and layered and has hidden meanings in it, but I can never write it. I guess I gave up trying after a few times. But then I went to Get Lit and I have to say, it was really great! To see so many poets sharing their poetry and in a way sharing a part of themselves was so inspiring to see! I got to see my friends share their poetry, I got to see the people listening to the poetry respond to it in a way that was inclusive and accepting. The whole environment of Get Lit was so great, I want to experience that again.
That being said, I think poetry exists to let readers see a tiny part of a story. May that story be a person or an event. Poems have layers in them in which you get to make up your own rules. I love Emily Dickenson's poetry because of that--she doesn't conform to any rules, she makes her own rules! This shows the rebellious side of Dickenson that I have fallen in love with.
Writing poetry can also be a good thing if you're into that sort of thing. Just because I'm not into it doesn't mean it's useless. I want to incorporate poetry in my future classroom because it's an important part of literature, and can help students express themselves in any manner they choose.
That being said, I think poetry exists to let readers see a tiny part of a story. May that story be a person or an event. Poems have layers in them in which you get to make up your own rules. I love Emily Dickenson's poetry because of that--she doesn't conform to any rules, she makes her own rules! This shows the rebellious side of Dickenson that I have fallen in love with.
Writing poetry can also be a good thing if you're into that sort of thing. Just because I'm not into it doesn't mean it's useless. I want to incorporate poetry in my future classroom because it's an important part of literature, and can help students express themselves in any manner they choose.
Meg, your post reminds me of the UGP! It sounds as if you'd agree that poetry is an unfamiliar genre for you. If you want to give your students opportunities to write it (and after being at Get Lit myself, it seems entirely unoptional not to do that!), will you give it a try, too?
ReplyDeleteI actually do write poetry now and again, but it was still hard for me to share my poem the other day during Afternoon Pages. I did it not so much because I thought the poem was earth-shatteringly good, but because I wanted to exercise the same the vulnerability that I've been asking you all to exercise this semester. It was nerve-wracking, but I did it anyway.
Do you think that you might do the same with your own students?
ALSO, YOUR NAME IS MUDITA. YAAAAAHHH. (sorry for the confusion)
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