I will be the first to admit that I do not possess the fondest feelings towards poetry— Truthfully, I am not entirely certain as to where my apprehension originates from. Perhaps it lies in the fact that analyzing poetry is a particularly difficult task for me, given the inherent ambiguity of the medium. Literature, in my opinion, is far more straightforward. Nevertheless, having to dissect and interpret poetry feels almost Herculean, at least for me. Composing poetry is no different, either. Each word must be carefully selected and scrutinized to determine whether or not it is appropriate for use. The connotations, the intentions, the rhythms, all must be taken into close consideration. Having to write about poetry truly allowed me to realize how much meaning is interjected into every line, every stanza. Nothing in poetry is without purpose. With that being said, there is one major difference between writing about poetry and writing poetry, which is how the latter will be received by an audience. In other words, whatever ideas that the poet themselves had originally infused into their composition may be lost on the reader. This is not necessarily “bad,” but rather a natural consequence of the “death of the author” phenomenon.
Because of this, when crafting my own poem, I took special care to ensure that my intentions were preserved in the text. What mattered most to me was that my poem remained accessible; during my analysis of Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?”, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she did not bog down her text with an assortment of metaphors and references, the likes of which would have likely complicated my understanding. I attempted to emulate the same throughout my composition, and I do hope that I was able to succeed in broadcasting the themes I wished to touch on to my audience. With that being said, paying special attention to accessibility also allowed me to better appreciate poets who explore more complex themes. Though it may seem as if I am disapproving of that practice, I will say that it does take skill to be able to incorporate those references in a way that still retains the original meaning. While that style is not exactly my cup of tea, so to speak, I cannot help but admire those who have mastered it in such a clever fashion.
Moving on, as can probably be discerned, what I learned most from this experience is how much thought is placed into poetry. This is a concept that I fully plan on carrying with me when I begin my career as an instructor. I have noticed that students tend to assume a rather dismissive stance towards poetry, believing it to be “empty,” schlock that has been hastily compiled together to sound “deep.” That is not the case at all, and this revelation is one that I wish to communicate to my students. Similar to what we did during our own poetry unit, I would have students craft poems, perform those poems to their classmates, then poll the audience to see how the poem resonated with them. What interpretations could they give? What meaning could they derive? These are important questions to ask, as it encourages students to critically analyze the poems they consume. I would also have the poet themselves discuss what their state of mind was when they composed it, and what it is they desired to convey through it.
