Poetry Unit Reflection

The thing I like most about poetry, was also something that made this unit the most enjoyable for me so far. It's the freedom. Poetry allows writers to adopt their own style and portray what they want without worrying about if it is the most effective way to go about it. I feel as though all parts of poetry are indicative of the writer's personality: the message, the diction, the line spacing, how it flows, the tone it's told in, everything. I also think that because poems are so personal, they cause this form of literature to be one of the most creative and diverse.

Through having to write a spoken word poem I also realized that presenting a poem often enables the poet to have a deeper impact. You're able to convey more messages through pauses, amplifying your voice, and showing your emotions to the audience. The spoken word was definitely the most interesting part for me. The poem I chose to analyze (Beethoven-Shane Koyczan) was incredible, and I've watched it countless times since doing the assignment. Having a local spoken word performer come in and show us some of her work and give us tips on the form was also fascinating. I admittedly find spoken word to be a little overbearing sometimes. However, I gave it more of a chance in this unit and found there is a lot I can relate to. In fact, often times I find spoken word poets in particular can choose exactly the right diction to convey an idea in a way that many people can relate to and be profoundly impacted by. Another reason I enjoy poetry is that I realized it can be used practically. When someone is hit with an idea, they often don't have enough time to write volumes about it. Poetry can work as a sort of descriptive and accurate jot note if the person has a minute or two to think about the message he/she is trying to send out. Overall, I think poetry is an appreciable and impressive form of literature, and wish to practice more and more to further my understanding and style.

"The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail"- William Faulkner