Techniques of Poetry

Forgot to tell ya about the poetry for peace!!

2009-12-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Hey all, must have slipped my mind with all these finals but I was able to go the last poetry for peace of the semester and forgot to write about my experience! I was a bit disappointed, to be honest, that more people were not there. I guess I had always envisioned it being pretty full and a bit more participation. I haven't been able to attend one of the events yet because of my schedule but I was able to get this afternoon off. Though it was not a big crowd (actually only 7 of us, five of us being from our class!) I thought it was a nice way to spend your afternoon. Since Theo couldn't be there that afternoon we had a stand in (his name slips my mind) but he read a few of his pieces to us and kind of set the "theme" of the afternoon as home. I really liked his poems, they read like a story and very fluidly. His voice was also a very interesting balance of passion and energy as well as calmness.
After he read a few poems he encouraged us to read anything we had brought with us. I actually didn't really know it was a read aloud kind of thing, so I hadn't planned on bringing anything. However, I happened to have my computer with me and pulled up a poem I had recently written for our class. I read a poem that I thought pertained to the theme of home as it was about a moment that my mom and I shared at home together. I read it aloud, and I thought it was so fun! It was nice to just read something that I had written, just for the sake of reading it! One other person read an original poem and then a couple people read some of his poems and other published poems. I thought it turned out to be quite a nice, intimate setting which was relaxing. Though I had kind of initially wished there were more people there, it turned out to be pretty nice in the end.
One of my friends had been to the poetry for peace events in the past and also came with me on this day. She told me that the last time she went (sometime last year) it was completely packed! Some people even had to stand in the back. Some classes and departments were participating in it as part of a class and things like that so there was a lot of participation. She said it was a very interesting and exciting environment to be a part of. I thought that this was a great idea, to have different departments get involved in the process and participate. I think it would actually serve as a great fundraiser as well! Perhaps different groups on campus and different departments could get involved and read and donate proceeds to a larger organization promoting peace on some level. I think if I were to give any suggestions for how to expand the program and make it more successful in the future I would just say to promote it! Advertise it and inquire individually within departments and programs on campus. I think the event is a wonderful idea and a fun experience no matter who shows up, but there is definitely room for improvement! All in all, poetry for peace was nice and I think I will make an effort to attend more next semester!

Poetry for Peace, December 8th 2009

2009-12-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

The last poetry for piece that took place on December 8th was in truth the first I had ever seen at SLU. Despite hearing about them first semester, I was never really informed on when they occurred, how they were run, or where they were located. Finally getting to chance to see one, even if it was in an attempt to complete the blog assignment for class was very interesting. Although, there were only around eight of us who actually came and even less of us who had poetry to read. I thought the event was an overall good attempt of bringing some more artistic expression on campus. I also thought the theme of home was a great a idea, and I loved all the varying poems read about making your way back home, finding your own home within yourself, etc. However the conversations we as group were having at the end of a very short string of readings really got me thinking.

People were talking about previous poetry slams they had gone to, the excitement and the thrill that students and other everyday poets alike put into their works trying to win over the audience and above all have fun. Inevitably the conversation turned into how Canton feels so secluded and empty and how students really need don’t leave campus for events. These conversations got me into thinking of what it would take to get that same type of poetry thrill and following here at SLU. Although I thought the poetry for peace was nice, it clearly isn’t drawing big crowds or really anyone new. My thoughts on how to make it better would be to one publicize it more, push for anyone on campus to come including faculty and staff through banners and colorful posters. But most importantly if you want a following or attention it must be made more accessible and noticeable. My idea would be to make these poetry for peace readings take place where the average student can see them and take part in them or at the very least know that they exist. Maybe try booking the Winston room, Sykes formal lounge, etc. I think if this event was more out in the open, perhaps more people would participate and then bigger events could be planned. Just my thoughts

Poetry for Peace, December 8th

2009-12-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

That was the third Poetry for Peace event that I have been to while at SLU. They all have been pretty small, which is a pity. Last spring there was a poetry slam at Brewer Bookstore, and think events like that should maybe be held in the Student Center or integrated more into Open Mic Nights at Java and Pub 56, because really good readings and slams can be absolutely electrifying. I love hearing people read their own work, because it really gives you a better sense of how a poem is in its most organic form, the way that the poet originally heard it. At the December 8th Poetry for Peace we were talking a bit about how poetry reading really is a performance art, and in thinking about that I've come to the conclusion that that aspect of the craft is underpracticed. Dylan was saying how she feels uncomfortable reading aloud or performing her poetry, and I used to be exactly the same way. It really is all about practicing, and the more you read it out loud, the easier and more fun it gets.
With some poets, I actually like their work better alound than on the page...for instance, some free verse poems look so stiff and choppy on the page, but performed get a rhythm that doesn't come across in reading.
I want to practice performing poems, especially my own, since I don't read those aloud as often. I think poetry readings add an entirely new dimension to the art, and maybe its just St. Lawrence, but that dimension seems underrated. I also think reading aloud (judging from our workshops) helps me identify changes I want to make in my poems, helps me polish my work. Attending the Poetry for Peace readings motivates me to explore the various facets of poetry a bit more, "expand my horizons", so to speak.
Pray for snow!!

Poetry For Peace Poetry Reading Review

2009-12-08T15:47:00.001-08:00

In the poetry for peace poetry reading today (December 8, 2009), the subject was ‘home” or returning home. The poet read some of his poems, one about children taking the bus home. In that poem, the narrator discusses how they didn’t want to go on the bus with the picture of the “deer” on it, choosing to go instead on the bus with the clown on it. The narrator ends up getting on the wrong bus because of their preference for the “clown” bus over the “deer” bus. I really liked how the author wrote his poems. He wrote in a very casual style that really made it easy to listen to. The way in which the author read his poem furthered the casual and relaxed diction of the poem. It was a very small poetry reading, with only about seven people. I had expected the reading to be in the large auditorium for some reason, and expected there to be a full line up of poets ready to read their pieces. If I had known it was going to be so small, I would brought one of my poems to read. I really like the “going home” subject as it really strikes a cord with many people. Its an interesting concept to think about because the subject of home is often dominated by images of places and scenery, but in reality it seems to me that “home” is not necessarily the physical environment but the people and memories that one associates with home. Questions about “home” and belonging are more complex than many people might imagine. If I had brought a poem with me to read, it would have been my villanelle titled I Know I’m Home When…, which discusses my perceptions of home. In my poem, I also focused on returning home, but not in a physical way. Coming home is returning to those whom you love and care about, and not necessarily the physical surroundings. One can be at “home” without actually literally being at one’s home. As long as one is near those whom they associate with home then one may even be “home” while in a new place.

Poetry Reading Event

2009-12-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

I went to my first poetry reading event on Tuesday, December 8 at the Brush Art Gallery. There were only seven students there including myself, and a man by the name of John BerbrichI . .. He read a few pieces from his book of poetry called 'Balancing Act'. The theme of his poems was 'home'. I feel this is a great theme for writing because everyone knows how safe and reassuring their own home can be. Home gives people a sense of belonging and meaning. This is especially the case for college students who are away from their family and childhood friends for the very first time. For myself, being 3,000 miles from home, and in a different country, home is much more than a four-letter word. He had a very distinct style of writing. His poems were all free verse, and told a vivid story. I had no trouble following along with his thoughts as he read his pieces aloud to us. Story telling is definitely a gift. To be able to captivate an audience with only words and a voice is an impressive skill. I have not yet gained the confidence to read my poetry aloud to people, but a few of my peers did. Courtney Hendrick read a piece about her mother and her, which was a gorgeous poem she read with great feeling and expression. I could picture the two of them and was nostalgic about my own mother and I. I find it off that I am nervous to read my own pieces aloud, and yet I will write a song and sing it as I play the piano. I guess the reason could be because poetry is new to me, and I don't have any background music to take attention away from my voice, or the words I am saying.
The reading was a good experience and I do intend to attend ml .

Reflections on this semester...

2009-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

It really is amazing how time goes by so fast. I knew that eventually this hectic time, with finals and papers, would arrive, but it just got here so fast... but I must say, I have noticed how much my classmates and I have developed as poets, both through our discussions about the poems assigned and through our workshop sessions. I feel as though I have gained greater insight about the world we live in by reading a variety of works by different poets, and reading all of these poems has expanded my capacity for thought and my receptivity to what happens in the world around me. I really enjoy thinking of new things to write about every day, and this class has taught me to create even more abstract images to convey a myriad messages/commentary, or to express my emotions.

Looking back on my experience with this class, I can honestly say I am really going to miss working with my lovely workshop group. All of you hold a love for words, and looking back in retrospect, I enjoyed reading all of your work and making comments on what I liked and what I felt could be changed or improved. This, in turn, has allowed me to become more comfortable with giving others criticisms about their writing, and I do not feel shy of saying what I think about a certain piece. I really appreciate all of the comments I have received from both my workshop group and Professor Hummer. These comments are so helpful (especially for revising my poetry that I want to include in my final chapbook). Anyway, I just want to wish everyone best of luck on finals, and I hope you all find some form of relaxation as the semester concludes!

LAST CLASS?!

2009-12-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is crazy!! I cannot believe the semester is almost over and that we already had our real last class. I loved our last exercise though. It was such a good ending to the semester. Playing a writing game of telephone really showed us how much we have grown as a group together. We have all gone through the process of pointing out our negatives and trying to fix them and now we finally got to do it together, even if it was just for fun. We had such a great chemistry throughout the whole class, everyone respected everyone, and that has not happened in any of my classes this year, or possibly throughout college. This whole semester has been a process in not only figuring out how to become a better writer but become a better thinker, and I really do feel like I have grown. I have become a better thinker in the fact that I take care in the little things, and try and understand why I am doing things, not just go through the motions. I feel like each day is a poem in itself and I need to cherish them and begin to find myself. I know that I will go on writing poetry, as I always have, but in a new light. I will miss all of you so much!! YAY FOR POETRY!

2009-12-08T09:49:00.001-08:00

AH! I cannot believe how fast this time has gone by! It is absolutely nuts. I love my workshop group so much and I'm so glad I've gotten a chance to work with all of you guys and have gotten to learn from all of you. I reallly have gained a lot through this workshop experience and really hope to continue this sort of writing experience after this class. I'm a little nervous as I start to go through all of my work and begin to revise it but I've really received a ton of great and helpful feedback on what can do to improve my work which really is making my life a lot easier as I finish this assignment. If anyone wants to have like a group study thing in the library or elsewhere for that matter just to work on the chapbooks with each other I'm totally all for it. I've completely loved being a part of this class and getting to know all of you especially through your writing. It is certainly a unique experience and I would not trade it for anything. I know that my writing in poetry has really developed throughout this course and I've truly enjoyed watching the rest of you develop your skills as writers as well. I love workshops because it gives me the chance to read your work and continue to see your progress as writers and it is so cool. Can’t wait to see you all in classs! ☺

Just some thoughts

2009-12-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Not my last blog post, actually...I'm probably going to do some next week. Blah blah, that's because I have chronological issues.
Anyway. In one of my other courses we've been reading T.S. Eliot, and it got me thinking more about playing around with words and tones and wondering if there is really a specific formula to writing captivating poetry. With "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and "The Hollow Men", most of the imagery is pretty bleak and depressing; the poems are flat-out depressing!! There is plenty of tension, given that the tone and general story are of futile longings for salvation in a barren surrounding, but somehow its not something that I really find appealing. Because, in "The Hollow Men", for instance, there is the image of humanity as a row of scarecrows in a barren field, covered in animal carcasses- the statement being that humanity is just countless bodies with nothing inside, no souls, just physical, empty waste in a barren purgatory. The subject is horribly depressing, and in my opinion doesn't give the reader much satisfaction. (Ironic given that Eliot tried to keep individual emotions out of his work. Hmmm.)
And YET, there is something innately appealing about his works. Maybe it is the language, or the sentence structure, or the rhyme scheme, but despite myself and despite being rather turned-off by the themes, Eliot's work appeals to me. Six magical lines from "The Hollow Men": "There, the eyes are/ Sunlight on a broken column/ There, is a tree swinging/ And voices are/ In the wind's singing/ More distant and more solemn/ Than a fading star".
I hope that I can someday incorporate such elegant language into my own work, because it seems to me that with words like that, the subject, theme, and tone of the poem don't matter. I loathe the topics of Eliot's poetry, but I like his work because of the way he discusses things.
That's what is on my mind at the moment.

Chapbook

2009-12-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

As I am reflecting on all of the poems I have written this semester, I am realizing how both my analytical and creative skills have developed. This is the first poetry class that I have taken, as well as the first English class in university for that matter, so writing and then critiquing others in a workshop setting was all very new to me. However, I have developed an appreciation for words and the power they have. Poems can make people smile, cry, and sometimes even both in the same poem! Now when I read my own pieces, I look for ways to improve on them which I hadn't before. These include the form of the entire poem on the page, increasing tension, bringing emotion into the poem, reaching out to a large audience, avoiding the use of cliches, describing images and visual things rather than literal explanations or things that can't be seen. I can also see the impact poetry can have on many different people, from different backgrounds. I experienced a kind of release when I wrote certain poems this year, and then others, not so much. This was a great learning experience. I found that to write about something that you are very passionate about is much more enjoyable for the author and the audience. Forcing a particular subject or form never worked out as well for me.
I have also developed interests in particular poets such as Dylan Thomas. I thought that 'Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night' was amazing and very touching. It was incredibly powerful, and I would love to be able to write as powerfully as Thomas one day. I most definitely will continue to read poems by Thomas, and try to find other poets that draw me in as much as he does.

Wrapping up

2009-12-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

Wow. I can't believe our semester is almost over and this is the last Tuesday post! I feel as if the semester as gone by pretty quickly and it was just days ago we were getting our first assignment, yet at the same time it seems like we've been together writing poems and learning for forever. I have found being in this course to be very helpful in my writing and has opened up my eyes to new styles of writing and areas that I had not yet discovered as a beginner poet. It has been a bumpy ride for me in trying to step outside my comfort zone but I especially feel that our workshops have really made a difference in how I look at writing poems and the inspiration that I received. I truly feel that our class has amazing talent in it and that everyone should continue to pursue writing poetry. I love how we've all worked together and the feedback has been amazing over the semester, from students and Professor Hummer. I truly believe that I will take away a lot from this class and continue to use what I've learned. I am also excited, as others have mentioned, to work on assignment 12 and revise some of my works, with the knowledge and feedback I've acquired. Thanks so much guys for a great semester!!

Final workshop, chapbook, and last blog post

2009-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well, gang it’s been a crazy ride, I just wanted to take the beginning of this last blog post to thank everyone who has helped me with my growth as a poet. To my workshop group, you guys are the best it’s been an honor being able to read and help you with your great works, thanks for all the helpful advice. The same goes to Professor Hummer thank you for all your input on work. With that said I greatly look forward to these last days of workshop I know it will be a lot of fun reading and advising on what my workshop group has done for their final pieces. I also can’t wait to hear what they will have to say about my last pieces as well. Looking ahead for the last time, I can’t wait to finish assignment 12. The chapbook seems like a wonderful way to end the class by going back and actually revising the works we have had so much feedback on. Well, with that I will leave off by just saying that its been a really pleasure guys, I hope everyone has a great vacation and finals don’t beat you guys down too much. Hang in there and keep writing.

-Gary

some comments on the chapbook

2009-12-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

I’m actually pretty excited to make a chapbook for assignment 12. It will be very interesting to look over previous work and then to revise it using the knowledge I’ve gained throughout the semester. I’ve looked at several of the first poems I wrote and I feel that I have made them substantially better while still being able to keep the overall ideas. It was also neat looking for cover art too. When you find some cover art that really fits, its very satisfying. There are some poems that I want to put in it that I also don’t really want to change very much. In my villanelle, I made some improvements to some lines but that’s about it, but I also want to use it in my chapbook. I hope that counts as a substantial revision, cause its going in there. While looking over my poetry, both the new and the old, I could definitely see improvement in organization, word choice, and line breaks, as well as overall line structure too. I think the subjects I have been writing about have become increasingly meaningful and personal as well, which was something a was afraid to do in the beginning of the year. Overall, I really feel that my work has greatly increased over this semester.

Response to the starving artist post

2009-12-03T16:49:00.001-08:00

So, I thought I’d throw it out there for discussion what this all means. Do you guys think we live in a world that, in a sense, punishes those that are creative, and is this particularly true for poets? Is it hard to make a living from poetry because the craft has become under-appreciated in contemporary society?

Shaunie, I'm really glad you brought up this topic! This year, I've really grown to appreciate the role poetry plays in my life, and I would like to continue to expand my "creativity tunnel" and possibly get published in the future. However, I realize that the world we live in does not promote the idea that just anyone should pursue the arts. Although artists can produce a great number of works, their works may not be well received by critics or the masses. As a result, many artists and writers struggle because they do not receive high income. However, I feel that this lifestyle is something that the artist consciously acknowledges--a true artist is someone who will take a blow or make a sacrifice, all for the sake of art.

It is true that artists and writers can make a decent salary by holding some sort of job. I think it would be really ideal for someone with a creative nature to work in a place where there is an opportunity to meet a variety of people, and to get an opportunity to really listen to and observe what people say and do. This kind of opportunity can aid a writer to expand their creative horizons and understand a variety of perspectives on many issues. I think what is important for any artist to remember is this: being receptive to the change within the self and the energy in others is what yields great art.

anyone?

2009-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Is Assignment 11 anything we want??

2009-12-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Hope everyone had a great break and ate lots of good food :) I wanted to reflect a little on the activity that we did near the end of class today when we discussed the importance of the first and last lines of poems. It is something that I think we have mentioned before and I think it's quite interesting. Many poets, including myself, try and drive an image or idea home with a stinger at the end, or perhaps a circular ending bring us back up to where we stared. Some artists may bring up a totally new idea at the end of their poem to stay our thoughts in other directions. Whatever the artist chooses to do however, what I have found is that you can tell a lot about a poem through just the first and last line. For example today, MacLeish ends his poem with "A poem should not mean/ But be.", Ashbery ends with "The poem is you" and O'Hara begins with "I am not a painter, I am a poet.". All of these examples bring us into what the ideas that these poets are trying to portray in their poems.

I thought it was such a fun activity to look through the index and pick out first lines/titles that we liked and link them together. It is always fun to take the ideas/words of someone else and put another meaning to them because of the way they are put together. I thought the last activity was cool too by taking the first and last line of a poem that we like and then swapping them and filling the middle with our own thoughts. It is amazing how many different variations we can come up with the same words when we put our own spin on it...that's poetry I guess!

Favorite Poem of the Week

2009-12-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

I loved reading everyones blogs and I hope everyone had an awesome thanksgiving! I know that we have been talking about the starving artist and some other poems from Norton but I wanted to share my favorite! I really liked Why I Am Not a Painter because I could see myself writing a poem just like it. It also reminded me of when we went into the art gallery and looked at the art which was mainly composed of words. When reading the part about sardines, it reminded me of how poets start their work, just as painters may do. There is a word, or a memory, that jolts the painter or writer that makes the person interested in investing in the subject. It may be covered up by the end and compleatly be changed and on a different topic, but it just reminds me that inspiration can come from anywhere and be rapidly changing. In this poem he begins to write and write and write about this orange and in the end it ended up not even being soley about the orange itself. I know that that can also happen to me where an idea may blossom but become something entirely different. When the man in the poem went back to see his friends work, he saw the title, the main word that he ended up taking out. This also reminds me of titles and how hard they may be to come by. I know that I have issues with them but this could be a good technique; to take a word that you may have taken out, or didnt think was that important and use it as the title of work or of your poem. It may bring a different element into the picture and make the reader or viewer look at your work with a different lens.

12/1/09

2009-12-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! And yay for the first of December and our first real snowfall! Just first commenting on Kathleen's post, I think that I agree with you on your thinking and have had similar questions, I too have no answers but they are interesting inquiries. I also wanted to quickly comment on our assignment that was due over break. I don't know about anyone else but I thought the assignment options were very interesting but for me I found it kind of challenging at the same time. I am really interested in seeing how well received my poem actually is. But onto our readings for today, I really liked the Ars Poetica and the Why I am Not a Painter poems. The Ars Poetica is one that I'm not entirely sure I grasp with understanding of how to construct but it is very different from poetry I read and therefore intrigues me. The "Why I am Not a Painter" poem really made me smile at the end. I think it well written and playful and I love looking at art and paintings and so therefore I can appreciate the topic in general. I think having art be the absence of something is an interesting way to look at things and go about creating poetry or paintings. Overall, I enjoyed all of our readings for today's class.

response to the starving artist...

2009-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Love the topic Shaunie. You bring up some good points about the starving artist but I think that my position on the subject is that this notion of the starving artist is somewhat sacred and preserves the authenticity of artists everywhere. While obviously in some ways I wish we lived in a world where art was valued above finance and all that other boring stuff I can't help but appreciate the way that the artist lifestyle is unique in the sense that it is a choice people make based solely around what they love to do. Maybe I was just being too hard on the math wizzes a second ago. I don’t really have anything against people who love math or accounting or science or anything for that matter. I guess what I’m trying to say is not that we should necessarily place a higher value you art in our world but the idea behind why and how artists make the lifestyle decisions that they do. I think it is an extremely admirable way to go. I’m kind of rambling but my conclusion is that regardless of what you love and regardless of how much money what you love can provide you with, your lifestyle choice should be based on love and not on money. That being said can we really blame people for choosing a job that makes them more money over doing something that they love if say their priority above art (just an example) is providing for their family? Or is demonstrating love based decision making more important to a blossoming family than money? I don’t really know the right answer except that this is a good question.

The Starving Artist

2009-12-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about the point professor Hummer made last class regarding how, though it is possible for a fiction or memoir writer to make a living solely by writing, the same feat is not an option for a poet. The more that I consider the topic, the more it becomes impossible for me to decide whether or not the fact that it is hard to make money from writing should sadden me. After all, one could look at the struggle writers face as positive, especially if considering it as an indication that language – and especially poetry -- is hard for the market to turn into a commodity.

I also think it’s important to consider that this financial struggle seems to be inherent within most art forms. Yes, it is possible for a fiction writer to have a career based solely on her stories, but is it likely? When I started freelancing at my town’s local paper one of the first things my editor told me was that most of the journalists around the office were English majors in college; they wanted to write books, but realized they couldn’t realistically spend 40-hours a week writing novels and still eat. Likewise, art majors rarely fall into a life that allow them to do nothing but paint, draw and sculpt. Like many writers, they need jobs on the side in order to be able to do both what they love and to survive. This has, for a long time, been the life of an artist, and it’s been widely accepted, however regrettably.

So, I thought I’d throw it out there for discussion what this all means. Do you guys think we live in a world that, in a sense, punishes those that are creative, and is this particularly true for poets? Is it hard to make a living from poetry because the craft has become under-appreciated in contemporary society?

...ARS POETICA

2009-12-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed reading the ars poetica assigned for class today. I really enjoyed the Dylan Thomas like everyone else however my favorite was the Archibald MacLeish. To me the poem was total magic. Every turn of phrase worked so well and really got his message across in a way that I know I never would have been able to achieve. His ars poetica really embodied him as a writer, which really has inspired me as I start to write mine. I went from his ars poetica and continued to look for some of his work. While his others don’t really reach the level of “masterpiece” that I would consider his ars poetica, the poems mean more to me after having reading this first because you really can find examples of what he describes within his other poetry. While I’ve taken many other English classes that taught a lot of poetry I’ve never really come across Archibald MacLeish and so I’m really glad that I have. The best part of this poem is the last phrase:

A poem should not mean
But be.

I absolutely love this. I think this alone could be an ars poetica. Perhaps this ending is so strong because of the build up to it but I really feel like I benefitted from this as a young poet. A poem should not mean/ But be. I can’t get over how well put that is. Maybe my struggles to articulate what poetry should be are what leave me so amazed at just how eloquent and succinct this is but regardless I think that these seven words are certainly a poetic achievement and I hope that they will continue to inspire me not just as I write my ars poetica but also as I continue to revise my work.

Ars Poetica

2009-11-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

Reading Ars Poetica poems was really quite interesting in that I feel that I could relate to an extent with some of the poets and their reasons for writing and the struggles they encounter with writing. Frank O’Hara’s Why I Am Not A Poet was very interesting in how he addressed the issue of evolving writing. When beginning a poem, I often change topics half way through a poem, but I also sometimes find my poems slowly changing into slightly different or very different subjects. I really agreed with Archibald MacLeish’s Ars Poetica in that poems should “be” their subject or meaning. In other words, a poem should express a meaning, feeling, subject, or theme in ways other than just literal expression. I find that poetry, like William Carlos Williams’ This is Just To Stay really does that, as well as his poem about the red wagon. In the poem about the wagon, I really felt like I could see the wagon and the rain drops on the red paint. This being said, its quite interesting how Archibald MacLeish would directly address poetry as a subject in his poem. In some ways, it is a bit hypocritical that he attempts to describe poetry within poetry.

Ars Poetica & My Craft or Sullen Art

2009-11-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

Of the readings for class this Tuesday, there were two poems that stood out for me in particular. I found Archibald MacLeish’s ‘Ars Poetica’ quite interesting for several reasons. First, it was intriguing how ironic the messages are in the poem. For example, it reads ‘A poem should be wordless’ but clearly there are words in this poem. Another interesting point is how the poet believes poetry should be more implicit than explicit. Another way of saying this could be that a poem should be like a mystery for the reader to figure out, rather than an explanation or description of a certain object or thing. I agree with this idea because it makes for a more engaging read, as well as, opportunity for several opinions and interpretations depending on who the reader is.

The other poem which caught my eye was Dylan Thomas’ In ‘My Craft or Sullen Art’. I thought it was great how he expressed his feelings about who he is writing his poetry for, and who is actually reading his poetry. Although his purpose is to reach the eyes and hearts of lovers, this isn’t necessarily what happens. This brings up an interesting question that all poets think about at some point, which is “Who am I writing for?” In order to write an effective poem, it must first be aimed at a certain audience. But also, part of a poet’s work must please his or herself or the poet won’t get satisfaction out of the piece either. There is a balance between these two that is right for each poem, and is often difficult to find.

Ars Poetica

2009-11-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

After finishing this week’s reading I must admit I’m much more intrigued with the idea of writing an Ars Poetica for our final portfolios after reading some that great poets like Dylan Thomas did. At first I simply saw an Ars Poetica as the old simple prompt “why write?” in poetry form, but looking at those done by Archibald MacLeish and Frank O'Hara I see it is much more. An Ars Poetica is an opportunity to answer through poetry the very personal questions of what is poetry to us as authors, what do we want our poetry to stand for others and ourselves. As professor hummer was getting at before break it is a chance to express what writing poetry for our audiences and for us really means. It’s much more than a simply introduction or a opener to our portfolios, it is in reality a poem that should touch upon all the major themes of our own writing and lives as well as provide a digestible context to them. Neverless while I feel like I understand the upcoming assignment a lot better I still have a lot to decide on how I plan to form my own. Specifically what themes and messages are most important to me to be relayed back to my audiences.

the abstract vs. literal

2009-11-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

Going back to when Nathaniel Mackey visited our class, I really wanted to ask him how he balanced abstractness with literal material, however I decided not to when I realized that I found his poetry to be a bit too abstract. I really feel, that when writing poetry, there really needs to be a balance between those two. In fact, poetry itself seems to be a struggle between the two. When I write I want to make sure that what I write can be followed along with and understood, but also not too literal so it’s interesting and intriguing. Not being literal is basically not being cliché and therefore overlooked. I found that Mackey’s poems were a bit too abstract, I found that I couldn’t follow along or get a hint at what he was trying to explore, but that may just be his personal style. The poem of his that is dedicated/about Jimmy Hendrix has a mix of abstractness with literal description, but still a little too abstract. I really thought it was insightful though, when asking him about using poetry vs. prose poetry. It really makes sense that one would use prose when wanting to examine something with more specificity, whereas a poem with line breaks is less specific.

No Tell Motel

2009-11-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

Usually I spend some time searching around before I immediately decide on a book to read, or in this case, a journal to critique. Even so, the link to online journal “No Tell Motel” -- http://www.notellmotel.org/ -- was the first was the very first on which I clicked, and I knew immediately it was the one I wanted to consider. According to the description provided about the journal, two housewives actually started “No Tell Motel” – a phenomenon I would argue isn’t very common. When most people think of artists and or poets, they think about people doing and recording extraordinary things: climbing Mount Everest, taking a road trip across the country, traveling the world in 60 days, etc. That being said, I think it’s awesome that two “average” women have decided they have something to say about the every-day lives from which they source passion.

One of the journal’s editors, Red Livingston, provides a biography that says when she’s not writing she enjoys practicing Pilates and taking care of her son. The second editor, Molly Arden, does research on erotic literature. Neither individuals claim to be extraordinary, in fact, they seem to claim the contrary, and it is this, I think, that contributes to the honesty inherent in their magazine, and the honest power the poems in it seem to hold. Although I’m not sure how experienced the two editors of “No Tell Motel” are in terms of writing, the possibility of their inexperience makes the journal even more appealing to me. Both Livingston and Arden have been published in other literary venues. Livingston, for instance, is the author of the book Your Ten Favorite Words. She also co-authored a book called Wanton Textiles. In addition, both she and Arden have contributed to “FU: An Anthology of Fuck You Poems.” Even so, however, their publications do not seem particular robust, and one is lead to believe that t hey have done a lot of self-publishing. This possibility, again, however, simply strikes me as more appealing; I love how these editors both believe they have something important to share with the public, regardless of whether or not their thoughts would be deemed so by the majority of the publishing world.

The work featured within “No Tell Motel” is mostly poetry. According to their submission guidelines, the editors accept poems of any format and style, which explains the broad range of different writing techniques present on the site. In addition, the magazine accepts submissions from any age group and about any topic. These facts testify to the playful nature the journal seems to promote. Both Livingston and Arden appear to make a real effort not take themselves so seriously that attention is taken away from their work. In other words, they aim to make the emotions conveyed in their poetry center stage, as opposed to any elite heirs they could carry. This is further emphasized by the aesthetic of the journal. The homepage is very colorful, featuring a bright pink background. Also, in clear sight at the top of the page is a black silhouetted woman holding a martini glass. This leads me to believe that the editors seek submissions by authors who have a sense of humor, yet still take their work seriously enough to follow the clear and strict submission guidelines they provide.

One of the aspects of “No Tell Hotel” I most enjoyed is its tendency to publish works that are actually part of a larger series of poems. “A History of Drowning, 1”, by Carrie Olivia Adams, for example, is part of a series of five poems – each with the same title, except the number that follows it. As might be expected, although each of these poems can stand alone, they obtain new meaning when one reads each of them and observes what they add to each other.

I believe repetition can be a powerful tool within poetry, as when a reader hears a similar line for the second time it often has a completely different effect than the first. “A History of Drowning, 1” proves this point perfectly. The very first line of the work is: “This is the moment before the sweep of shadow” -- extremely similar to the poem’s fifth line, “This is before you have forgotten which way is east.” I believe that this method of repetition causes the poem to be read as though the writer is telling her subject something – something that perhaps this muse did not initially realize about herself. In this way, as readers, we simply become the listeners who are left to take the poet’s advice. This is a tone that is continued throughout the series. Other series of poems within the journal include: “The way birds become homonyms: an aviary,” “The Adventures of a Beauty Girl,” and “Notes About His Hands,” all of which establish their tones in similar ways.

Critiquing “No Tell Motel” has inspired me to write a series of poems myself, as I have actually never before attempted such a feat. I would actually really like to try submitting a group of five or so poems to this journal. I obviously don’t have a lot of experience in writing or publication, but this journal seems the kind to understand what it is to start out with limited experience. Also, for all of the reasons I mentioned above, it seems to value every-day situations and emotions as worthwhile endeavors to explore, which at my age and place, are those which I am most prepared to record on paper. We’ll see, I suppose!

Review of The Iowa Review

2009-11-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

I may have already posted this and just not able to find it... but as I was reading through everyone else's posts I couldn't find mine which I originally posted on Sunday, so I'm sorry if this is the second time this is posted!

I decided to write about The Iowa Review as my choice of a literary journal because of a short essay that I read from Mary Oliver’s Best American Essay’s of 2009. The essay that I read was called The Dark Art of Description by Patricia Hampl and after reading this essay I knew that The Iowa Review was the journal I wanted to focus on. The essay was fresh, smart and extremely well written and definitely the sort of essay that I would want to read more of. I googled The Iowa review and found it listed as number 18 on the list of top 50 literary magazines. On The Iowa Review’s own website much about the goals of their journal can be understood and through reading about what the journal states about itself, you can begin to understand what to expect from reading it. “Although you may find writers already familiar to you in most of our issues, you will surely find others who are not. Discovering a new and compelling writer, one we'd never heard of before but whose writing comes through to us—that still seems the magic of our work.” After reading this in their description I realized that this is the kind of literary magazine I was looking for and I was excited to get my hands on a copy. I was pleased to find that The Iowa Review is carried in ODY but you can also receive a year’s subscription if you submit a piece of work for the yearly IOWA REVIEW AWARDS, which has a $20 entrance fee. The cover of the most recent issue has a map of, you guessed it: Iowa, on the cover, which apparently is part of another poster. The journal is published seasonally and in the most recent Fall 2009 issue there are 34 entries including poetry, fiction and short essays. Many of the entries that I read I was completely satisfied with as they were nearly everything I could have hoped and expected to read however I was somewhat surprised to find that there were a few entries that I didn’t really like at all and couldn’t really understand why they would have been published over the hundreds of other entries that I’m sure were denied. I thought about this and then realized that many of the things I did actually like were probably denied from many places as well and the entries that I wasn’t quite as found of were appreciated of by the editors by reasons that I probably was not ready to appreciate and I’m truly looking forward to when I can be able to appreciate them however I’m sure that in many cases there are sometimes things that people simply like or don’t like just because of personal preference. One specially featured poem that I particularly liked was called Northern Pike which was written by Felda Brown. The poem has 38 lines and I think only three of those lines are end-stopped including the last line. The poem is about who I think is a brother figure of the speaker in the poem and about an experience that he has while fishing. Some of the turns of phrase that she uses are really great and personal and so I really enjoyed the poem. The poem is great and I recommend reading it if you can find it. I looked to see if you could find it online but I instead came upon a whole slew of other poems published by Felda Brown, which shows that she’s a pretty well written poet. I think that this is another aspect that I enjoyed from this assignment is that not only does reading a journal give you some perspective on the type of stuff that is being published today but it also introduces you to writers that you may want to look into reading more of in the future. Overall I think that The Iowa Review is a great literary journal and that anyone would be honored to be published in it!

The Poet Takes A Walk

2009-11-17T09:27:00.001-08:00

Published by the Poetry Foundation, Poetry November 2009 (“The Poet Takes A Walk”) shall be given a fair summation. Overall it’s a modest packet of prose and poetry, a small white book with blue lettering whose cover art is a cigarette smoking dog (“The Poet Takes a Walk” by Greg Clarke). The back cover does display a quote that ties nicely into the theme of the literary journal; in the words of A. F. Moritz, “Poetry is, above ever other human endeavor, the place where person and society are not merely joined but revealed in their original unity.” At first I thought this was just a corny caption of an artist’s own work, but after putting some thought to it, perhaps there is some elicit truth to that statement. Poetry can be interpreted as an olive branch of piece, bridging the gap between written language and expression for all tribes of humanity. Scattered and variable are the poems in this bounded paper gospel; there are a wide variety of forms and themes through 165 pages of contemporary front runners. Perhaps some of the other modern poets like Nathaniel Mackey would be able to blend in to this material (or more likely stand out), but poets like William Shakespeare, even W. H. Auden would not likely find this journal to be appropriate for their material, or maybe they would considering how much money these journals would be paying them for their written material if this were their hay day. Most of these writers are new to me let alone distinguishable, with the exception of James Schuyler, I am rather unfamiliar with the works of these other poets. As a student to the art, I would be flattered to publish my work in this journal, however I am not yet certain about how a scholar might feel towards this journal, perhaps there are other journals that are more respected privately amongst contemporary poetry gurus throughout St. Lawrence and the rest of the known world. I would recommend this journal to anybody who casually reads poetry and is not in search of a specific work or author, but rather a cornucopia of modern verse and prose from some well written poets and promising ascenders. As an aspiring poet, it is hard for me to dislike a poem or dub a poem my least favorite. My favorite poem is on page 144, a piece entitled “Athens: Peripatetic Fragments” by A.E. Stallings. A poem about modern Athenian life incongruously reverberating ancient Athens; how its streets a modernized but the classical spirit is still there. I found it rather interesting because its lines were separated into short paragraphs of one or two sentences punctuated by a neat design between stanzas.

review

2009-11-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

I chose a literary magazine called Ploughshares. It is published three times a year by Emerson College. It has a website: www.pshares.org. The website provides a "companion" to the print journal of the literary magazine and allows the audience to read selections from the current issue, along with some archives. The Ploughshares literary magazine is about two hundred pages and includes fiction, non-fiction short stories and poems. There is a range of authors and poets, along with their published experience, along with having a guest editor. This issue is done by Kathryn Harrison and this issue includes twenty works of art (poems and stories). Kathryn Harrison seems to be a very experienced and well published author and poet. She has been the author of five novels, written two memoirs, one travel memoir, a biography and a collection of personal essays. She has also been a frequent reviewer for The New York Times Book Review and her essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, Vogue, O Magazine, and Salon, and a few others. I must say that reading the introduction to this issue of the Ploughshares literary magazine was enough to get me hooked. I think anyone who enjoys being captivated by a short story and having it have multiple meanings would love this issue.
Kathryn writes so eloquently and really pulls the reader and audience in. Her writing is descriptive and heart felt. In this issue the stories and poems are largely about life itself. The writings are profound and allow the reader into the writer's life and experiences. I love them all. There was one that talked about a wedding that a family was getting ready to celebrate but the true story was the experience of the Father and the loss of his brother and his Father. It was a unique take on culture and war and loss, along with celebration. These stories really let you take a glimpse into another's life, the struggles, heartache, happiness, etc. I could not tell you when reading these who was a more experienced writer and that is something that I also loved about these writings. I also greatly appreciated the diversity of non-fiction, fiction and poetry that was included in this literary magazine. I think a lot of my peers would enjoy this magazine; although in my group I can tell that most of them like abstract poems and these are more I think down my alley and maybe Sam's than the rest of the group. But just reading each piece either put a smile on my face, made my heart melt or sink, put images into my head and gave me a different perspective. I think all of these elements are key in good writing and poetry. Also, the cover was nicely done and went well with the introduction and overall meaning of the issue, along with being colorful and aesthetically pleasing. I would certainly love to get another issue and continue to read this literary magazine.

Slope, issue 26

2009-11-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

The literary online poetry journal known as Slope includes both experimental and traditional lyric poetry that present several themes and issues. It is part of Slope Publishing Inc. which is a non-profit organization based in New Hampshire, and was started in 1999. Its publishing schedule has varied, but is usually twice a year.

The 26th issue of Slope, which I chose to read and review, is unique in comparison to other literary journals in that there is only one poet featured throughout: Heather Christle. This is effective in that the reader can build a relationship with the author and his/her writing style. The journal is organized into two sections each with sub-themes of their own. The first aspect of Christle’s poetry that I noticed was how short and to the point her writing can be. Several of her pieces consist of one line. She also likes to experiment with the formatting of her poetry, but mostly she tends to use enjambment, and to justify her poems to the width of the area given.

As for her writing style, she writes in a stream-of-consciousness that goes quickly from one point to the next, with short, simple words. One could say there is a colloquial language used. There is also a lack of punctuation, except for the occasional word capitalization at the beginning of a line. I think lacking punctuation gives purity to a piece of writing, and draws attention to what is being said, and the deeper message it may have. With regards to its diction, she doesn’t use many eloquent descriptors or adjectives in her writing. I think this forces the reader to take her writing seriously, and to listen to the ideas and topics being presented. Her tone seems to change rapidly without any warning, which surprised myself, and was unlike any other poet I had previously read. Christle also likes to take lines or words from other literary works previously published, and then build on them and add her own opinion to their meaning.

One particular piece that stood out for me was 'Two Variables'. I read it as an anti-war poem and how we, as individuals and a society, will lose ourselves during war. Its word usage is simplistic and lines are quite short which makes it read quickly. I also like how it begins with ‘if’ this were happening, then this is how it would be, but then it ends by with ‘but this didn’t happen.’ This is a unique way of reversing the usual form of writing where reality is stated first, and then explained, or thought of in a different way.

Two Variables

If we are at war
and I have a personality
I will have hidden
my personality
to protect it
I will have taped it
to the underside
of a manhole cover
I will have wrapped it
in lettuce to make it seem
unimportant or bad
It might actually be bad
or unimportant
Let's check
But look
There is nothing
taped to the underside
of this manhole cover
Therefore we are not at war
or I do not have a personality

Review of 2River View

2009-11-17T05:16:00.000-08:00

The 2River View is an online literary journal published quarterly by 2River since 1996. The content of this journal is poetry and visual art, with a heavy emphasis on the poetry. The fact that it is an online journal has many benefit for those who wish to submit poetry. The first is that it is easily accessible to the public. The website is easy to find (2river.org), and is well organized, with all of the archived issues easily accessible. In an online publication, easy navigation is one of the most important attributes, and 2River definitely has an accessible site layout. Another benefit to the online system is that poem submissions become relatively easy. 2River requests that poems be submitted online, and that the author submit at least three works as well as a short biography. It is also a requirement that the submitted poems must not currently be published in any other journal. The 2River View itself, which is in the form of a pdf file easily opened by a link found on the "archived issues" page is well organized and aesthetically pleasing. There is not much color to the journal--the poems are left to stand as poems without being decorated by background imagery--but there are pieces of artwork placed throughout the journal which add a small amount of color as well as serve to break up what would otherwise be a continuous stream of poetry. Another opportunity for authors who choose to publish in the 2River View is the online chapbooks. For certain authors whose work is well liked by the 2River community, an online chapbook is made with a collection of their works, not necessarily works from archived 2River View issues, but from other journals as well. This chapbook can then be downloaded as a pdf file and printed by the reader.
The type of poetry found in the 2River View has a specific feel to it as well; one of direct realism. Authors whose work involves eloquent word use and flowing sentence structure would probably not have a place in this journal. The poetry published here tends to be colloquial and brief, in either a prose format or one of highly enjambed verse. There is almost a kind of stream-of-consciousness involved in the poems with little transition between thoughts, but with a distinct air of impressionism. The themes of the poems vary widely, but the style tends to be similar for all of the poems published in this journal.

Literary Review: 42opus

2009-11-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

For my literary journal review, I chose to read the online literary journal, 42opus - http://42opus.com/ . Since the journal is published online, it is extremely accessible to most of the population, and it may strike a particular interest to writers newer to the literary scene (to gain a sense of what good published works are like). It is archived in quarterly issues, but new writing from both contemporary and classic writers is added to the site on a few times a week. There are sections of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and art, but for the reason of time constraint, I focused solely on the poetry composing the publication’s volume 9, no. 3. The layout on the page avoids a plethora of images and designs that many online publications overuse; it is very clean and simple, which reflects the publication’s commitment to quality writing that can move the minds of readers, emotionally and spiritually. The editor of the publication is Brian Leary, a poet and software programmer, who has been published in a multitude of literary journals, including Best New Poets 2009, Washington Square Review, and the New Orleans Review. Leary and the editors of specific writing departments are interested in receiving work that embodies a unique point of view; writing submitted should “negotiate, document, enliven, reshape one experience of living,” doing this with an awareness of literary history. Most of the poems published by contemporary poets are either in prose form or written in free verse. I believe that some of the poems written by poets we read from 21st Century American Poets, would fit the mold of what this publication is looking for, like Joshua Clover. Clover raises questions about society in his poetry (ex: Year Zero), and he ultimately invokes new ways to perceive and regard living in today’s modern world. Although I believe many young writers have the capability of potentially being published in a literary journal, the work accepted by this journal is mostly written by writers who are taking on the task of earning their MFA or have it already.

My favorite poem from 42opus’s volume 9, no.3 is Jess Burnquist’s Seminars in Art. The poem is written in prose form, and it is separated into three divided sections, each with its own subtitle. She begins her poem with a quotation from Vincent Van Gogh: “It is stormy and rainy, and that makes the calm inside even greater.” The three sections are titled Still Life with Orange, Line as a Narrative Factor : A Conversation With Myself, then Van Gogh, and Spontaneous Creation, Easily Achieved. In each section, Burnquist integrates memory and unique metaphors to relate her experience to color and art. My favorite section was the second section of prose (Line as a Narrative Factor: A Conversation With Myself, Then Van Gogh) because she writes about her body, revealing its imperfections and how it should be honestly portrayed in art. She ends her poem with a proclamation to Vincent Van Gogh in a dream, that “For heaven’s sake,” she is beautiful. In my opinion, it is her combination of experience and aesthetic is what makes her work truly memorable. Burnquist has had work published in Clackamas Literary Review, Natural Bridge, Hayden's Ferry Review, Locuspoint, and Oranges & Sardines. As far as a least favorite poem, I did not find one that I didn’t like. Many of the poets executed methods we have learned about in class, like enjambment and prose format, and they used these techniques to their advantage in their works.

Although I would love to attempt to submit some of my work to a publication like this one (since its mission reflects the type of publication I would like to have my work in), I don’t think my writing is developed enough to submit to 42opus. I think I have to continue discovering my voice and find new inspirations to write about, and new ways to convey emotion and critique.

A Literary Review by Dana

2009-11-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

Mudlark: An Electronic Journal
Mudlark No. 38 (2009)
Feat. Susan Kelly-DeWitt The Limbo Suite

I have to admit that I have never actually sat down, before this weekend that is, and read a literary journal from cover to cover. I was definitely exposed to them, Readers Digest and The New Yorker were always present on our coffee table, but I was always too busy teaching my imaginary class how to draw. When looking for a literary journal, I knew I needed to choose one that was online, not only because the Health Center discouraged me from going in public, but also because the internet and digital world mark my generation. It was through a google search that I stumbled upon Mudlark: An Electronic Journal.

The 38th issue of the Mudlark features five poems by Susan Kelly-DeWitt. The first titled, “The Limbo Suite,” is a poem in 20 parts. It is a series of poems that all reflect on a nursing home, its patients, doctors, visitors, and most specifically the author’s mother. The second poem, “Nurse,” recognizes the gratitude one feels towards the person caring for the one you love. “Doll,” “Elegy,” and “July Sunset” all reflect on the author’s emotions whilst her mother fades away before her very eyes. All together, I find the collection of poems featured in Mudlark to be deeply moving. One can travel through the experience the author had after her mother’s diagnosis and consequential transfer into a nursing home and feel her confusion and sorrow.

Part of the appeal of these works lies in how relatable they are. I believe most at our age have witnessed someone they love slipping away due to some horrible disease, whether old or young. Kelly-DeWitt’s poems convey these feelings of loss in a beautiful way. She uses simple sentences to create vivid details that allow the reader to picture the unfolding scene perfectly. For instance:

§

Sunshine after weeks of torrential
rain Lola notices brakes

her usable foot
just watches

out the double glass doors
A good day

Kelly-DeWitt conveys a moment of clarity her mother is experiencing, simply by describing her acknowledgment of a sunny day after many of rain. However, contrasting these softer poems, lie jagged ones, short and simple. They are harsh and to the point. Here is an example of one:

§

Anna Philip Lu
Kao George all
vanished all

in a single week
No more

limbo for them

This poem is one chapter in the series of 20, but it marks a moment in Kelly-DeWitt’s experience that stood out to her. A moment where she realized her mother would have the same fate; that all those in the nursing home would soon disappear as well.

Every edition of Mudlark focuses on a single poet like Kelly-DeWitt. I find this beneficial to the reader for a few reasons. It allows one to develop a stronger relationship to the content of the poems and to study that author’s technique in poetry writing. In a sense, I feel I have built a relationship with Kelly-DeWitt, which is something I would not have accomplished had I read a larger literary journal with a multitude of poets and writing styles.

Review: Assignment 9

2009-11-16T16:45:00.001-08:00

Slope Issue 25, Julie Carr. http://www.slope.org/latestissue/poetry/julie_carr.html

This issue is a compellation of poetry by Julie Carr. I have never heard of Julie Carr, but find her style very interesting and new, her writing is very contemporary. This issue is only poems, and I have not heard of this journal before, but I know that it is pretty well known. In all the issues, there is a gallery, film, commentary and criticisms. The journals main page is very contemporary; it has just numbers, some big, and some small, in black white and grey. It is visually very interesting and captures the viewer right at the start. It looks reputable and expensive, as in there was hired designers to make the page and a team to design the web page. The format is unusual, but once you click on gallery, film, or archives, it is pretty standard and easy to navigate. At the beginning of the site, there is no indication on what exactly it is, except it says, “collected issues” underneath the title SLOPE. This issue is not special, but they are added and edited all the time and they have over 25 issues so far. In this issue, it is mostly poetry, some by different artists but the one I focused on was Julie Carr’s part of this issue. Even though there are 6 or 7 other poets who are published into this issue. The poems in this journal are mostly contemporary with the artists’ own styles shining through more than traditional technique or forms of writing. I think more of the contemporary poems we have read this semester would fit it, maybe even ours, such as our form assignment or the n+7 type of poetry because it is unconventional and a new way of writing. I am not sure a Shakespearian sonnet would fit so well in with the SLOPE journal. The writers who have been published many have written books or have had their works published in other magazines or articles. My favorite poem is the Nightingale Poem because it really seems to be relatable and it has tension and it is interesting. I did not really have a least favorite poem and there is a reason; I feel as if I connect and understand contemporary poems more, and I find them interesting, each in their own way, so I did not dislike one greatly. Since I do connect with writers like the ones who write in SLOPE I think I will read it again. I would feel honored to publish my poetry in this journal and I feel like one day it may fit in really well.

Assignment 9: A Review of The Malahat Review

2009-11-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

The literary journal The Malahat Review: Essential Poetry & Fiction, (this issues being fall 2009, 168) is a Canadian journal that has poems, fiction, and creative non-fiction. The journal is published by the University of Victoria in British Columbia. The journal itself has quite good production value, in that the cover is in color and the paper seems to be of high quality. The cover has a painting entitled Bar Girls (II), by Michael Collard Williams, which has rich and interesting colors. The publication does not have any stated goal or vision, but one can be inferred. The fact that it is a Canadian journal, which only has Canadian authors and poets, it could be said that the journal’s goal is to show Canadian themes. The journal may be trying to capture some purely Canadian feeling that Canadian readers will be able to relate to in particular. It may also be attempting to keep up Canadian literature and poetry, as advertisements in the back mention writing workshops at Canadian colleges/universities, the benefits and uniqueness of Canadian magazines, and supporting Canadian writers. I have a hard time finding any similarities between poets we read in class and those in this publication. However, Eliza Robertson’s Ships Log is somewhat reminiscent of Gabriel Gudding’s poem, "Hair." The short story looks at things in new and interesting ways while its also very imaginative and playful. There is this lack of seriousness, while not joking or trying to be funny, is quite playful in its imagery and language in general. Stephanie Yorke’s poem Busts has similarities with Matthea Harvey’s poems in Pity the Bathtub its Forced Embrace of the Human Form in that she utilizes line brakes to create double meanings as well as heavy enjambment to do the same thing while also increasing tension. There is also a certain aspect of comedy in the poem Busts at the end that is also similar. The poem discusses white statues of great Roman/Greek heroes and how elegant the sculpting and features are, but at the end it mentions, while discussing the bit of chest always showing on sculptures, that “it must be bare chest-our foremost sculptor, never accomplished coarse curls more convincing than pubic hair fastened into a cake of soap.” My favorite poem in this issue is On Reading “When You are Old,” by Jeffery Donaldson. This poem has an interesting mix abstractness, creativity, and familiarity. The meaning of the poem, which I find to be about love over time and things not quite working out as planned, to be accessible enough to vaguely get the idea but not too clear as to be unimaginative and/or cliché. I don’t think I would look at this literary journal before other ones with a more solid goal or at least more common themes/styles and subjects.

EPOCH Literary Journal Review

2009-11-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

For my literary journal review I read the journal EPOCH vol. 51, issue 2, which is published by Cornell University in Ithaca, NY three times a year where it is also based. It’s a small literary journal that includes poems, short stories, some personal essays as well as original artwork on the cover. The journal overall carries a colorful and good looking appearance, however despite it’s clearly professionally done image, its price per issue is very cheap, merely $5 as indicated on the cover. Within the journal the first few pages make mention of the contents, contributors and editors by name, but no clear purpose of the journal was outlined or written within the issue I read. However this in its self was not a bad thing to me. Sometimes I find I enjoy magazines and journals, which simply attempt to act as the median between audience and writer rather than commentator. Of course as a reader I understand that journals like these obviously choose which poems and fictions appear within them, but after reading the issue I felt that the main purpose of this journal was simply to publish and put truly interesting tales, and poems together that demonstrate the diversity of people’s voices from our time.

As for the poetry within the journal, I found most of them to be quite enjoyable and interesting to read. As I was reading I must admit I found it hard to see any commonalities with them, but re-reading them again I managed to notice some slight similarities. For one, most of the poems carry a lot of metaphors and symbols tying to mythology, history, and ancient works. For example both “Letter of Intent to Horace from the Sabine farm” and “Beautiful Nero” reference the Roman Empire in great detail, while “Pomeii” and “Gold Rush” make historical references within their titles. My guess to why this is such a prevalent theme in this journal would be that the editors enjoy works that tie connections to our modern existence with the famous events and works of the past. My favorite poem however, hands down out of this issue would be “The Empire in the Air” by Kevin Prufer. The small poem describes a bomb on a plane as a hopeful empire which I found to be a unique and twisted paradox, since such a bomb would represent a radical act of terrorism which to many is considered the very opposite of an empire, rather a radical act against an empire done in protest and hatred. Ultimately, while I did enjoy most of these poems and fictions within this journal and while I would certainly pick up another issue I don’t think I would ever summit any of my poetry to this journal. The reason why being that most of the poems within this journal pertain to world and societal issues, while most of my poetry in contrast deals with personal issues, emotional development, and inner thoughts and conversations.

Review of Literary Journal!

2009-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

While searching online and through the library for a good literary journal, I found myself more drawn to poetry journals as opposed to any other kind. And in the era of technology, I was also more drawn to online journals and magazines more than anything else. I wanted to find a journal that could be easily accessible to young, aspiring writers who enjoyed contemporary and experimental writing. I found a journal, eventually, online called Coconut Poetry Magazine which I thought was very interesting.
The online publication is edited by Bruce Covey, a writer and professor at Emory and is published four times a year. Each time the journal comes out online, the number changes. In other words, the most recent publication is called Coconut 14 because it is the magazines fourteenth publication. The edition that I read for this assignment was the most recent Coconut 14. It featured 29 authors which were listed in the table to contents of the journal. I thought the set up of the online journal was very interesting because it had illustrations and organization much like a real magazine or book however everything was through links. The title page featured the title and an illustration which you could click on to bring you to the table of contents. The table of contents simply listed the author’s names which linked you to the poems that they had published in that magazine. Each author essentially had their own page which linked the reader to the 2-5 poems that were published. At the top of each author’s page, they had their name written big (as the title) and then the coconut tree logo in different colors for each. I thought the appearance was very professional and nicely displayed. Underneath their names, the authors had their poems which varied between two and five at the most. Reading each author all together and on a web-page was very different than other journals/magazines I have seen. For one, sometimes authors poems might get spread out or intermingled with other poets in a regular journal instead of having all their poems together. Secondly, because the poem is on a web-page, there is not much restriction to the format, as their might be on an actual printed page, due to margins and such. This aspect was neat because it allowed for the authors to play around very nicely with their format which is something I noticed. On the other hand however, because the reader has to scroll down the page to follow the poem, I thought it lost some of the aesthetic importance or significance of an actual printed poem.
After reading through the poems, though I did not seem to find any linking subject matter between the pieces, I did find that I was reading quite a bit of prose poetry and also very contemporary, experimental poetry. I personally enjoyed a lot of the pieces, especially the prose poems, and thought the subject matter and formats to be very contemporary and interesting. When I read over the bios of each author, it seemed that most authors had been published or written their own books which most of the titles seemed to be very contemporary and different. There was one author whose bio read, “He is 38. He lives in Florida. Florida is a peninsula”. I thought this was pretty funny, and might have been joking at the fact that this particular author didn’t really have a publishing background, but was still published in this journal. His work in particular was very bazaar.
Overall, I thought Coconut 14 was interesting and a great resource for someone who might be interested in publishing their own work in a contemporary online poetry magazine. I think I may go back to the Coconut website to see what the latest authors are up to and see what people are coming up with. I thought it was interesting to find something that was based completely online and was very accessible to the public! Take a look! http://www.coconutpoetry.org/

2009-11-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

I really did value what Mackey had to say, and I wish I had been able to go to his reading the other night, but crew practice got in the way. Like Courtney, one of the things I found to be most interesting was the idea of initiating a thought but never completing it. There have been times in my writing when I have intentionally left something unexplained, but I never thought about why I did that until I heard Mackey speak in class. I also had the opportunity to read some more of his work from Eroding Witness and I found that it actually clarified some of the questions I had about his other poems that we went over in class. It made me realize how connected all of his poems are and, more importantly, how much skill in writing must be required to make the poems so dependent on each other. I am more than a little tempted to visit one of my friends at UC Santa Cruz at some point and see Mackey again.
On another note, I am also looking forward to our next workshop. I don't feel as though my most recent poem is on par with the others I have written because I tried to go in a slightly different direction with it that I have in the past, so I will really value the input of my peers. See everyone tomorrow.

2009-11-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

It was amazing to have Nathaniel Mackey come into class on Tuesday. I have been lucky this semester with having wonderful authors come into my classes and speak with us. I have listened to Steve Almond, Fracine Prose and now Mackey! wow!

Anyways, I agree with Joe about his calm, cool, and collected attitude, it was great. I really appreciated all that he had to tell us about where he has come from, how he got interested in poetry and what his own techniques in the process are. One thing that he said that really stuck with me was when he encouraged us as young writers: "Don't complete a thought. Initiate, but don't complete. What you write invites the reader to complete" (or something along those lines!)

This was really interesting to me, because it is something I often struggle with. How much is too much, or how little is too little? Is less actually more? If we don't give the reader all the details, are we being lazy as writers? It is something I have discussed in a few of my writing classes over the years and I think it is very interesting. Personally, I enjoy reading and writing pieces that do not tell me everything I have to know, but rather they force me to think. I picture it as the difference between a sappy novel (which is always good for the beach of course) and a novel that really makes you think about something you never thought of before. I was encouraged that Mackey said this and reiterated this point a few times while speaking with us. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to his reading but I am so happy he got to come into our class!

Mack Attack

2009-11-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

Nathanial Mackey’s presentation was inspirational. When he walked in I was alerted to a certain aura towards which I was previously unaccustomed. He seemed very calm and collected, and I think his poetry reflects that combination of traits. I forgot who it was that asked this question during class, so please do not be upset at me because my memory is ill, but Mackey was asked about his revision process. Mackey explained that he revised as he wrote, as opposed to writing out his pieces and then revising once the pieces were complete. It slows the writing process down and makes for more incomplete thoughts, a concept that grounds Mackey’s style.

I thought it was interesting how Mackey found his roots in jazz as a youngster, I feel that his genre of poetry reflects musical influence because its so smooth and flowing like smoke drifting through the air. Also, I found his take on publication to be particularly interesting. He raises in good point in that a young poet/writer must struggle a little bit first before she/he gets attention from any publications, and indeed it is the young writer’s responsibility to put themselves out there in order to get noticed. Perhaps this is the process that all writers must go though; hearing Mackey speak out about that personal experience made me less apprehensive about getting discovered myself and and encouraged me towards the possibility of publishing some of my pieces.

poetry reading

2009-11-10T08:42:00.001-08:00

So I went to the poetry reading this past Friday at the Yoga place above the Black Bird Cafe. There were about 12 people there, all adults and largely over 30. There were four readers that night but unfortunately I couldn't stay for all four presenters. However, the first reader made enough of an impression on me and my two other friends that accompanied me that night. Sadly, I did not have a very good review for the first poet nor was it a good impression he left us with. When he first presented his topics for his poems, I was slightly intrigued and excited because they seemed to all have a lot to do with nature and his observations of his surroundings; and by title they seemed semi-interesting. However, unfortunately he lost all three of our interests and some what attention once he opened his mouth and read his 5 poems. I was very surprised to see that he very much lacked a distinct presence when he spoke and read his poetry. He didn't have any real enthusiasm or passion or emotion when he read. He also greatly lacked eye contact and interaction with the audience when presenting his poetry. He would always just read it from his paper and I was surprised that he made no real effort to memorize or even occasionally look up when he was reading. As we've learned in class, engaging the reader or audience is critical! So I was extremely surprised and disappointed when I realized his performance was lacking this.
Also, his poetry was nothing to really be desired either. None of his poems were truly captivating or interesting, nor did they have any unique style. They were more of journal entries and occasionally he would try to be abstract but it was more of a failed attempt. When I left the poetry reading I was disappointed and felt that a lot of the poems I have read in class from my peers would have been better presented than his.

Nathaniel Mackey and Such...

2009-11-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Hope everyone is feeling better! I’m really looking forward to having Nathaniel Mackey in class today. As I was trying to read through some of hi poetry I kept finding myself coming back to similar themes and messages….not repetition necessarily but certainly a common thread throughout all of his work that kind of makes all of his work make sense and feel cohesive. After this investigating in Mackey’s work and additionally the book review assignment I’ve found myself thinking a lot about collections of poems. I’m really pretty curious about the concept of an entire compilation of poetry intentionally published together to form an interconnected and well-organized piece of work. It kind of reminds me of those pictures that are made up of a bunch of smaller pictures. While some of the individual pictures may or may not be related to each other or even to the final piece as a whole, each picture has its place and purpose in making the final picture what it is. While this is somewhat of an unrelated analogy it makes sense to me and is even more deliberate within Mackey’s work than in those kinds of pictures. His common thread extends through his individual books of poetry and weaves in and out of all of his writing and I don’t think that this is just what we’ve learned to call his “voice”. I think in his case it is far more than just a signature voice or style but rather an undertone that alone lacks meaning but in light of his other works is quite impressive and awesome.

Class and Workshoping

2009-11-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hey all, first off I am sorry that everyone has been feeling badly, including myself, so excuse my cough and things tomorrow haha. I hope everyone is feeling better and ready for our guest! On that note, I was also excited to read his poems again and see that he worked with many different types of people to collaberate to create his poems. I feel like I do that, on a smaller level. I am a dancer so I take the music I listen to, and the moves, to really feel my poetry as well. I even draw inspiration from many things such as tv, the internet or even words that trigger feelings or memories. I appreciate my surroundings more when I can draw inspiration from it. I also wanted to touch on the idea of workshopping. I go both ways on this issue. I really think it is great, I love reading and hearing others feedback on my poems and I like giving my input. I think the group idea is such a positive outlet that is conducive to learning and receiving new ideas. I also am more dissapointed in myself in the fact that I wish I had some of my regular assignments in the poetry workshop. I feel like some of my stronger work is there, and not in my workshop, and I feel as if I am not always putting my best foot forward. I will try and work on this in the future.

Nathaniel Mackey, Workshops, and Poetry

2009-11-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

Re-reading some of Nathaniels works has really been intriguing and I must admit I am looking forward to seeing him and getting hear his perspective on poetry. I found it really fascinating the way he worked with a jazz musician to come up with a musical aspect to his work and I look forward to finding out more about his rationale for doing so. On a different note like Annalise I’m really excited for workshops. I feel like with my poem for this workshop I have taken a much larger leap in structure, sound, and content then my tradition writing style and I am highly looking forward to meeting up with my group to discuss it and gauge how effective it was. In yet another random topic I found last week’s poetry to be very thought provoking and interesting, I was disappointed we didn’t get the chance to go over all of the poems. However, I felt the genuine discussion we had about the few we did was well worth the time we spent. Even as I am writing this I can’t help but think back fondly to our class discussion of W.H. Auden’s “September 1, 1939”. Personally the idea of universal love is captivating and wonderful but I have to agree with my roommate Alex that it is ultimately unattainable, that none of us can truly “love” every person it would degrade the meaning of love itself. Instead I think the best way of changing the world and caring for others is increasing the minimal care we have for people everywhere to a higher standard.

"Year Zero" Maybe a Reference to the Khmer Rouge?

2009-11-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

There was something very familiar about the title of the poem "Year Zero" but I couldn't put my finger on it. Recently, I had learned that in the late 1970s in Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge took power with the intent of bringing the country back to "year zero." This meant wiping out all vestiges of French colonial rule, such as Western education, educated people, and anything else that seemed "non-Cambodian." This resulted in the deaths of over 1 fourth of the Cambodian population, mostly due to hard conditions in the labor camps that people were forced into and by mass executions of the educated or any middle class person. Even thought the Khmer Rouge claimed that it was erasing colonial blemishes and replacing them with traditional Cambodian ones, they actually preached egalitarianism and strict communism along with the destruction of the family, ending marriage and cutting all ties between parents and their children, so as to get complete loyalty. These developments, however, were very un-Cambodian, such as the concept of there being a "party" since Cambodia had always been ruled by a royal monarchy. In the poem "Year Zero" I saw some similarities, in that Joshua Clover mentions revolutionary people, and freedom but with flowers stuck in your ears and a corpse in your mouth. This is relevant to what happened in Cambodia with the Khmer Rouge, in that Khmer Rouge claimed they were creating a better life, free from colonial rule, but in the process, managed to create one of the most horrific instances of human suffering.

Freedom of Speech

2009-11-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

One of the assigned readings from Thursday's class caught my eye. What intrigued me in Fennelly's 'The Impossibility of Language' was the third section where several references are made to Osip Mandelstam. I thought it might be interesting to find out who this man was, and why he is a figure that other poets would bother mentioning. Before reading this poem, I had never heard of this man, nor did I know that he was a Russian poet who was arrested for nothing other than speaking his mind through his poetry. The thought of this baffles me. Mandelstam was punished for something so simple as writing what he believed. He wrote 'Stalin Epigram' in 1933, which was a poem criticizing Stalin's collectivisation and his intent to eliminate the "kulaks". Mandelstam's "counter-revolutionary" ideas resulted in his arrest, exile and assignation to correction camps for five years. Fennelly makes references to his wife Nadezhda, as she salvaged her husbands' work after he died, and wrote Hope Against Hope, which told his story. After reading about Mandelstam, it is obvious and much more clear than before why Fennelly chose to include this poet in her poem about how words are used to express oneself and how many miscommunications and misnomers arise.

Nathaniel Mackey

2009-11-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have an undying love for workshops!! Well...maybe not an undying love, but definitely an appreciation. They're refreshing. Whether it is something like the Shakespeare workshop or having a speaker where we can ask questions in a smaller setting, it feels like so much more of a connection. Given that the last class I was well enough to attend (gah! sickness!) was the day of our workshop with the Shakespeare representatives, and our next class is with Nathaniel Mackey, that is what I have been thinking about. I feel like such person to person interactions allow for greater understanding than impersonal reading. If someone writes an explanation as to why they did something, it doesn't give quite as clear an image...because an audience can ask questions that the speaker or presenter did not necessarily consider, and thus the answer is considered more seriously, and an explanation is provided that the presenter might not have otherwise thought to explain. Anyway. I'm excited. And excited to be back in class. Plus, workshops coming up!! And those are always AWESOME.

2009-11-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

I really thoroughly enjoyed the poems we had to read for today’s class. In particular, Joshua Clover’s Year Zero and W.H. Auden’s September 1, 1939 were my favorites. I feel that two poems parallel with one another in that they both discuss the flaws present in human nature—even though they were written in different time periods—mainly the way humans are cruel to one another as the world continues to evolve. Year Zero really struck home for me because the idea of losing freedom in a rapidly industrializing world is something that exists currently and will continue to only get worse as time goes on. As a poet, the idea of losing your voice in a world where artificial technology is king is frightening. I believe it is a writer’s job to alert the world to issues that plague society and ultimately rob the individual of his or her creativity and ultimately, identity. Although Auden’s poem is a reflection on Hitler’s invasion of Poland, its theme can be applied to virtually any period in history. As long as man has existed, he has been selfish and concerned with his own personal gain while ignoring the needs of others.

On another note, I’m really excited that we will be able to hear Nathaniel Mackey read next Tuesday! It’s even more exciting that he will be coming to our class to share insight about his work and hopefully, his experience as a poet. I’m really eager to learn about his process for creating work and where he finds inspiration for his work.

2009-11-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

I would just like to comment on a few random things pertaining to the class. First, one style of poetry that I find really intriguing is taking another author's work and removing most of the words in order to change the meaning of the poem. I feel like this would be a fun exercise and could result in some unexpected thoughts. One thing I didn't really like about the examples that we saw was that there seemed to be too much omission for my taste, removing all but a few words from a fourteen-line poem. The second comment I would like to make is that I am really looking forward to Nathaniel Mackey coming to visit. I am really impressed with his diction, but I would like to hear what he has to say about his work because, as of now, it seems convoluted to me, almost unnecessarily vague. I think I read his poems well over a dozen times and was still only able to glean pieces of coherent thought. Also, one of my friends attends UC Santa Cruz, so I find myself wondering what Mr. Mackey would be like as a poetry teacher. It seems like he could have some very useful advice for our class of future poets. Overall, I am looking forward to the next few class periods.

2009-11-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to work the Shakespeare performance on Friday night, and I have got to say it was awesome. Though I have seen "Romeo and Juliet" before a few times, I thought it was a wonderful rendition! There was a modern twist to it, with some contemporary songs as well. Though, like they told us in the workshop in class, they don't change the words at all, it is the expressions and interactions that they have changed for their performances. I also thought it was so interesting that the play was performed with lights on the audience. There were times when one of the actors actually came into the audience and sat next to me! They also seemed to be talking to us, and this gave the play an interesting feel.
On another note, I am excited to hear that Mackey will be coming to SLU next week and especially that he will get the chance to come into our class. Things like the Shakespeare workshop and author talks are one of the awesome things that we get to take advantage of here. I think it will be really interesting to talk to Mackey and hear what he has to share not only about some of his poems/works specifically, but also the life of a writer! Working in groups today gave us a chance to share our ideas and think of some questions for him on Tuesday. I personally have some questions about his form and the way that he chooses to display his work, and also what prompts the topics that he chooses to write about. Should be interesting, looking forward to it!

2009-11-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to write a lot on my own. Using different styles to see what feels comfortable and what I can create, such as journaling, emphasizing random words from other works, listening to different kinds of music, to see what inspires me the most. I've also been going back through all of our class work and workshops before because I have really found those to be inspiring and well written by everyone. When I first signed up for this class I thought it would be more free write and handing in individual works but it has become more than that. I am surprised in a way how much the class has already opened my eyes and really challenged me. I was naive to the fact that there were so many different writing styles and how lots of them take a great deal of time to truly master. I guess it would be safe to say that this class has really broadened my view on poetry and made me analyze it more as I read it, really think about it; all it's parts and not just the words that make up the poem.

Live Theater

2009-11-02T22:15:00.001-08:00

Following along on the theme of our last class and the Shakespeare workshop, I was the most intrigued by the question period we had at the end. I too believe that the opportunity to view live theater will fade away soon if we do not do something about it. With technology improving every day, it is so easy to lack an appreciation for theater productions that occur right before our eyes. It seems much easier to stay in your house, in your pajamas, with whatever drinks and snacks you choose, and watch whatever show you feel like on the television. However, from experience, I know that the sensation one feels after leaving a great live performance is much different, and much deeper, than after watching a movie or t.v. show. It feels as if you were actually a part of the production, and had an impact on how it turned out. This also brings up another point. That is, how although each night’s performance is from the same script, every show will turn out differently. This is unique to theatre, as a movie will be the same each time you watch it. These are some of the reasons why, as a community, we must support these types of productions when we are given the opportunity. Also, as actors or playwrights, these performances are great ones to be a part of and can be used to share one’s talents to others.

A little on language and poetry

2009-11-02T17:09:00.001-08:00

I, like many other people in last week’s class, was very uninterested in “interacting” with the text. However, shortly after we actually began to do exercises in iambic pentameter, I found it to be quite interesting. I feel that that class really showed us how much we had really learned about iambic pentameter. Its really interesting to me how so many poetry writing cultures can be so different yet so alike too. The fact that the French predominantly only counted syllables in poetry, and that in England (like in the time Beowulf was written) only stressed syllables were counted. This may mean that the functions and structure of a language may dictate the popular forms of poetry within nation or a culture. In China, much of the poetry makes use of tones, rhyme, and double meanings. Tones in Chinese can be separated into four distinct tones including a neutral one. The first tone is quite high, where the second is rising from high to low, the third is kind of a dip going from high to low to medium, and the fourth is kinda high but ends abruptly. These tones can be used in poetry to form a melodic sequence. The amount of words in Chinese that have the same pronunciation makes for a lot of rhyming words, so rhyming is less restrictive. Also, the characters may have double meanings as well as the same or different pronunciations. This makes some Chinese poetry full of double meanings, which really enriches the text.

Shakespeare and Dante

2009-11-02T11:59:00.001-08:00

Like so many of my peers I found the last class’s visit from the American Shakespeare Touring group to be a lot of fun and very enlightening. I thought it was very interesting to hear about the different steps utilized by the actors in understanding and performing their lines. While, memorizing the lines and putting them in one’s own words seemed obvious to me, the breaking up of the line, paying attention to meter, punctuation, speed, volume, motivation, and even one’s own personal bias on how they interpret the line was very new to me. Ultimately, I found the activities to be a lot of fun and I certainly I hope I get the chance next year to see them perform. However, I truly found the end of the class with opportunity to ask the actors questions to be just as informative as the activity itself. Personally I had to agree with the actors in their fear of the decline of live theater and human to human interactions in entertainment. They’re point that human to human interactions in entertainment is not only special but a crucial piece of human history nature is valid, and I do believe that we need to as communities show for support for that type of art. On a final more personal note, I have finally starting working towards of one of my small literary goals of actually reading the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, and so far I have made pretty good head way in the Dante’s Inferno, what I was delighted to find however, was that *drum roll* Dante also uses iambic pentameter in his lines. So far I have really been enjoying the whole epic poem and for those in our class that are a part of my workshop group, I think it’s fair to say that a reference to one of Dante’s lines or his Inferno in general can be expected to appear in one of my poems for workshop.

2009-10-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

I thought our last class with the Shakespeare actors was very interesting. At first,a bit tired and unenthusiastic, I was not too excited about the idea of "interacting" with the text. Sometimes Shakespeare can be quite intimidating, but the way that they broke the workshop up was very effective. The discussion of iambic pantameter was especially interesting to me. To be able to have each person actually embody the stressed and unstressed syllables was very helpful to see. Also reciting the stressed and unstressed syllables separately was also interesting. I had never thought to do this, and the meanings and/or ideas that each line produced seemed very intentional of Shakespeare. All the activities we did were fun and engaging and really showed us a lot about the actors lives and how Shakespeare intended his work to be read/acted out. This close connection with the original intentions of Shakespeare was especially interesting to me.
On another note, I also had a lot of fun reading and writing our book reports. I thought this was an interesting assignment. What was most important and effective about this assignment was that we had to choose a work written by the same author (it couldn't be an anthology or a collection of poems). This really made me search for a book that had a theme which interested me. I spent quite a bit of time in the library and bookstore and ended up finding a book which wrote about the simple pleasures of the morning and the beauty of nature before the sun rises. I thought this was a simple theme, but it had some deeper thoughts that intrigued me. I also enjoyed reading some of the reviews that my classmates had written on the blog. I didn't have a chance to read many however, and I thought a fun follow up assignment would be to come to class with a few things to say about your book and/or a favorite poem from it. This would be a fun way to show each other what we learned, as well as inform people on some different books and authors.

A New Conversation

2009-10-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed our last class and discussion about the various artists who use poetry as a way to engage in conversation with writers they never had the chance to meet. I especially enjoyed talking about the poet who used Shakespeare’s sonnets to display hidden messages. The way, for example, that this particular poet chose to use Shakespeare’s words to argue against war struck me as incredibly fascinating. As I mentioned in class, it seemed to me that the author was trying to say that, had Shakespeare been around, he would have agreed with her convictions; that, when looked at closely, his work wholeheartedly supported her arguments. In short, she found a way to engage in dialogue with Shakespeare, to gain his approval without having to be in the same room with him – and how cool is that?

I cannot count the number of times I’ve read a poem by one of my favorite authors and wished that I could have talked with them about issues concerning social justice, equality, and humanity in general. Actually, there have been quite a few times I would have settled for discussing something as trivial as hazelnut flavored coffee with an individual such as Henry David Thoreau or Walt Whitman. Yes, that’s right, it would have been enough just to hear one of the before mentioned individuals share with me the specifics of their own favorite caffeinated beverage. The longing to know these artists a little bit more as people than mere historical figures, to me, has some similarities to the legendary wish of humans to ask God a question, actually expecting a verbal reply. This, I think, is the precise reason people go out of their way to get back staged passes to concerts, go to conferences, and travel long distances for literary readings. What other explanation could there be?

It’s entirely unlikely that one will end up in the same room with her favorite living artist, let alone an artist who’s already long gone, and was in fact writing during a generation far removed from her own. I couldn’t help but feel a little sad while reading Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl and Other Poems.” The author spoke so passionately about the problems facing his generation as well as its attributes that I found myself wanting to know how he would feel about the circumstances encompassing my own generation. I would like nothing better than to be able to ask him this, to be able to prove true my gut feeling that the two of us would have absolutely gotten along. I also can’t help but feel this is typical – at least for poetic dorks like me.

Ginsberg, after all, felt this way about Walt Whitman. His poem, “A Supermarket in California,” includes several references to Whitman, and goes so far as to place him in a contemporary supermarket in California. Also, as I mentioned in my review, Ginsberg adopted Whitman’s tendency to use anaphora in his work. In this way, he found a way to connect with Whitman through writing. Apparently methods like these are common and reap benefits I’ve, up until now, been missing. That being said, I think I’m going to start practicing them ASAP. I think it would be really fun to take words from another poem like we did in class and play around with them to form alternative meanings; maybe I’ll learn something I didn’t know before. If it’s the closes I can get to real conversation with my literary heroes, I’ll definitely take it.

Shakespeare and Book Reviews

2009-10-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited for the Shakespeare workshop today. The Shakespeare productions I've seen, whether film or stage, are so completely different than the plays alone- its fascinating the difference that the human element has on poetry, or even the performance element, for that matter. Poems can take on such a different tone and life in performance; I've been absolutely amazed by the transformation at the few poetry slams I've attended. In anticipating today's workshop, I've been looking at my own work in a slightly different light, and considering the work of others in a slightly different light as well. Can the value, impact, and quality of poetry change depending on the media in which it is presented? I feel like it can. Spoken word-art is closely related to poetry, and yet; the lyrics to rap songs often appear to be gibberish (or at least tedious) in print, but can be so intensely moving when performed. One artist that comes to mind (and I would say artist rather than poet...though, again, the two are closely related) is Tupac Shakur. I would NOT want to read his work, but listening to it in performance, whether on a recording or someone reciting it- that is a moving experience. I guess I've just been considering how I want my own work presented...I'm taking the intended medium into account as I write.
I also feel like the book reviews that we just did relate to the subject of medium and presentation. A collection of poems as a book is so different than an assortment of poems that happen to be chronologically organized. In reading the reviews of others and in reading A Boy's Will, I had the chance to admire the amount of thought and precision that the authors put into organizing their poems in a collection, often yielding a new or enhanced meaning. I like how each step is artistic and purposeful.
AH SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP!! Sweet!!!

Reflecting on our Past Book Assignment

2009-10-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

I learned a great deal from our last assignment, which was to read an entire book of poetry by one author. It was the first time I had focused on the work of a specific poet. The book I chose exposed me to a style of writing I was not familiar with. It was similar to a stream-of-consciousness style. This demonstrated to me the freedom an author has when they are writing. I seem to put restrictions on myself when I am writing, which leads to problems. One of these problems is the length of time it takes me to write a poem. I will be writing a poem, and I see that an hour has gone by, and I realize I have only written four lines. This clearly isn't an efficient use of my time. However, after reading so many poems that read like a train of thought, I have discovered my ability to spit out lines more quickly has improved. By just writing what comes to mind first, rather than thinking and analyzing every word I write down, I am able to write longer, more fluent poetry. This has been an effective way to overcome writer's block. I made this discovery in class during one of our exercises where we write a line of poetry, then pass it on to our classmates.

Another exercise in class that has helped with writer's block is taking words from other peoples' poems and making them into your own creation. I find this very fun and effective in writing creative yet interesting poetry. One thing I am not sure about is plagiarism though. How do you know when you cross the line? Do you need to credit the author of the original poem in your new poem? For myself, I have mixed feelings using other poet's work because I don't feel like I am being original. However, I also feel that it is there to learn from and use for inspiration. I think finding a balance in this would be a perfect way to write poetry.

Robert Frost's -A Boy's Will-

2009-10-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

One of the things that struck me most about A Boy’s Will is the short comments Frost made about the content and context about each poem in the Contents listing. It shows that he did not simply place the poems in chronological order but specifically organized them in a manner as to communicate a specific progression of his personal thoughts and values. Most of the poems are fairly short, no more than three pages at most, and there is a loose rhyme scheme present throughout, but many have structured and sometimes complex semi-structured schemes. This volume of Frost’s work shows a clear fondness for an “xaxa, xbxb, etc” scheme, as well as five line stanzas organized either “aabba” or “abaab”. There is the occasional sonnet, like “Into My Own” (which is written in heroic couplets), but more often the poems are derivations of forms like odes or ballads, and almost always they are endstopped. Like Wordsworth, Frost employs common and everyday language into his poetry; this technique does not hinder the intricacy or eloquence of the works in any way. Many of the poems are nature-based on the surface, and the theme (if they are narrative) is often conveyed through some sort of journey outdoors. The lyric works have many metaphors to pastoral life and country homes. Frost’s overlying motif (communicated by his comments in the Contents) is that of the personal beliefs and happiness of an individual (an unnamed “he” that refers to Frost himself). Despite an overlying motif, the works have differing plots and individual focuses- it is actually Frost’s own commentary that ties them all together into a coherent philosophy and message.
Some of the poems I was already familiar with, such as “My November Guest”, “A Late Walk”, “Wind and Window Flower”, “Ghost House”, and “The Tuft of Flowers”. However, with many of them I discovered things I had not previously noticed. For example, I realized that “My November Guest” is written in tetrameter.
I am a huge fan of nature-inspired lyric poetry, which is mainly why I chose to read this collection. What I always find striking about Robert Frost is how he intertwines nature with love and sadness, and the dark and solitary tone that permeates his work without sounding bleak or desperate.
One poem that is a new favorite of mine that I had never seen before is “In Neglect”. The five short lines of “abaab” are so concise and vague that I cannot help but be captivated by them. To me, it has a similar effect as the collection as a whole: it is precise enough to capture the interest of a reader, and vague enough for them to necessarily spend time considering and interpreting the work- exactly as any individual examining themselves must consider and interpret their own beliefs and behavior.
One thing I would recommend for young writers to emulate from A Boy’s Will would be to make comments showing the reader their thought process in organizing the works of a publication. Such a method lets readers understand much better whatever the writer is trying to tell them. Also, Frost utilizes to great effect the sensation of tactile interaction with the elements- a sense that many writers neglect in favor of sight and smell.
Overall, I thought this collection was quite impressive for a first publication. Granted, I am biased toward nature poetry, and I prefer semi-structured poems with more regular meter to Frost’s later narrative works which he is mostly famous for: “Out, Out---!” and “The Death of a Hired Man”. I would recommend it to readers who prefer lyrical, song-like poetry; people who prefers narrative poems that border on prosody (such as much of Frost’s later work) might look elsewhere.

"Howl and Other Poems" by Allen Ginsberg

2009-10-22T09:37:00.001-07:00

Allen Ginsberg wrote the first poem in his 1956 publication, Howl and Other Poems in dedication to his lover, Carl Solomon, someone he met while spending time in a mental institution as an alternative to jail time for petty theft. Not only is “Howl” addressed to Solomon, however, but many of the poems in Ginsberg’s book seem to be a testimony of the connection between these two individuals. Part three of “Howl” actually references the author’s lover by name, the first couple lines reading:“Carl Solomon! I’m with you in Rockland/Where you’re madder than I am.”

These words directly evidence the time the two men spent together in the institution, and, although his lover is never again referenced directly in another of the book’s poems, all of Ginsberg’s pieces carry much the same kind of bitter sweet tone as the first. In addition, Ginsberg’s “America” aggressively attacks his country’s indifferent attitude towards the effect war has on individual psyches. For instance, one of the lines in this particular poem reads, “Go fuck yourself with your atom bomb,” and another, “America I still haven’t told you what you did to uncle Max/after he came home from Russia.” Because Solomon is said to have spent time in the military, lines like this certainly suggest another kind of connection between he and Ginsberg. It is precisely because these kinds of correlations found throughout Howl and Other Poems that the project reads like an utterly personal and very atypical lover letter; likewise, those poems incorporated which do not directly mention Solomon read like the secrets Ginsberg must have shared with him at one point or another. It is for this reason that despite the incredible hardship displayed in Ginsberg’s pieces – for example, the poverty and apathy plaguing America’s inner cities-- the author’s book still seems to love.

The entirety of Howl and Other Poems is written in free verse. In addition, Ginsberg’s poems seem to be influenced immensely by the literary tradition of Walt Whitman, and, in particular, his tendency to use the literary technique of anaphora in his works, as well as end-stopping his poem’s sentences. Ginsberg’s honor of Whitman is not by any means left to guesswork; in fact, within “A supermarket in California,” the author directly addresses the poet in the first line, which reads, “What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman.” Just as Whitman is famous for doing in pieces such as “Oh Captain, My Captain,” Ginsberg starts many of his sentences the same way in this particular poem, always beginning with the word “I.” He also employs this method in “Howl,” in which an incredibly amount of the sentences in part one begin with the word “Who.”

Still, the author’s writing is much different than Whitman’s in the sense that he tries to be much less sophisticated with his language, and instead uses a common, and even crude diction, often incorporating graphic words like “balls” and “cock” that carry sexual overtones. The effect this has is an appeal to a kind of crude emotion – an enticement that makes the reader feel the very grime and hardships the author describes so vividly in his work. For the most part, Ginsberg’s sentences are long and contain little punctuation. There are, however, four exceptions in the end of his book, found within: “An Asphodel,” “Song,” “Wild Orphan,” and the last piece, “In the back of the real.” These four poems have shorter lines, less repetition, and much less incorporation of end-stopping. The very last line in the book reads: “This is the flower of the world,” and, along with the shorter sentences and less reassuring poems, leaves me wondering how exactly Ginsberg feels about the world: hopeful, frustrated, disappointed, resigned? What kind of flower, exactly, is the world? All in all, the book left me curious and wishing Ginsberg could answer my question over tea…or maybe on our way out of a North Country supermarket.

Frosty Folklore

2009-10-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

In the words of John F. Kennedy, “[Robert Frost] has bequeathed his a nation a body of imperishable verse from which Americans will forever gain joy and understanding.” The winner of four Pulitzer prices, Frost was born in San Francisco but migrated to New England later in his adult life. It was in New Hampshire that he first began to notice the beauty of nature, capturing its essence with colloquial poetry for common humanity. As a teacher, Frost accepted professorships at various universities and colleges across the Northeast, namely Middlebury College and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. It was at these fine American institutions that Frost procured his rendition of the deep emotions tied in with the natural rural settings that surrounded his residence.
“I often see flowers…” said Frost, quoted in one of his poems, referring to his uncannied ability to capture what others cannot from Mother Nature, heralded for capturing blossoming beauty with a pen and paper. In his book, You Come Too, Frost gathers a cornucopia of his poetry that transforms simple yeoman speech into gleaming verses from the abstract. The individual poems of the book flow well together, in fact the order in which the poems are read plays a role in this reader’s overall understanding of the book. Two particular poems that work well together side by side are “A Hillside Thaw” and “Good-By and Keep Cold.” Both belonging to my list of Frost favorites, I believe that these poems were paired together because the reader takes away a certain sense of winter darkness in New England from the way that Frost uses especially simple vocabulary.
Frost’s work in You Come Too emphasizes his belief that God exists in Nature, “But something has to be left for god” is the last line of “Good-By and Keep Cold” and I feel that his diction is quite clear in portraying his understanding of that function. This reader comprehends the theme that Frost is attempting to convey in his poetry, that is the existence of beauty in nature as evidence of God’s existence. However, the tone is clearly negative in many of his pieces, there are subliminal intricacies that jump out at the reader when one scrutinizes each stanza from a selected Frost work. Perhaps Frost is angry with God or even debating his very existence when he pessimistically points out his laxidazical attitude towards daily news in his piece “A Patch of Old Snow.” Pointless in reality, snow has nothing to do with his actual emotions, rather it is the melting action of frozen precipetation that caught his panties in a bunch. When he says “the news of a day I’ve forgotten—if I ever read it,” I feel like respectfully slapping his cheeks because his tone impresses me in a way that makes the world seem like an aweful place, even though sometimes I also despise watching the news. However, ss an aspiring American writer, I look up to Frost and have a great deal of respect for his works.

Arreboles

2009-10-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

My book is called Arreboles by Boyer Rickel. I had never heard of Rickel but once I picked the book up I was hooked after reading the first two poems. Apparently the word arreboles is a Spanish word for the subtle colors clouds on the horizon take on when it is struck by rays of the setting sun. Listen to the meaning of the title again and close your eyes, because the picture and emotion you get when doing so is very similar to what the reader has the ability of experiencing while reading this book of poems. Rickel breaks his book up into three small sections of poems; however, each poem evokes some type of imagery and emotion. The reader has the unique opportunity to get taken by Rickel to another place, a place where he has lived and experienced and for a brief moment, wants to share with you. Boyer Rickel’s poems do not rhyme, although you will find that accidentally some lines do but it never becomes a pattern. He does not write poems that have a melody or swing to them, yet the reader will find oneself reading with ease. Each poem seems to have a purpose for being written, a little glimpse into someone’s life at that very moment. The poems are written about his Father, Mother, and Brother, along with a neighbor’s house, a friend, a lover, childhood and his backyard. You can tell that each poem has meaning and can be said to be quite personal; this draws the reader in. As you flip through the book one might notice that almost all the way through his book most of the lines in the poems are relatively short and he has normal breaks in poems, with stanzas of three to five lines. However, once you flip to the last short chapter, his style changes. Rickel a couple relatively short poems but breaks them up differently. He uses italics to write some of the poem or breaks them up by inserting an asterisk and then have a space below and starting it would look like, a whole new poem. On top of that, his style for those few poems becomes a little more abstract. One poem in particular catches your eyes because his lines progress almost diagonally down the page. Overall, his poems just flow and there are breaks in the sentences, it seems to add maybe a little tension, but it does not detract or distract from what Rickel continues to say in his poems. As you read, it is as if you are just reading a story, or he is just talking to you; no effort or forcefulness, just thoughts passing by that he mentions out loud; lucky you to hear. The poem ends with a wonderful poem, that truly touches the heart, one quite personal and beautifully written about life and death.

The Poems of Dylan Thomas

2009-10-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Dylan Thomas’s book The Poems of Dylan Thomas was both a fun and articulate read and I can say truthfully that I deeply enjoyed reading this collection of poems. Within the collection of his poetry Dylan Thomas seems to touch upon multiple traditions ranging from villanelles like Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, prose poetry like In Country Sleep, as well as a large amount of free verse like his There Was A Savior. In terms of the nature of the collection of his poems I would say they are all somewhat closely related, in the fact that the majority of the poems consistently deal with three major motifs. The three major motifs of this book to me clearly were the struggle between life and death, love and despair, and finally faith and search for meaning. Each of these clear motifs in most of his poetry is very eloquently addressed and adds a significant amount of tension to the individual pieces. In addition, I personally felt (and perhaps this is because of their deep subject matter) that the motifs of life, death, love, despair, and faith were all infused in many unique ways, as a result I thought the poems were very surprising and interesting, yet I also felt that they did not seem to follow a particular overarching plot.

Due to the deep subject matter of the collection of poems, I thought that the whole book followed a very serious tone, in which Dylan Thomas identified through is motifs and themes the hard human questions we are all struggling to answer for ourselves. Often throughout the poems of his collection, Dylan Thomas’s speakers don’t necessarily provide answers to these questions; instead they highlight the struggle of human existence to understand the significance of love, life, and faith. However, on occasion his speakers do provide answers or at the very least opinions on the subjects of life, death, love, and despair such as his poem Death Shall Have No Dominion which just as the title suggests is a comment on how death cannot compare to strength of life or the impact of one’s life. Ultimately the speakers of his poems within this book all seem to carry an air and tone of not just seriousness, but wisdom and deep contemplation as well as the occasional sense of deep passion for what they are saying.

Overall, the technical structure of Thomas’s poems varies greatly with this book. As stated before Dylan Thomas throughout the book shows mastery of many different types of formats, including prose, villanelles, free verse, rhyming, no rhyming, meter and no meter. Similar to the overall format of his poems the use of enjambment, line structure and shape (most clearly demonstrated in his poem Vision and Prayer I) also greatly vary in the collection and can even seem sporadic at times. In the end, I would implore any poet or writer reading this collection to emulate Dylan Thomas’s creativity in his use of different styles and formats as well as addressing the serious emotions and problems we as human beings face through his poetry. The only aspect of this collection I would advise not to emulate would be the ending. While I did enjoy the individuality and surprising nature of Thomas’s poems within the book, the sense of no clear connection or arch between the poems extended to the feeling that the whole book ended abruptly and didn’t really cap or tie together the emotional issues addressed with the final poems of book. However, given the fact that the motifs and themes within the book are those that all humans have struggled to answer, perhaps the abrupt ending is fitting. In conclusion, I would recommend this collection to any writer interested in Dylan Thomas or great poetry in general.

Mary Oliver's "Why I Wake Early"

2009-10-22T08:34:00.001-07:00

For those of you who look forward to the morning dew, the quiet awakening of the earth, and those few hours before the rest of the lazy human race groans out of bed, than Mary Oliver’s Why I Wake Early is for you. Oliver explores the extraordinary beauty of the everyday natural world around us and shows us poem after poem why she wakes early to watch the world unfold before her eyes.
Newly published in 2004, Oliver opens us to her own vision of the nature around her. One who seems to appreciate nature, as much as Henry D. Thoreau perhaps, she explores its unacknowledged beauty through simple, passionate unrhymed free verse. She explores with both shorter and longer poems as well as the shape it takes on the page to create a diverse collection. The collection, which includes forty-seven new poems, all relate to nature in some way. Whether it is in the simple description of a beetle or toad, or in the deeper question of how nature came to be. This overarching theme is effective and present in each poem, but not overpowering or redundant in any way. In this sense, the book is not predictable in its content individually, though the overall theme may be unsurprising.
Oliver brings us on her morning walks where she finds treasures like an abandoned arrowhead or perfect fall goldenrod and she describes it in a way that is unique and vivid. Her descriptions and thoughts are refreshing and surprising, one leading to the next. She on one hand shares with us a deep desire to understand and connect with the animals she meets in the morning. In “This Morning I Watched a Deer” she wishes she could whisper a poem to the silent deer who nibbles berries from a tree nearby. In “The Best I Could Do”, she expresses the connection she has as her eyes lock with an owl for only a few minutes. And she details the every limb of the toad in “Look Again” as she watches the little amphibian jumps beside her on a path. In all of these beautiful little descriptions, Oliver shows us her deep appreciation for the natural world and her deepest desire to be at one with it.
In another light, Oliver also takes the role of being somewhat unable to comprehend or express natures’ intricacy. In both “Just a minute…said a voice” and “Lingering in Happiness” she touches this complex relationship between the minute human and the vastness of nature. By giving nature this mysterious voice and character, Oliver dives into a whole other level of her collection. She leaves the book open ended and suggestive for us to make our own conclusions of nature.
In the end whether we are morning people or not, Oliver invites us to appreciate the everyday beauty in the nature around us. Who knows, perhaps those of us who prefer to sleep through the magic of the morning will be intrigued after reading Oliver’s collection and think twice next time we hit that snooze button.

A Boy's Will by Robert Frost

2009-10-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

A Boy's Will perfectly exemplifies the best aspects of Robert Frost's writing. Just as Frost's poems contain layers of meaning, so does this work as a whole. Each poem can be read and interpreted independently of the other poems in his work without the loss of any themes or ideas. But when read together, the poems describe the life of a young man growing into adulthood. In this collection of poems can be seen three distinct themes, almost like three distinct phases of the boy's life. Throughout the first poems in the book, there is a continuing idea of turmoil and questioning. The opening poem describes a type of renunciation in an effort to find oneself. The common desire for individuality and self-understanding that almost universally defines adolescence can also be said to define the first poems collectively. The poems in the book then progress to a period of revelation, begining with the not-so-subtly named poem "Revelation". Here, the boy begins to find himself and reassess his ideas on things such as love, death, and friendship. A Boy's Will then takes on the form of one who is in the autumn of life looking back on his past. All the ideas of regret, nostalgia and trepidation then culminate in the final poem of frost's collection: "Reluctance".
One of the most interesting things that can be seen in this publication is the developement of the narrator as he progresses through life. Each poem can be seen as a single idea of the narrator, and these ideas change as the narrator grows from youth into adulthood. Another key feature of this work is that not only do the ideas change as the narrator developes, but because these ideas are represented as originating from an inquizitive narrator rather than some omniscient source, they become open to interpretation giving the reader the oportunity to assess the validity of the boys thoughts for himself, making the themes both more pertinent and more meaningful.
As with most of Frost's works, A Boy's Will is riddled with beautiful images of nature and seasonal change. And while this book can be said to exemplify the best of Frost, it can also be said that it does not contain any deviation from his usual style of writing. Robert Frost's poetry tends to be uniform in its use of rhyme scheme, technique, and imagery, and A Boy's Will is no exception. However, those same techniques employed by Frost in his other works are highlighted here by the interconnectedness of the individual poems in the book.
For anyone who is familliar with and enjoys the work of Robert Frost, this book is a must read. And for anyone who is unfamilliar with his work or would like to see his writing at its best, A Boy's Will should be on the top of the list of the reading list. However, if you are looking for some innovative deviation from Frost's other works, then this is probably not the book for you.

"The King's Question" by Brian Culhane

2009-10-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

The King’s Question by Brian Culhane is a compilation of poems creating a brief, yet complex commentary on “how the ancient world impinges on the modern.” The poems reflect on historical monuments which have shaped the modern world and play with the notion of answering why. However, this answer can never truly be found due to lost knowledge of the answers or uncertainties implanted in society by the gods.
It should be noted, however, that each poem retains its own personality and hidden message. I say hidden message because Culhane’s poems represent the lives of people who are seeking to find truths that are shrouded in doubts, and at times even proven to be deleted from history. In this way, it is the readers’ job to induce these truths from the poems. The order of the poems itself is a journey of understanding. The poems start off almost foggy, and to a green reader like myself, difficult to derive meaning from. However, as one progresses through the book of poems, they become easier to understand as their rhetoric begins to spell out the inevitable connection of the past and the present.
Culhane’s poems, though alike in content, cover a variety of different forms, mainly unrhymed free verse. They not only vary in length, sentence structure and ending techniques, but also in aesthetics. His poems range from two lined stanzas with sentences consisting of complete thoughts, to five lined stanzas that are severely enjambed. Having said this, each poem, regardless of how it appears on the page, or where its sentences are broken, can be read as a cohesive story. That is, Culhane is flirting with the idea that no form is form. It does not matter how his poems are written, they are still going to tell the same stories in a smart and witty way.
Every poem in The King’s Question is told through the eyes of a single narrator. I assumed it was the same narrator in each poem, but others could read them as several firsthand accounts. I believed the narrator to be the same because the tone in every poem proved to be very similar. Within the poems there are few other people mentioned. Sometimes there is a single person whom the narrator interacts with or is noting, but there are rarely more than five people mentioned within a poem. All of these intimate firsthand accounts give the poems credibility and allow the reader to develop a deeper relationship with the poems and their content.
Overall, Culhane has created a beautiful and challenging set of poems alluding to the connections of past times to our present lives. Through the journey that is The King’s Question, the reader discovers how even history that has been lost to the touch and sight still affects our lives today.

Mountain Interval by Robert Frost

2009-10-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

Mountain Interval is the third volume of poems published by Robert Frost. While I am admittedly not previously very familiar with Frost’s poetry (excluding some two or three poems that are actually within this volume) and thus do not have much else to compare these poems to, I am inclined to say that these poems in particular focus much on life, choices and consequences and serve together as a means of reflection and in many cases means of advice in the constant quest of life. Right off the bat this theme is established with the first, and perhaps Frost’s most famous poem, The Road Not Taken. Within this poem, many of the messages that are further touched on in the volume are touched on and highlighted. This poem draws attention to the natural human responses to challenges and the means by which we make the decisions that we do and more specifically focuses on there being a “right” or “better” choice.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Through this passage it is evident the sort of tone that the rest of the poem carries and furthermore that the rest of the collection carries about challenges in life, the choices that we make and of course then the implications that we face because of those challenges. The Home Stretch, the fifth poem in the series, the poem focuses on what has become of their (the husband and wife) lives and what the future will hold. The poem has a tone similar to a geometric compass in the way that it depicts the past as a fixed center of which the future is dictated to revolve around. In other words the position or choices of the past limit and arrange the future. The piece has somewhat of a gloomy tone focusing on some of the bleak realities of life and its senselessness. This poem is the second longest of the poems in the volume (just behind Snow, the second to last poem) and is also probably the closest to free verse out of all of the poems.
The majority of the poems are much shorter in length and very clearly well structured and with a clear and set form. Putting in the Seed, Range Finding, Meeting and Passing, and The Oven Bird, are even in the form of sonnets.
The final poem in the volume and my personal favorite, The Sound of the Trees, is quite similar to the tone and message of the first poem The Road Not Taken. While the volume in this sense does seem to come full circle it does not come to a clear conclusion or resolution to this issue of making choices and in fact, in comparison to The Road Not Taken, The Sound of the Trees is actually less clear about the choices that should be made and much more vague about the clash of what should be done and what is then actually done in reality.
They are that that talks of going
But never gets away;
And that talks no less for knowing,
As it grows wiser and older,
That now it means to stay.
The author is comparing people and their decisions and indecisions to those of trees and in this poem essentially does not come to a conclusion. While in The Road Not Taken, the speaker eventually makes a clear and confident choice, this poem is more centered on the inner conflict itself rather than any sort of implied solution that the speaker makes independent of the tree metaphor.
Overall I definitely enjoyed reading this book and the poems within it and would certainly recommend it to anyone. Some of the poems were uninteresting and I especially did not enjoy the lengthy ones, Snow and The Home Stretch. They were overall too wordy and I had to read it several times just to stay focused on what was even going on. The first and last poems were wonderful and the kind of stuff you would find framed and want to put up in your kitchen or living room but a lot of the stuff in the middle could have been done without. Historically I’ve been a fan of true romantic poetry and while some of Frost’s poems certainly fit into this category I did appreciate many of the ones that did not as well. The sonnets in particular were extremely enjoyable to read especially after our activity in class as I now have a much greater appreciation for form poetry. I personally think that Robert Frost should stick to what he’s good at, i.e. short and succinct poetry and give up on the lengthy crap that is just boring and wordy. I am definitely glad to have read this though. A great reading experience and I would recommend it to all.

'Red Suitcase' by Naomi Shihab Nye

2009-10-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

I chose to write a review on Naomi Shihab Nye’s book of poems entitled ‘Red Suitcase’. It is a collection of poems that have several similarities with one another, but are not all related by one specific theme, style, or idea. The poet shows her strength as a writer in her tendency to choose to write of ordinary, everyday situations and people, but then elaborate on them in an interesting way. She gives the reader many opportunities to view the world in a new light. Her humble tone invites the reader to listen carefully to what is being said, and discover how many people can relate to her topics.

One reappearing theme throughout the book is memories. Many of the poems have a reminiscent feel and language, whether it is remembering a childhood moment, or remembering this morning’s breakfast. A reoccurring object in the book, also related to memories, are letters. There are poems where letters are received and cherished, and then in contrast, poems where they are destroyed and forgotten. Certain speakers and characters reappear, as well. For example, several of the poems are from a child’s perspective, or speak of family relationships and ties, like that with one’s grandmother. Another consistency throughout the book is the specificity of location. One can tell that the poet has travelled or researched many countries as she speaks of such diverse places as the U.S.A., Palestine, Mexico, and Jerusalem. She gives an honest, truthful account of the world’s different cultures and traditions.

As a whole, the poems do not have a consistent length or formal setup. They mostly consist of unrhymed free verse, however. The poems seem to increase in length in the second half of the book. The lengths of the lines are not particularly long, but they aren’t short and clipped either. There is not a lot of enjambment. Almost always, the poet makes each line flow with a coherent thought. The language is simple with easily understood words, but yet has the ability to convey powerful messages.

From the beginning to the end, each poem is surprising, warm, and fresh. There is a flow to the order of the poems. For example, the very first poem talks about being prepared and ready for what will come next. Then, it is split into three sections, but each relate to one another. The end of the book touches on more serious topics like poverty and war. The overall tone of the book has compassion for life’s sorrows and worldly issues. It opens one’s eyes to the little joys of everyday life, as well as the bigger problems the world is faced with.

I believe the best part of this book, which a young poet can learn from, is how powerful poems can be without the use of lengthy words, metaphors, similes, and exquisite language. To speak from one’s heart and one’s eyes can make for very good poetry.

Love Poems by Pablo Neruda

2009-10-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

Pablo Neruda’s style has structure but does not have a traditional style of writing. His writing of the time seems to bring new fresh ideas to the table relating love to the earth and our surroundings. The book Love Poems seems to be comprised together, not as separate poems. It would be adequate to read the poems separately but in this book, they all compliment each other in style and in meaning. Each poem uses the body as a figure in nature or compares love to nature through descriptive words or meanings. In the first section of the book it seems as if Neruda is focusing on more the body of the woman then throughout the book the nature and the women become more complex together. His main subjects are always a woman, specifically a women that he in deeply in love with. His love for nature, and for his woman combines into a mesh of deep meanings and deep inner feelings. The poems are predictable only in the way that they are all about love. In no way does Neruda have a dull moment in any of his poems or from one poem to the next. He captivates the reader though titles and through the use of the Spanish on the left page and the English on the right. The tension between languages is great, and makes the poems seem even more romantic and full of love. The structure of his poems are slightly like free verse except they have a lot of structure and he is very strategic with end stops and stanzas. Many of his poems are short, such as less than a page, but only a very few are longer. Also his poems are consistently short lined, despite the few that have longer more free versed lines. The lines are simple with mostly short sentences, and it is clear that he is enjambing the lines on purpose, even though they are not harshly enjambed. The vocabulary is one of the most important aspects of his love poems because they are the descriptive words that complete his poems and allow the reader to relate and understand them. Neruda uses some of the same words throughout the poems such as island, nature, blood, love, roots, and flowers. By using the same words in different poems allows the reader to make connections throughout the book. The books overall tone is melancholy and reflective which makes the read easy and enjoyable for many different types of readers. At the end of the book, there is no real conclusion, except that he uses the word root, which allows the reader to feel grounded and complete at the end of all the poems. Many writers should not try and emulate his specific style only for one reason and it is because it is in Spanish. Unless you are fluent in another language it is very appropriate and interesting, but it is a difficult task to achieve. I find myself wanting to know more about his love, not just her physical appearance and how he interacts with her and how he feels, I want to know more about her and her feelings towards him.

Book Review: Aleister Crowley's "The Book of Lies"

2009-10-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Book of Lies represents a step out of the zeitgeist of poet Aleister Crowley’s times and an attempt towards transcendental illumination of those who read the book. The book is composed of 93 chapters, although some of the poems are composed of single words or single punctuations. The book itself is very idiosyncratic and its name is very true to its purpose. In fact, the publishing information at the beginning of the book is in fact a lie in and of itself. The actual publishing date of the book is off by five years and the publishing house does not and has not existed. The poems themselves, in the majority, are allegorical pieces about certain philosophical issues or sexual items. The poem entitled 69 is based on the expected subject matter; however it is done so in an artful and much concealed matter. Honestly, trying to establish the subject matter in most of the poems is very difficult due to the ambiguity created by Crowley’s purposeful use of words that have double meanings, or actively contradicting himself in order to “lie” to the reader. The poetic form is very consistent; it is constructed in free verse with an almost narrative feel. There is very little rhyming within the poem, however there is a great deal of rhythm in the syllabic aspect of the poems. The lines are very short, containing only a few words per line, but because of the density of the topics discussed within the poems, these short lines serve to break up the intellectual density of the poem. The poetry itself certainly does not fall into specific categories or traditions and in fact has very little resemblance to anything in poetic traditions in general. It seems that the book is very true to its purpose because it attempts to change the mind of the reader via its outlandish and downright absurdist overtones. The poems work very well in and of themselves, but I would be reluctant to suggest that any poetry following in this tradition would be very successful at all. This book is essentially based around its novelty. Constant surprises are a norm within the work, however any imitation could not have the same effect if one had read prior Crowley’s work. In essence, The Book of Lies is an outlier in the poetic tradition and represents a novelty act which pieces together Crowley’s philosophies and sexual liberties in a tome of free thought... but of course, I could just be lying.

Book Review of Matthea Harvey's "Pity the Bathtub Its Forced Embrace of the Human Form"

2009-10-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

In her book of poetry Pity the Bathtub Its Forced Embrace of the Human Form, Matthea Harvey works with lyric poems that utilize great imagery, creative descriptions, and explores captivating themes, such as confinement, freedom, and their respective interplay in human interactions. This book is a single project, aimed at exploring freedom and confinement in human relations and interactions. In the poems “Pity the Bathtub Its Forced Embrace of the Human Form,” “Ornamental,” “A Need for Consistency,” and “Frederick Courteney Selous’s Letters to His Love” to name a few, explore the theme of confinement. In these pieces, Matthea Harvey explores how we are confined within ourselves, our surroundings, and our relationships. Although we seem to yearn for freedom and release we ultimately seem to need confinement. While desiring freedom people also attempt to contain it. The freedom that attracts us is liberating yet scary and dangerous. Love seems to be the ultimate trap, a trap that while pains us is also something that we yearn for with our utmost desires. Matthea Harvey however, paints no clear picture or definitive ruling on the place of our desire for freedom and confinement. In some poems, such as “A Need for Consistency” confinement is paralleled to repetition and consistency, both sought for to gain a sense of safety. This need for safety ultimately brings about more chaos, as one of the character’s relationship falls apart due to the desire for confinement. In the poem “Frederick Courteney Selous’s Letters to His Love,” confinement is at first depicted as something stifling, restrictive, and monotonous, whereas freedom in wilds of nature is liberating and sheer joy. However, near the end of the poem, the speaker admits that although he used enjoy the thrill of the chase he now knows that he really wants the relationship with his lover, to be confined. The contradictions in each poem some how make sense however. It can be read that people need, love, yearn for, fear, and hate both confinements and freedom. The characters distant for the most part, the speaker being an observer, with some exceptions being in the case of the speaker in “Frederick Courteney Selous’s Letters to His Love,” who is a character in the poem. Many of the characters are cold and distant in one way, but then close and familiar in another. This is most likely due the fact that such characters do things that alienate the reader (such as killing rare animals in Africa (“Frederick Courteney Selous’s Letters to His Love”), forcing plants to bear a certain shape (“Ornamental”), and losing loved ones through rigidness (“A Need for Consistency”)), but experience fears and desires that are familiar to us. Almost every poem has consistently high tension, due to a heavy use of enjambment. Lines are broken in such a way so that sentences blend together making it difficult to tell when one line ends and the other begins. These qualities do not allow the reader to rest, and therefore, significantly raises tension. In some poems the first letters of the first word in each line is capitalized. This helps with the double meanings of lines that combine together. Some poems do not have any periods at all and no capitalization, greatly increasing tension. Many poems start out very abstract but over the course of the poem the reader is able to discern the author’s arguments and theme based on recurring imagery and less abstract and more analytical descriptions. Especially in the poem “Nude on a Horse Hair Sofa by the Sea,” there is an intermingling of very abstract and imagery based descriptions with that of more literal descriptions. The abstract parts raise tension and impart vividness imagery while the more literal parts help to contextualize the abstract, making it that much more vivid while also decreasing tension and giving the reader some reprieve. The book Pity the Bathtub Its Forced Embrace of the Human Form has complex themes and ideas that are both enticing and intimidating, while also incorporating a variety of different situations that put new twists and perspectives on the author’s themes.

Synergy

2009-10-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

I think one of the coolest things about being a writer, and being in writing classes is the idea of workshopping. I know I’ve talked before about how much I’ve enjoyed workshopping and for what reasons, but this time around, something unique is happening. It’s my first time doing workshop on a college campus, and this is the first time I’ve noticed that I am actually starting to be influenced by the writing techniques of others. Likewise, I’m noticing that others are starting to be influenced by my own literary idiosyncrasies.

I’ve mentioned in class that rhyming poetry has never been my favorite, as I often find the way form poetry can limit one’s intended meaning simply because a certain word must match another to be unfortunate. Many individuals in my workshop group, however, are fond of rhyming, and each class they bring in a poem with rhymes that really make me stop and think -- that convey both meaning and add a nice literary technique. To put it simply, I’ve become phenomenally intrigued. This is one of the main reasons that I chose to write a villanelle for my last poetry assignment – and trust me, I learned a lot from the experiment!

Upon trying to craft, “Chelsea’s Poem,” I discovered personally just how difficult it is to convey both rhyme and meaning at the same time. I found myself struggling to find the right denotative and connotative meanings words, and to, at the same time, make sure that they complimented each other. This time, however, I felt differently about the struggle. Instead of condemning form poetry, I have begun to appreciate just how amazing it is when a writer actually manages to craft a rhyming poem such as a villanelle well. And, for the first time, I’m entertaining the thought that perhaps it’s better to learn the “rules” before starting to break them. We’ll see, I suppose! Regardless, though, I’m excited to start playing around with rhyming more in my poetry, and to try out a lot of different formats for expressing my creativity.

Eunoia and Oulipo

2009-10-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

I find the readings for today fascinating. Though they go against my personal Romantic notion of poetry as an organic process, they are incontestably works of great effort and skill, and I am very glad to be exposed to them. When I started reading the definitions and history of Oulipo, I wasn't sure if it was just some satire about poetry, some elaborate joke, or if I was actually learning about a form. I was even a little suprised to discover that I was, in fact, reading about a legitimate form. I see the value and whimsical creativity to the N + 7 form, although it did leave me wondering: does one write their own creative work and then replace the nouns, or do they steal a previous writer's work and replace the nouns? Or both? I feel like that form requires the use of a very small dictionary, because otherwise the danger of losing coherency is simply too great.
Eunoia is quite impressive. I had heard of such things before (the long, long novel that never once contains the vowel "e"- I forget the title), but hadn't given it enough thought to realize the lengths to which people might extend the constraints. It is (in the most literal and basic sense of the word) awesome that Christian Bok managed to write decent length chapters eliminating all vowels but one. I was stunned when I read about all the additional constraints he assigned himself in creating Eunoia. That said, so many words with only one vowel becomes a bit tedious to read after a while- and the vocabulary is so high that it took a lot of concentration and careful reading to understand the flow of topics.
Probably my favorite pieces for today were Jen Bervin's altered versions of the Shakespeare sonnets. The concise statements that she drew from each sonnet were extremely poignant, and by juxtaposing those statements with the original piece, she caught my interest further. I would probably be most interested in that technique, or maybe N + 7 with an extremely small dictionary. These Contemporary and Modern forms are definitely fascinating.

2009-10-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

As many have been posting previously, I too have been finding the new writing styles we are reading and discussing in class to be very interesting. Last Thursdays class was very interesting for me in particular, learning about Villanelles. I really enjoy writing on my own, whether it be little quotes, poem, or lyrics. Lots of times I find myself trying to write lyrics and sometimes I think they come out okay. However, I guess I never really dissected lyrics when I listened to them because last weeks class really opened up my eyes to how songs are really written. I found it really cool that just by having a certain rhythm and sticking to it with the type of words you use, you can fill in different lines. That exercise as really made me aware of the writing style of lyrics and has made it fun for me to look some up this past weekend and try to fit in my own words and lyrics. I am really excited for class and to keep learning different styles.

Learning and Reading

2009-10-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

I agree with many people about the new types of poetry that we have been learning and reading more about. I find it interesting, like Kathleen, that the more I read and learn about a type of poetry the more interesting it becomes. I also liked learning how to emphasize a word, or something you would like to be known. I think it is not only important to learn how to use the technique but also it is important how you use your words and make them your own. I appreciate when people make an effort, not necessarly the best poem in the world, but to put them selves out there, and practice a technique is more rewarding then making a perfect poem. On that note, I dont know if there is such thing as a perfect poem. There are forms and ways to make your poem structured with tone and meter and line breaks, but that is all great only when the writer really believes in his work. Throwing out random techniques or trying something new can be very rewarding for the reader and for the writer as well. I enjoy reading poems that are not traditional, that break away from the norm. I think it shows me that poetry is really an art, and that you can paint outside the lines once and a while.

2009-10-20T06:04:00.003-07:00

I, like many others, really enjoyed learning about the Villanelles and Sonnets. I particularly liked the assignments that we had for Thursday in addition to the reading in “Rhymes Reason” about these two types of poetry I really thoroughly enjoyed the poems that we read. I know we didn’t really get to go over all of them or at least in great detail but I definitely enjoyed having the chance to read them all at least on my own. It is so interesting to me that just within one form of poetry there can be so much variation. The different forms can also be affectively used in order to highlight different points, which is also interesting to me. The fact that one technique can be used as a tool to emphasize contrasting elements just depending on HOW you use it is so cool. I’m really hoping to utilize what we’ve learned about these structures in future poems that I personally write and have already seen some great examples of these by my peers. As someone before me mentioned, I think later learning the intricacies and histories of these forms made it even more interesting. It’s pretty cool that the more you learn about something the better that it gets. It kind of makes reading poetry less like eating vegetables and more like eating dessert.

2009-10-20T06:04:00.001-07:00

Villanelle

2009-10-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Learning about the different commonly used poetic devices is one of my main reasons for taking this course. I am often ambivalent to such constructs. On the one hand, they are commonplace because they are effective means of portraying ideas. On the other hand, however, using a format for poetry does constrict one's writing style. I don't think this actually affects the amount of creativity involved because I think that finding a way to work within the confines of a format is just as creatively demanding as developing your own format. Anyway, I digress. In short, I share my fellow classmates' interest and excitement in working with the villanelle and it is likely that at least one of my next workshop poems will follow that formula. I also look forward to seeing what other members of my group can do should they decide to experiment with this format as well. On a side note, I would like to get some of my previous work returned so that I might be able to rework some of it, particularly the energy and tension poem, for further workshopping in class. I tried something a little different than what I usually do, and I would like to see what I can make out of it.

Villanelles, Repetition, and Rhyming

2009-10-19T11:37:00.001-07:00

I have to agree with both Alex and Joe on their comments on the poetic format of a villanelle in that it is a very complex and yet beautiful form of poetry that can demonstrate true mastery of verse and rhyming. After learning more about them last class I must admit my respect for those who can write them as well as my own desire to take a crack at one as drastically increased. Without a doubt one of my all time favorite poems is Dylan Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night, and I have always been in awe in how well it uses repetition and rhyme to convey its strong message. Like Alex, I found the fact that villanelles need to focus on serious topics understandable, since the constant repetition in the poem would easily cause anything that is seemly unimportant to sound very child like. No, I must admit when we began to go more in dept on villanelles in class I always pictured them telling stories about something serious and worth obsessing over such as Dylan Thomas’s father’s “easy” death. Personally, I have to end my blog post by commenting on rhyming and saying that I agree with Joe that there is growing perception that rhyming poetry is an old and dying art. But in reality it doesn’t, rhyme is a great technique in poetry, one I am extremely fond of. That’s not to say I believe not rhyming is bad, but the truth is I feel sometimes that people view rhyming as childish, when with a little effort and work rhyming can give a poem a sense of strong focus, rhythm, and personal expression.

A Little on Poetic Forms

2009-10-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

I found the discussion on the villanelles to be especially interesting. I have a hard time using rhyme scheme anyway, not only keeping track of words to reuse in different stanzas. If one can do a villanelle, then one must really have a good grasp on writing. I also found it very interesting that a villanelle should be used to discuss a subject that is very important to the author, something worth practical obsession, because that’s the effect of the villanelle. Knowing the form of poetry techniques, such as sonnets, villanelles, sestinas, and others is only as useful as knowing what they are traditionally used for and what effect they give off. Sonnets, with their regimented line count, rhyme scheme, and syllable count, give off a more secure feel and are usually about love. By knowing this, one can either go forward with the sonnet in its original purpose, or do the opposite for the sake of contrast. However, I’m sure one could do the same thing with a villanelle because something of no significance to the author, or to anyone else including the reader, will find the villanelle simply repetitive. Yet again, its essential to know not only the rules of poetic form, but also the purposes of those forms.

Villainous Villanelle's Vividness

2009-10-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

After reflecting upon Tuesday’s class I had interesting thoughts about the Villanelle style of poetry which we explored so thoroughly. Before class I was privy to such knowledge; never had I written one. I have a lot of respect for those who can accomplish the feat. What captivated me most was the complexity of the rhyme schemes. There are so many variations of the rhyme, and the Villanelle has the potential to capture varying usages of couplet verse. One could say that the possibilities are made from equal parts of both infinity and fascination.

I am a big fan of rhyming and an even larger advocate for its usage in poetry. Although I have heard many people deem it as silly speech, rhyming is still a lost art, as archaic as Fresh Prince and Adidas sneakers; certainly worthy of a comeback. Oblique pairs are probably the most exciting genre of lyricism, such as when one rhymes “green” with “fiend.” It was once said that the holders of this technique grasp the world of poetry in their hands.

Perhaps further reflection will reveal similar success.

workshop and assignment 5

2009-10-13T09:26:00.001-07:00

Once again I thought everyone did an excellent job on the workshop poems. Each time I am amazed at the talent we have in our class. I love how honest people are but also the compassion they bring forth with their constructive criticism. I think everyone has been trying new styles of writing and getting different ideas from each other. These workshops have been very helpful and inspiring for my own poetry and have made me more excited about writing.
In regards to assignment 5 for this week, I thought it was an interesting assignment. It was tough for me to try and come up with something to write and especially to make one poem at least 28 lines. I find that I am much more of a short poem writer and therefore find these longer assignments harder to write. However, I came up with an idea that I hope is a good one and successful. Overall, I think it got me to think outside of my box, which is always a good thing for me.
I hope everyone has a great Mid-semester break!!!

Hail Assignment 5!!!

2009-10-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Going into this assignment, I was honestly pretty concerned. First of all, I'd been suffering writer's block and was having a hard time coming up with things that I really wanted to write about. Second, I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan in the world of concrete poetry and word art. I've always felt like its kind of kitschy and cute- more like someone trying to make a clever joke than a serious or joyous statement.
I didn't really think about the assignment too much, and amazingly, wrote one of the first poems in a while outside of class. It was just something really short and random, but it got my creativity working again. I read it a few times, rewrote parts of it, translated it to English (because go figure, the inspiration was to write it in French...I'll be damned if I know how that happened)...and then suddenly I had an idea of what to write about for Assignment 5!! On an different subject than the previous poem, too! I tried to convey the movement of a leaf falling from a tree and drifting down to the ground on a breeze- hopefully that translates okay. I'm really excited, mainly because I feel like poetry tends to turn out better when it is spontaneous. Mine certainly is, because when I sit around and think up something to write about, it always comes across as EXTREMELY contrived and clunky (in my opinion).
The point is: much to my suprise, I really really like Assignment 5 and wish that we were workshopping these poems together. Anybody going to Poetry for Peace this afternoon?

2009-10-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

I too, found Assignment Five difficult but very rewarding. I actually am a big fan of enjambment and unorthodox line breaks. I think the rhythm and feel of the poem is the most interesting part. What I found to be most helpful while working on this exercise was reading my poem out loud. I actually do this all the time for any of my writing, but I used it even more so with this poem. Having to focus on the significance of your line breaks is much more difficult that simply using them as a metronome. A lot of times, I find myself hitting the return button simply because I like the way it looks or it is the right amount of syllables. Both of these reasons are legitimate and I don't think should be disregarded. However, what was interesting about this assignment is that you really had to find a reason or deeper meaning behind the line breaks which deepened your poem some how.

I was actually inspired by my own inability to choose a topic for this poem this week and wrote my poem on this dissatisfaction with my words and thoughts. This is always the hardest part for me, coming up with a topic, but once you pick one you get flowing I find. In this poem, I wrote about this frustration as I sat at my desk freaking out about what to write. I tried to portray this stream of consciousness in my line breaks but also bring it together with a hidden meaning. I also tried to have the tension rise and fall, and used the line breaks to help me with this several times.

2009-10-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" is one of my all-time favorite poems. I am really glad someone else in class appreciates it as much as I do. Actually, I'm sure plenty of people in class are famioliar with that poem and love it, but I'm glad Dylan brought it up. I would love to have a class discussion on that poem if possible. Also, I like Samantha's brainstorming method. It is almost midnight, so I have five hours to start and finish the poem for tomorrow and I fully intend to keep my itunes active while I write. Mainly to keep me awake, but also because I definitely agree that there is a connection between poetry and music and I I often find inspiration for my writing while listening to my favorite songs (although I am more of a classic rock fan than a rap fanatic). Anyway, I will see everyone in class tomorrow, can't wait for our next workshop.

Getting into the Groove

2009-10-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

First off, it seems that my posts do not seem to be posting, so I hope this works!

Second. I did not know what I was going to write about for assignment 5, and while reading the assignment, I felt the same frustrations as everyone else, or so it seemed. Something you should know about me is that one of my secret dreams is to be a DJ, just because I am a dancer, make the mixes for the dance team here at school and am in love with music. I know there is a fine line between music and poetry but I have recently found that they blend together so well. I downloaded a bunch of very random music this weekend and decided to listen to some stuff while brainstorming. I found that the way some artists sing their songs goes along with our assignment this week. They sometimes, especially rap, have random line breaks, so in fact, listening to music really helped me find inspiration. I didn't write about a song, I wrote about something in my life, but while jammin' to the music (o yes, alone in my room...it happens) I felt in the groove also with writing poetry. It seemed to come very easily, and very natural.

Maybe finally I am catching on to this poetry thing!

Readings

2009-10-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

I would like to share some thoughts on the readings this week as I feel we read so many poems and only get a small chance to discuss them in class. I was deeply affected by the poem by Dylan Thomas 'Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night'. He wrote it about his father when he was passing away. His father had gone blind, and Dylan Thomas was caught by surprise as his father had been such a strong, powerful man and figure in his life. I was affected by the context of the poem because I too dealt with a death of a family member who has had such a big impact on my life. It was my grandmother, who in my mind, was one of the hardest working, most inspiring, strongest women I have ever met. It was very difficult and almost shocking to see her so frail and weak before she passed away. Thomas shares this surprise in the poem, as well as a bit of denial that his father would die. He urges his father to fight death, like he has probably fought every other battle he had in life. However, death will come to everyone at one point, so telling one to fight it is not realistic. This poem is ironic because it is written in the French form of a villanelle, which is meant to be light and simple. However, Thomas uses this form and pairs it with the serious topic of death. The repetition at the end of each stanza gives even more significance and importance to what is being said. Although the language is simply put, this poem has a lot of significance, especially for people who have lost someone significant.

Some comments on assignment five

2009-10-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

I found assignment 5 to be a bit difficult, but also very rewarding. I used line breaks to give double meanings to lines and sentences. It was hard to write in a way that made sense, but also included certain ideas, themes, objects, and even wording that I wanted to add. I used to see line breaks as just something that happened in poetry, but I’ve learned in this class that line breaks can create rhythm, emphasis, and tension. But now, through this assignment, I’ve learned that line breaks can have a huge impact on the tone and even the meaning of a poem. By using line breaks a way similar to that of Matthea Harvey in her poem “Pity the Bathtub Its Forced Embrace of the Human Form” I was able to create two lenses in which one would view the poem. The first would be the literal dialogue of the first speaker, but the second would be communicated by the use of line breaks that helped create a new interpretation of what the speaker was saying. This created a covert “reality” in which only the reader and the character at the end would understand. This was an interesting assignment and I plan to use this technique in the future.

My Feelings on Line Play

2009-10-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

I must admit working on Assignment #5, I have been thinking a lot about the use of lines in poems, and what my own personal preference is in their purpose in my poetry. Traditionally, I never really thought much about line breaks or line structure. To me line breaks had always been used to simply separate complete thoughts, sentences, or stanzas for one another. But now looking more closely at the uses of enjambment plays with line structure, and the overall shapes of pieces I find myself more and more interested in this aspect of a poem. Playing around with my poem for assignment #5, I have come to see firsthand that breaking lines in mid thought or sentence can be really effective in creating a surge of tension, quickening the pace of one’s poem, or just placing emphasis on certain words or speech. As surprising as it was for me to find out, I thought that it was very cool how isolating a word or phrase can drastically changes its meaning, or even make you question it. While, I still believe I need a lot more practice in utilizing this form of poetry, this assignment was very refreshing to me and once again seemed to remind me that poetry can truly take all forms and sizes.

Checklist Opinion and The Way We Express Ourselves

2009-10-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of you guys, I too am frustrated with the workshop checklist. It tends to be a bit constraining and limits my feedback to an extent, and some of the questions ask things that the writer already knows about his or her poem. However, it is certainly a very helpful guide that can aid us in analyzing the poem and I do think it is a catalyst for creating critiques on one another’s work. For me, the best way to workshop someone’s poem is to read his or her poem in its entirety, and then work through each stanza. I usually identify images or lines that I enjoy or find particularly powerful/effective, and then I look for parts that could potentially be improved or revised. I like to write all my comments on the same page as the poem because it’s probably easier for the writer to read it over and find the exact spot in the poem where I am commenting on.

In my Early British Literature class, we started reading lyric poetry (beginning with Sir Thomas Wyatt and ending with John Donne). Something I find particularly interesting is the metamorphosis of the way people portray their feelings in poetry throughout history. In these Renaissance works, poets are much more composed with their thoughts and their poetry’s structure and language is very proper. This is because 16th century English society was very prim and it was considered noble to ponder your feelings for a sufficient amount of time before adequately expressing them. Today, if writers (or anyone for that matter) were to express themselves in a way that is formal, their emotions may seem not genuine and planned out. Although these works have a profound influence in English literature, I feel myself more able to relate to more contemporary poems of today—poems that do not hold back on emotion and feeling. I am not saying Thomas Wyatt, Shakespeare, or any of the Renaissance poets did not express genuine feelings, but their ways for expressing emotion are much different than my own. I find my best work comes after I just “write my heart out” (not to sound cliché or anything)—meaning, I just pour out whatever words I believe capture my state of being or feelings in that particular moment. It will certainly be interesting to see what will be considered "acceptable" in terms of portraying emotion in poetry in future years.

The Checklist and Poetry Forms

2009-10-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

I agree about the workshopping checklist. It seems to me that it doesn't give enough attention to convention like the level of seriousness or playfulness in each poem. I feel like Dylan's list of possible questions are very appropriate for evaluation...they should be more open-ended, so that they fit each poem, instead of forcing us to categorize the poems, which might not fit the current questions as well. Even a simple question like:
"What really confuses me in this poem?" gets straight to what aspects the writer can improve on, instead of re-establishing things that are already clear. That said, I understand the intention of list. Maybe we should all collaborate on one that we feel better addresses any general poem.
I've mentioned this previously, but I am very interested in learning the specific structures of forms like sonnets, etc. I don't trust to teach myself those forms, because even knowing the definition and conventions of a form won't necessarily allow me to do it well. I feel like maybe some in-class drills would be really helpful in that regard; we could learn methods for creating the skeleton of poems, and not just methods for creating interesting content. Rhyme's Reason is definitely useful and interesting, but I would be more comfortable if we had some in-class practice of the different styles we've read in Rhyme's Reason.

The Checklist

2009-10-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

I, like so many of us, have found myself extremely frustrated with the workshop checklist. I find that there is so much I would like to be able to say to everyone about their poems, but find myself unable to do so because I am so rigidly confined by specific guidelines. Firstly, not all the checklist questions apply to every poem we read. I remember specifically trying to go through the checklist for a five line poem during the last workshopping assignment. Although I definitely think that a poem has a lot you can delve into regardless of its length, it was hard for me to answer questions like what the “governing metaphor” or “argument” of the piece was. The poem was obviously meant to highlight a very specific moment, intense even in its simplicity – and, yes, maybe that concept in itself a governing idea, but still, it strikes me as self-explanatory. In short, there were other things I could have been spending my time writing about to provide the poem’s author with feedback. I could have discussed how the poem might be expanded, or about how I felt regarding specific word choice. I know that the workshop also gives me chances to elaborate on these points, but even so, I find myself too often not having the time to say as much as I would like.

As Kathleen mentioned in her post, I think the checklist is definitely a good starting point if someone has no idea how to begin providing feedback; still, I believe other viable options for providing constructive critique would be a worthwhile discussion to have during class.

Workshop Checklist Thoughts and My Own Sort of Writers Block...

2009-10-06T09:05:00.001-07:00

I definitely hear where everyone is coming from with the workshop checklist frustrations. I know it can definitely seem counter productive in some ways as we take part in the actual workshop but I don’t think the intentions of the workshop checklist are actually for us to actually use it quite as literally as it says. I think that it is definitely a helpful starting point… especially when reading a poem that you kind of don’t really know what to make of initially. The workshop checklist is kind of there to point us in the right direction of what to look for. It obviously isn’t tailored to each individual piece of work or assignment that we have but it is sort of nice to have these sorts of questions in mind as you’re reading through someone else’s poem and is certainly helpful to keep in mind as I’m writing my own poems especially when I kind of feel like I’m lost as to what I’m trying to do. I think that overall the most important part of the workshop is to give helpful and constructive feedback and if sometimes the questions don’t apply to a certain piece or in some cases they will have repetitive answers then whatever. There is always the end for adding in feedback that you think would be helpful that wasn’t otherwise addressed.

Another blog issue I wanted to discuss that was that I really wish I were more inclined to take risks in my poetry. I mean I’m honestly trying hard to go out of my own comfort zone and write about things that I wouldn’t normally consider writing about and in different ways that I wouldn’t have really previously considered but I really wish I were daring enough to try to challenge myself in what I was doing more than I am. For example I really want to write a response poem to one of the poems we’ve read in class, kind of like the poem that we read in the 21st century book that was similar to the Shakespeare Sonnet. I tried for hours to even just find one that I felt inclined to respond to but nothing really stood out to me. I know I’m probably just being picky/not open minded enough but I honestly really struggled through this. Ugh. I find myself WANTING to something to write about so this isn’t like a normal case of writers block but I just can’t do it when it comes down to it. I know it sounds silly and I should just listen to NIKE’s advice and just do it and then kind of take it from there but for some reason I just can’t. Ugh. I’m trying to push through it but hopefully it will work out for the next assignment.

Workshop 2

2009-10-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

I personally found this workshop to be easier to write for than the last one. I think this was because not only did I have feedback from Professor Hummer as to what she might be looking for from our poetry writing, but I also found it helpful to have my peer's poetry as inspiration. I tried to branch out a bit and take suggestions and inspiration from my peers and work it all into my new workshop poems. I found myself much more open to different topics and styles and actually excited about trying new avenues of writing; and am therefore intrigued to see what people this week have to say about my poems and to see what other have written.
I also want to agree with people posting before me, that the workshop questions seem to be very direct. I too am finding it sometimes difficult to answer all the questions or put certain aspects of the poem into one of the categories or questions. I have found it much more helpful to rather take the questions as guidelines in the back of my head, and to focus more on what strikes me first about the poem(s). I try to remember to take the poem into pieces but I also think it is important to not forget to analyze the poem as a whole.

Workshop...

2009-10-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

I have to agree that the current checklist seems to be somewhat detrimental to the workshopping process. I feel that, by asking questions which try to encompass all facets of poetry, the result is to take attention away from the poem being workshopped. Instead of thinking about the effectiveness of the author's techniques and possible areas of improvement, we are forced to try to squeeze the poem into a category where it does not necessarily belong in order to respond to the questions. I like Dylan's question suggestions, but I think they should respond to the more technical aspects of the poem as well. But rather than try to identify plot and speaker when there often is none, I would suggest a question along the lines of: "How do the line breaks, rhyme scheme, meter, etc. or lack thereof contribute to the author's message?" I think that this would adequately adress the technical aspects of the poem without micromanaging the workshopping process. Additionally, there I one question I have about the checklist. I am unclear as to whether the purpose of it is to have a concrete critique of the author's work so that one's feedback is written down for them, or if the purpose is to act as a reminder to the workshopper of what his thoughts were while reading the poems. I think that the answer to this question determines the way in which these checklists are written and how effective they are.

Suggestions

2009-10-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

I completely agree with what has been said about the workshop checklist. I do see the usefulness in asking questions about a piece of writing, especially when it isn't yours. I also like how we get together and discuss our observations as a group, as this act of sharing ideas often sparks new ideas by students. However, some of the questions we are asked to answer in the checklist are not of much use to the author. I think that if the questions acted more as a guide, or a starting point, they may be more effective. From there, students could pick and choose which questions would be suitable, to the specific poem and poet, to be answered. A longer list of questions would be more interesting too. Some suggestions for questions that I have thought of include:

1. How emotionally attached to this poem are you? Does there need to be a deeper connection with the reader, or is it effective how it is?

2. How can the poet capture the reader's interest and attention more?

3. What kind of audience is the poem written for right now, and could the poet benefit from reworking the piece with other audiences in mind?

4. What specific techniques could be incorporated to enhance the poem?

5. Is the title appropriate? Does it give too much away? Or is it too vague?

These questions have come up in my mind as I was reading other classmate's poems. Does anyone else have any other suggestions for questions while workshopping??

Workshopping

2009-10-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

From the whispers and murmurs I hear from the underground, the general consensus is that our workshop checklist is undoubtedly an entangling hassle. I have to agree with Gary when he says, “it seems (at least to me) that the workshop checklists are too geared for discussing every aching detail of a poem no matter how long it is, or if it is one of many.” Details can get lost and ultimately, a large majority of the workshop checklist is ignored or left disregarded during the workshop time.

However, I feel that the workshop checklist is a great starting point for developing thoughtful and provoking guidance for an aspiring poet. Indeed not every question on the checklist may be appropriate or of a good use for a certain poem, but often times one or two questions may be particularly useful for helping the author with valuable, constructive and in-depth criticism and/or worthwhile feedback. To the questions that I find most applicable, often times I find myself writing their answers directly on the poetry itself or in the margin.

A writing style is always unique—obtuse would be the word I would use to describe someone who does not support that claim—accordingly, the questions that stand out the most are unique to that author or poem. Nonetheless, the workshop checklist remains an active part of the poetry process and must be respected for the insights that it gives us. Perhaps what one student finds to be of use is not held in similar esteem by another, and vice versa.

Thoughts on Upcoming Workshop

2009-10-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

As Tuesday rolls closer I have been thinking more about this upcoming workshop session, I must admit I have been thinking harder about the entire workshoping process as well. While, personally I love the idea of the class splitting up into small groups to discuss and review each other’s poetry and the techniques we used. However, I still feel that some aspects of the workshop could be more efficient, namely the workshop checklists. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not attacking the checklists because they are forms of homework, or even because they take time. The real reason I point them out is because of their efficiency and usefulness when compared to the time that goes into them.

Ultimately, I think the workshop checklists are great in theory, I think it’s crucial to read each other’s poems with a keen eye, open mind, and ready pen. But still it seems (at least to me) that the workshop checklists are too geared for discussing every aching detail of a poem no matter how long it is, or if it is one of many. While the numerous questions on the details of a poem maybe just too important to cut down on, the truth is almost everyone in the class prefers reaching a 42 line poem requirement with multiple poems. And when your spending over an hour an half doing one person’s checklist because they have several good poems, (knowing in the end that only a tenth of that time will be discussing the important aspects of what you wrote) it can seem a little frustrating.

To recap, I think workshops are an awesome tool for improving our poetry, and I full heartedly agree that the checklists are important aids in helping them run smoothly, I just believe there should be a more effective way of completing them for author who has multiple poems.

Striving to improve

2009-10-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

In relation to what Tory said about expanding ones writing style, I definitely feel in a way that I too do very similar things in most of my poetry. I have a perception in my head that better poetry is all about showing more than one is telling. If there is a concept that I want to get across, whether it’s a feeling or something grander, I’ll try and see how I can do it visually. However, since being in this class I’ve learned that there really is no acute definition to “good” or “better” poetry in a general sense, except in terms of what one likes. It seems to be in some cases just personal choice. However, the fact that we are being graded on our poetry seems, in one sense, to contradict that. I feel that one can grade poetry, just as one can evaluate good art from bad art. One can make such distinctions not necessarily by a formula of color, amount of feeling induced, or topic, but can distinguish between high and low quality art based on how well one was able to transmit the desired goal/effect. Someone with no prior experience to painting or writing can make art and poetry, but as it would make sense they would have frustration over not being able to fully express their feelings. Therefore, one can, in sense, grade poetry and art, and therefore strive to make it better. However, it still all depends on the context of what one is striving to improve, whether it be imagery, rhyme scheme, comprehensive structure, or a feeling.

Sister Corita!

2009-10-01T11:30:00.001-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed Tuesday’s class at the Brush Art Gallery to analyze Sister Corita’s pop art. I found her work incredibly inspiring because it combines the elements of poetry and visual art, and it transforms the work into something very profound. After carefully looking at each of the works, I felt connected to Corita and her message of peace. I love how she incorporates both worldly subjects and the teachings of her faith into her work. She softly manipulates fundamental Christian beliefs in her art so that they can be relatable to a secular audience. Her art has the ability to connect to a wide-variety of people, which is a goal that every artist and writer possesses.

One particular work of hers that I loved was the print with Thoreau’s face on a stamp, and quotations from his works Civil Disobedience and Walden. Corita shows her appreciation for nature and Thoreau’s own example of embracing the nature in his life. During his time, Thoreau was a source of light in the flourishing era of industrialization in the mid-1800s. He represented freedom and independence—he was free from the burdens of technology, and he did not conform to the standards of American modernity. Since Thoreau was a revolutionary for his time, I found it very appropriate that Corita used his face and words in her piece. She wants to portray how essential its is for every individual to exhibit his or her liberties, especially during periods of time that are undergoing change. Both Thoreau and Corita are advocates of simplicity and hope for community, and through their art, they are able to make an important connection with every reader and viewer.