Response Journal #7

At first, I thought poetry was extremely boring; especially counting syllables and annotating poems. I did not like strict guidelines to poems, either. Then, we studied free verse poetry and I finally had a better feel for poetry, what it meant, and why it was important. However, the topic that really gave me a true appreciation for it was slam poetry. The creative flow and energetic rhythms caught my attention. I can honestly say that not only has my knowledge of poetry increased during this class, but also my interest and appreciation.

Slam Poetry

Response Journal #5

Dr. Seuss has a very distinct writing style. Although his books may have different form or flow, all of the Seuss books I have read rhyme in some way. The most common rhyme scheme I have seen is AABBCC (and so on, depending on the length of each page). Also, not only do the syllables often match, but the stressed and unstressed pattern of the syllables generally matches, too. This makes his books easier to read and more fun to hear. By nature, kids are interested in patterns and things that have a simple rhythm to them. Seuss' style puts easy words together in a creative way, yet makes a very original story out of them. If I can't tell by the rhyme scheme and beat of his books, I can usually tell by the character names and crazy action going on in the stories. Part of poetry is coming up with new images to put in people's heads, and Seuss was a master at creating ideas which nobody had thought of before.

Response Journal #4

1. Sara Teasdale
2.
"I Am Not Yours"

I am not yours, not lost in you,
Not lost, although I long to be
Lost as a candle lit at noon,
Lost as a snowflake in the sea.

You love me, and I find you still
A spirit beautiful and bright,
Yet I am I, who long to be
Lost as a light is lost in light.

Oh plunge me deep in love -- put out
My senses, leave me deaf and blind,
Swept by the tempest of your love,
A taper in a rushing wind.

3. The poem is about the author (Sara Teasdale) wishing to be in love. She has an admirer who loves her, but she cannot seem to fall in love as well. She does, however, admit to thinking the person is "A spirit beautiful and bright" but she does not love the person. It is very emotional and very deep, which is obvious in the way she describes love and how it can overpower nearly everything.
4. I like this poem because of the raw emotion and passion that the reader feels after finishing it. Teasdale writes it in such a way that people can not only relate mentally, but also emotionally.

Response Journal #2

How does form (structure, rhythm, meter, line breaks) affect meaning in poetry?
Writers use different elements of form to alter the message and feeling of the poem.
Structure is used to organize the poem. For example, a free verse poem would feel much less organized than a poem with a specific number of lines in each stanza. Additionally, a haiku or a sonnet would seem extremely orderly compared to a free verse.
Rhythm makes the poem flow. Without rhythm, the reader will stumble over the words and lines with little meaning. If there is a poetic beat that goes along with the words and syllables, it makes poetry much more enjoyable and generally easier to understand.
Meter affects how a poem sounds. The syllables which make up the feet in each meter are based upon the words used and where the accents should be emphasized. These syllables and accents within the feet and meters ultimately develop the rhythm of the poem.
Line breaks contribute greatly to the meaning of a poem. Some poets put line breaks in at the natural pause of the poem (where commas or periods would otherwise be placed). Other times, poets will place a line break in the middle of a 'sentence' so the reader is forced onto the next line without completing the meaning of that sentence. This makes poetry more interesting, and often plays with the words. The meaning of a line at its line break could be much different than the meaning of that line combined with the following line.
Overall, there are an infinite number of ways to write a poem when we consider all the elements of form. Each element adds something to the meaning, and it is important to represent the message and feelings one wants to associate with the poem.