There is a wide difference between writing poetry and writing about poetry. Writing poetry is an art form and it requires you to be vulnerable where when you write about poetry you have to think about perspective and the meaning behind someone else’s words. When you write poetry you tell a story and create something to be analyzed. When you write about poetry you analyze a story and walk alongside the characters asking them questions. I think like many art forms of writing you need practice in the craft to turn around and analyze. When you write poetry and put yourself in the shoes of the author it is easier to travel through the writing of someone else. Especially when it comes to poetry which leaves room for so much interpretation you need to be the author to understand the difference between the author's intent and impact. I have learned from the experience of writing poetry and writing about poetry that the author’s impact is different than the author’s intent when it comes to the final product of poetry. Knowing this I have been able to turn to my students and show them that since the impact of their writing is going to be different than their intent they should write for themselves. I have made it a point to teach my students that their words matter and they can impact change. This has given my students the unneeded permission to be free in their writing. This then becomes full circle because it allows them to have a new perspective for writing poetry and writing about poetry.
Hailey,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that writing poetry makes you more vulnerable than writing about poetry. It's so personal, and can't be anything but personal. But I also feel writing about poetry is personal, too, however, we can hide behind what we're saying with all our evidence by other writers to make the point for us. Nevertheless, I feel our arguments in any kind of essay like these are always personal.
There's this newspaper columnist I used to love to read — Jimmy Breslin. He's gone now, but, there was a documentary about him and about all the columns he wrote. He wrote a city column. All newsy stuff and not so much about him as it was about the people he wrote about. However, the person interviewing him for this documentary asked him who he really was as a person. Breslin answered, "Read." In other words, what he wrote about was who he was as a person.
Anyway, I also like that you teach your students about the importance of words. Too often people take words for granted, especially on social media. Kids should learn the power words carry, for good and for bad.
Michael Picarella
Hello Hailey,
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely an aspect of poetry that can be a lot more vulnerable than basic literature. I think while both mediums do well in their intended ways, poetry has another layer of performance (almost theatrical) that can make those emotional highs all the higher. When writing your own poetry, it is so much easier to see this aspect, and since I am so used to analyzing poetry as opposed to performing it, I feel like I missed out in my earlier years of studying as I found most poetry to be “boring.” I also like how you mention that there is so much room for interpretation with poetry that is found less in literature. I think the different kinds of structures that poetry can take is what lends it so well to differing interpretations, as what one person takes from a poem might be severely different from another.
WC: 151
Dear Hailey,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your perspective on the difference between writing and analyzing poetry. I liked your phrase about “walking alongside the characters to ask them questions,” I feel that that’s a great way to engage with analyzing a creative work to gain insight on the choices made in crafting poems. I especially appreciate that you pointed out how the intent behind a poem doesn’t always translate into how the poem is interpreted by others. “Write for yourself” is such a fantastic piece of advice to give to students of any age, especially when it comes to creating original poetry. It’s important for students to know that their writing has value, because they might not recognize that when they’re first getting into creative writing. Helping students to broaden their perspective on writing poetry and analyzing poems is probably one of the best outcomes possible when giving them poetry writing assignments. I’m glad I got to see your perspective on this topic, thanks for sharing with us!