Post 7: Poetry Unit Reflection

            I hate poetry. Or at least, I used to. After this unit I now have something of a begrudging respect for the form of writing. Previously I thought of poetry as a cliché and melodramatic way of expressing emotions. If I’m being honest, I still think of some poetry like that. But after analyzing famous works in this unit I’ve come to enjoy some of them, in particular ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night ’ by Dylan Thomas.

            I find that I enjoy poetry that uses more formal language and what might be considered atypical descriptions and grammar. Normal speech and writing can become so dry and these sorts of poems allow the writer to ‘spice up’, if you will, the English language.

            Friends of mine write poetry as if it were their drug. I may not be at that level but I can understand why it’s addictive. After working on a poem or spoken word for an extended period of time I found myself thinking in rhythms, which might have been sort of funny had it not been so entirely irritating.

            Though we did the spoken word assignment in the poetry unit, it seemed like a subject on its own. Yes it is poetry, but its different in the way that its entire value is dependant on how you perform it and how it comes across in that moment.

            I had heard spoken word before but never seen live performances. I practiced my piece dozens of times the night before and had it memorized but I never anticipated the nerves. It was very different from reciting a speech, which I have done on multiple occasions without any mental breakdowns (As of yet). Obviously the subject matter was closer to my heart than the typical ‘Eye Symbolism in King Lear’ speech topics but I was none-the-less surprised by my own nerves.  

            I am told that the nerves gave it more emotion and actually enhanced the piece rather than took away from it but I was still irritated that it caused me to choke on some phrases, making the piece chopping in the places it wanted it to be flowing and smooth.

            What surprised me even more than my own nerves was how much more effective spoken word was when watched live. When I was looking for a piece to analyze for the blog post I listened to dozens on YouTube, but they couldn’t compare to being in the room while watching my classmates perform.

            In reflection, I enjoy poetry much more than when the unit started and can appreciate how difficult of an art form it really is. Words are fickle. A verse in a poem may work beautifully at first, but when you return to the work later the meaning has changed and the entire thing sounds like something bent at an awkward angle. I still find poetry frustrating, and probably always will, but it no longer seems like such as waste of time.