Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Creating Purpose - Rachel
One reads poetry in order to gain an appreciation for the written word; ultimately poetry is an art form that serves to both entertain and make the reader think. However, there has been a split in genres between entertainment and analysis, slam and page. Though both forms strive for the same goals, I believe that there are strengths of both slam and page that separate the genres. Specifically, slam poetry has the primary motivation to entertain an audience. Critics argue that is this quality of slam poetry that neglects the role the author and self-expression, therefore eliminates slam poetry as a true poetry art form. There is also criticism against slam because there is also a competitive aspect to a poetry slam. Because slam poets must make an immediate connection with their audiences, poems become simpler, due to the fact that they must be comprehensible on their first read. Additionally, the slam poet must beware the danger of delivering a formulaic performance. In an attempt to give emphasis to the piece, a poet may begin to speed through or increase the volume of their performance. Yet, when one simply reads poetry there is still a common poetic structure to escalate the tone of the piece. Word choice may become more vigorous; the internal rhythm may speed up. But it is up to the reader to correctly interpret the specific emotion that the author intends. In contrast to slam poetry, written poetry requires some degree of analysis from the reader. While there has been a recent effort to balance the literary quality and performance aspects of slam poetry, the true differentiation between written and spoken word is the critical analysis by the reader to interpret the overall purpose of the poem.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Creating Purpose - Sydni
There are two different types of purpose that make a poem: the purpose for which the author writes and the purpose that the reader finds in the poem. Neither are easy to identify seeing as it’s very seldom that we know the exact thoughts a poet is experiencing when they write a piece and because a poem can reach millions of people, all of whom can have just as many ideas about the one poem. Just the other day I mentioned my thoughts on Regina Spektor’s song “Reading Time with Pickle” to a friend who is a huge Spektor fanatic. I believe the whole song is symbolism for sex and masturbation while my friend vehemently disagrees and I have yet to find anything of Regina confirming or denying the meaning of her lyrics. Already one piece of art has three interpretations, three purposes: mine, my friend’s and the author’s.
In a themed poem or one with a strong outline, such as Mark Nowak’s Coal Mountain Elementary or Patricia Smith’s Blood Dazzler, it’s hard to miss the artists’ obvious purposes for his or her work. Poetry with such strong convictions is made to inform and persuade, to offer a completely different viewpoint on an idea or occurrence or to present it in a new way. Nowak contrasts the stories of Chinese miners with one story from America and a classroom instruction to show differences in safety and technology and comparisons in heartache; Smith gives a hurricane a voice, depicts simple stories of people running from a disaster. Their purposes aren’t hard to miss though on a case by case basis several readers can still come up with several ideas to such theme driven works of poetry.
But what of poetry that is more metaphorical than straightforward. Having written an essay on how Walt Whitman used poetry as a means of revealing himself as a homosexual, I know that there is poetry with a variety of lenses a reader can adopt. It’s these sorts of poems that allow for a laundry list of interpretations and blur the line between the author’s purpose and a reader’s. Whitman’s poetry specifically allows for broad interpretation; though a majority of his poems are stories or concentrate on nature, many deal with emotional responses in metaphorical ways that allow for unique interpretations and give readers a different sense of purpose. Applying emotions, observations and morals from writing can occur in many ways, one example being The Bible: there are people who interpret it in many different ways or who don’t find it credible at all. Each reader gives it and whatever else they read its own purpose by applying the idea to his life based on his preexisting morals and standards.
The existence of the two types of purpose is usually my main argument for analyzing poetry: even if the author is attempting to write about a specific subject and with a specific reason, our own interpretations are the ones that matter because we apply it to ourselves. But without this freedom to express our own ideas, we would be at a loss for poetry and no one would be writing. We all write for a purpose that is entirely our own, though it may overlap and coincide with the purposes of others and we can interpret our own purpose in writings, share our ideas and agree or disagree.
In a themed poem or one with a strong outline, such as Mark Nowak’s Coal Mountain Elementary or Patricia Smith’s Blood Dazzler, it’s hard to miss the artists’ obvious purposes for his or her work. Poetry with such strong convictions is made to inform and persuade, to offer a completely different viewpoint on an idea or occurrence or to present it in a new way. Nowak contrasts the stories of Chinese miners with one story from America and a classroom instruction to show differences in safety and technology and comparisons in heartache; Smith gives a hurricane a voice, depicts simple stories of people running from a disaster. Their purposes aren’t hard to miss though on a case by case basis several readers can still come up with several ideas to such theme driven works of poetry.
But what of poetry that is more metaphorical than straightforward. Having written an essay on how Walt Whitman used poetry as a means of revealing himself as a homosexual, I know that there is poetry with a variety of lenses a reader can adopt. It’s these sorts of poems that allow for a laundry list of interpretations and blur the line between the author’s purpose and a reader’s. Whitman’s poetry specifically allows for broad interpretation; though a majority of his poems are stories or concentrate on nature, many deal with emotional responses in metaphorical ways that allow for unique interpretations and give readers a different sense of purpose. Applying emotions, observations and morals from writing can occur in many ways, one example being The Bible: there are people who interpret it in many different ways or who don’t find it credible at all. Each reader gives it and whatever else they read its own purpose by applying the idea to his life based on his preexisting morals and standards.
The existence of the two types of purpose is usually my main argument for analyzing poetry: even if the author is attempting to write about a specific subject and with a specific reason, our own interpretations are the ones that matter because we apply it to ourselves. But without this freedom to express our own ideas, we would be at a loss for poetry and no one would be writing. We all write for a purpose that is entirely our own, though it may overlap and coincide with the purposes of others and we can interpret our own purpose in writings, share our ideas and agree or disagree.
Creating Purpose - Marina
When working with poetry, there is definitely more than one way to create purpose, especially when one considers whether it is the reader or the writer who is creating said purpose. If the poet is the one generating purpose, he has a couple ways to go about it- through diction as well as syntax. The reader creates purpose for himself while reading poetry by implementing the words in their life experiences and applying it to what they know already.
In their poetry, its authors have the ability to mold the poem into what they want it to be using words, punctuation, and even original things like shaping poems into different formations to add to intended meaning, it is ultimately up to the reader to take what they read and create a purpose for themselves, be it the same or different from what the writer intended. There is comfort in the idea that nothing is necessarily a wrong interpretation. In analyzing poetry, one finds that most poetry, if not all of it, is up for discussion and interpretation. While one may read a poem in one way, it is quite likely that based on a variety of factors, anyone else could take the poem in a completely different direction. Readers stress different ideas or words when reading, and this may be something they do based on a relationship with a certain word or phrase or simply random. Poems often have the ability to take on different meanings if read at different hours, days, or even times in one’s life. A prose example of this idea would be reading the infamous book by Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince.” While the book can be read by most, considering its lower reading level, the meaning has a different depth at every age. Poetry is fully capable of having this power as well.
In their poetry, its authors have the ability to mold the poem into what they want it to be using words, punctuation, and even original things like shaping poems into different formations to add to intended meaning, it is ultimately up to the reader to take what they read and create a purpose for themselves, be it the same or different from what the writer intended. There is comfort in the idea that nothing is necessarily a wrong interpretation. In analyzing poetry, one finds that most poetry, if not all of it, is up for discussion and interpretation. While one may read a poem in one way, it is quite likely that based on a variety of factors, anyone else could take the poem in a completely different direction. Readers stress different ideas or words when reading, and this may be something they do based on a relationship with a certain word or phrase or simply random. Poems often have the ability to take on different meanings if read at different hours, days, or even times in one’s life. A prose example of this idea would be reading the infamous book by Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince.” While the book can be read by most, considering its lower reading level, the meaning has a different depth at every age. Poetry is fully capable of having this power as well.
Reading Poetry - Kendal
Fundamentally, poetry is a form of art. Like all art, poetry is an expression of the poet. The entire reason someone writes a poem is to express something. Therefore, expression is the primary purpose of poetry. Through poetry, people can express a variety of ideas. They can critique a social or political issue, paint an image, convey emotions, or even simply entertain a child. In each case, the poem is written to achieve the goal of expressing the intended sentiment. Here are several examples to help illustrate this point:
In my research for the final reflective paper, I read several poems concerning postcolonialism. When analyzing poems as research for a paper, an important first step is to ask what the poem is trying to do. Once the purpose of the poem is determined, it is easier to contextualize it and build an argument around it. The poems I analyzed had varying themes and varying purposes. Some were a call to action. Others were to educate the reader. Many of them relied on an emotional response from the reader. With the purpose identified, it was possible to evaluate the argument within each poem.
One poem whose purpose was central to its meaning dealt with language. Ugandan poet Okot p’Bitek considered the quandary of language in his postcolonial poem, “Song of Ocol.” He writes, “Tell the world / In English or in French / Talk about / The African foundation / On which we are / Building the new nations / Of Africa” (1-7). Although an initial reading of this poem may suggest it is innocuous, consideration of its purpose underscores its significance. The purpose of this poem is to argue a point through the use of irony. The idea that Africans would voice their triumphs since independence in a language that is not their own ironically questions those claimed accomplishments. Furthermore, that English and French are direct remnants of imperialism and symbols of oppression, a corollary to the poem’s purpose is that it asserts dependency theory by discrediting Africa’s complete independence. With this detailed understanding of the poem’s purpose, the reader is able to appreciate the poem’s worth. It now takes on a whole new significance. Therefore, with the poem’s purpose established, it is possible to incorporate it into a research paper.
In a similar manner, in researching poems for my paper, I read each poem initially looking for its purpose. Once I recognized the author’s purpose for the poem, I saw aspects of the poem, such as diction and tone that now had a new significance in supporting the purpose. Through these particular aspects of the poem, I was able to better analyze the poem. This analysis was then incorporated into my paper as evidence for my thesis.
Fundamentally, every poem is created to have some function. By recognizing the purpose of the poem, the reader can see the poem as it was intended. Only through an understanding of that function can a reader fully appreciate the poem.
p’Bitek, Okot. “Song of Ocol.” 1984 Postcolonial Poetry in English. Rajeev S. Patke.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. 127. Print.
In my research for the final reflective paper, I read several poems concerning postcolonialism. When analyzing poems as research for a paper, an important first step is to ask what the poem is trying to do. Once the purpose of the poem is determined, it is easier to contextualize it and build an argument around it. The poems I analyzed had varying themes and varying purposes. Some were a call to action. Others were to educate the reader. Many of them relied on an emotional response from the reader. With the purpose identified, it was possible to evaluate the argument within each poem.
One poem whose purpose was central to its meaning dealt with language. Ugandan poet Okot p’Bitek considered the quandary of language in his postcolonial poem, “Song of Ocol.” He writes, “Tell the world / In English or in French / Talk about / The African foundation / On which we are / Building the new nations / Of Africa” (1-7). Although an initial reading of this poem may suggest it is innocuous, consideration of its purpose underscores its significance. The purpose of this poem is to argue a point through the use of irony. The idea that Africans would voice their triumphs since independence in a language that is not their own ironically questions those claimed accomplishments. Furthermore, that English and French are direct remnants of imperialism and symbols of oppression, a corollary to the poem’s purpose is that it asserts dependency theory by discrediting Africa’s complete independence. With this detailed understanding of the poem’s purpose, the reader is able to appreciate the poem’s worth. It now takes on a whole new significance. Therefore, with the poem’s purpose established, it is possible to incorporate it into a research paper.
In a similar manner, in researching poems for my paper, I read each poem initially looking for its purpose. Once I recognized the author’s purpose for the poem, I saw aspects of the poem, such as diction and tone that now had a new significance in supporting the purpose. Through these particular aspects of the poem, I was able to better analyze the poem. This analysis was then incorporated into my paper as evidence for my thesis.
Fundamentally, every poem is created to have some function. By recognizing the purpose of the poem, the reader can see the poem as it was intended. Only through an understanding of that function can a reader fully appreciate the poem.
p’Bitek, Okot. “Song of Ocol.” 1984 Postcolonial Poetry in English. Rajeev S. Patke.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. 127. Print.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
DC Poetry - Collin
I’ve really enjoyed being exposed to DC poetry and what it has to offer. The style of DC poetry is a unique one that I have not seen before. My perception of poetry has changed a lot since reading the works of DC poets, especially after reading the D.C. Poets Against the War anthology and Joseph Ross’s Darfur poems. I’ve noticed poetry in DC is influenced a great deal by politics and social events today. Being in the nation’s capital, one would expect politics to play a large role in writing. I have also noticed many DC poets are extremely passionate about their work. Poets are passionate to provoke their readers to respond in a deep and emotional manner. My DC community engagement project was to interview local DC poets. So far, I have spoken to Joseph Ross in an email interview. Joseph Ross believes his goal of poetry is “to help the reader feel something or see something—perhaps in a new way” and “that can ‘change the world’ simply because when we feel something, or think of something in a new way, we tend to act on what we now feel.” DC poetry tends to force its reader to move to respond to what they are reading and actually contemplate about how they feel. Other poetry I have read has not made me feel that sense of emotional meditation.
As a young writer it is my responsibility to give credit to those who are established writers. Establishing credibility for myself requires me to do thorough research and correct citations and references. Even though I have to give credit to other scholars, I myself must not lose my own voice or opinion in my writing. I am fully capable of forming and creating my own ideas and opinions about poetry and writing, and I have to share my own thoughts in my work. By doing this, it makes me credible and gives me a sense of ownership of my writing. Throughout this year in University Writing I have been challenged to expand my ideas and thoughts as a writer. This is an interesting topic to me, especially since my final paper is about who is credible to write about disaster poetry. While researching and writing, I have asked myself am I even credible to write about this subject as an amateur writer? Young writers do not have the same authority or credibility as experienced and established scholars, but young writers must push themselves to establish credibility in their own mind to become a confident writer. When I have confidence in my argument and the way I present it, I feel my credibility as a young writer at the best it can be. My goal in writing is to present a clear, well structured, and convincing argument by using multiple scholars and thorough research. That is the best I can do as an amateur writer.
As a young writer it is my responsibility to give credit to those who are established writers. Establishing credibility for myself requires me to do thorough research and correct citations and references. Even though I have to give credit to other scholars, I myself must not lose my own voice or opinion in my writing. I am fully capable of forming and creating my own ideas and opinions about poetry and writing, and I have to share my own thoughts in my work. By doing this, it makes me credible and gives me a sense of ownership of my writing. Throughout this year in University Writing I have been challenged to expand my ideas and thoughts as a writer. This is an interesting topic to me, especially since my final paper is about who is credible to write about disaster poetry. While researching and writing, I have asked myself am I even credible to write about this subject as an amateur writer? Young writers do not have the same authority or credibility as experienced and established scholars, but young writers must push themselves to establish credibility in their own mind to become a confident writer. When I have confidence in my argument and the way I present it, I feel my credibility as a young writer at the best it can be. My goal in writing is to present a clear, well structured, and convincing argument by using multiple scholars and thorough research. That is the best I can do as an amateur writer.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Dc Poetry Community - Allie
Washington D.C. has a rich poetic history stemming from the Civil War. In 1862, Walt Whitman traveled to Washington to take care of his brother who had been wounded during the war. Whitman decided to stay and work as a clerk for the Department of the Interior after witnessing all of the soldiers who were suffering in D.C. There, Whitman created some of his most famous writings including “O Captain! My Captain!” and “When Lilacs in the Dooryard Bloom’d”. Langston Hughes also got his start in D.C. while working as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel, in which he left a piece of his poetry on a table, which was later discovered by Vachel Lindsay (Poets.org). Although these poets thrived many years ago, Washington D.C. is still a place with a flourishing poetry community.
Not only does Washington D.C. have a plethora of literary journals including Street Sense, but it also has a large community of slam poets who perform readings and also enjoy meeting with students and fans to further discuss their art. D.C. poetry is alive and well in Street Sense, which I read and analyzed in my Reflective Essay. This journal is extremely interesting because it showcases D.C.’s unique ability to discover, aid, and broaden the poetry community, especially those who have do not have any formal education in poetry or have never been published before. Their mission is to “offer economic opportunities for people experiencing homelessness in our community through a newspaper that elevates voices and encourages debate on poverty and injustice” (Streetsense.org).
In addition to the broad array of literary journals, D.C. also has many poetry readings open to the public. These readings also help to broaden the poetic audience in D.C. and spread this form of art throughout the district. There are many different readings and literary festivals including the Folger Poetry Series, Lannan Literary Programs, and Parkmont Poetry Festival (Poets.org). The Parkmont Poetry Festival is distinctively important to the D.C. poetry community because it helps to foster the artistic talents of the Parkmont School’s middle and secondary school students. This age group is especially important in the poetry community because they are at the age at which exposure to art and poetry is extremely important. With this public event, D.C. showcases its growing population of enthusiastic poetry community members.
One can clearly see that the prosperous poetry community in D.C. is not nearly new, but rather has been cultivated since before the early nineteenth century. The society of poets is still going strong and utilizes the wide array of poetic endeavors occurring in D.C, such as the thriving group of poets who perform public readings and are free to communicate with fans and students, and the superfluity of literary and poetry journals.
Not only does Washington D.C. have a plethora of literary journals including Street Sense, but it also has a large community of slam poets who perform readings and also enjoy meeting with students and fans to further discuss their art. D.C. poetry is alive and well in Street Sense, which I read and analyzed in my Reflective Essay. This journal is extremely interesting because it showcases D.C.’s unique ability to discover, aid, and broaden the poetry community, especially those who have do not have any formal education in poetry or have never been published before. Their mission is to “offer economic opportunities for people experiencing homelessness in our community through a newspaper that elevates voices and encourages debate on poverty and injustice” (Streetsense.org).
In addition to the broad array of literary journals, D.C. also has many poetry readings open to the public. These readings also help to broaden the poetic audience in D.C. and spread this form of art throughout the district. There are many different readings and literary festivals including the Folger Poetry Series, Lannan Literary Programs, and Parkmont Poetry Festival (Poets.org). The Parkmont Poetry Festival is distinctively important to the D.C. poetry community because it helps to foster the artistic talents of the Parkmont School’s middle and secondary school students. This age group is especially important in the poetry community because they are at the age at which exposure to art and poetry is extremely important. With this public event, D.C. showcases its growing population of enthusiastic poetry community members.
One can clearly see that the prosperous poetry community in D.C. is not nearly new, but rather has been cultivated since before the early nineteenth century. The society of poets is still going strong and utilizes the wide array of poetic endeavors occurring in D.C, such as the thriving group of poets who perform public readings and are free to communicate with fans and students, and the superfluity of literary and poetry journals.
DC Poetry Community - McKenzie
Some critics would lead you to believe that poetry now longer is a credible art form or that it has fallen through the cracks into a realm of obscurity and disenchantment with the populace. In a country where a national poetry month is celebrated, a poet laureate is elected and is home to some of the greatest contemporary poets it is hard to believe that some people believe that poetry no longer “matters” or no longer is an art form. Poetry exists in so many different capacities that it seems almost absurd to question poetry as credible or art. The sad fact of the matter for me however, is that for a majority of my life I have held the jaded, cynical view of some of poetry’s critics. My distaste for poetry most assuredly stems directly from my high school experiences, where poetry was force feed to unwilling students by teachers and where lines of Shakespeare for seared into our memories.
Coming to Washington DC, has changed m view on poetry and reignited a previously smoldering passion. The poetry community of DC is vibrant and seems to encompass numerous different aspects of DC residents lives. Poetry in this city emerges in so many forms from the anthology of poetry written by the homeless (entitled street sense), to poetry slams at such places as Bus Boys and Poets, to poetry readings at such venues as the Folger Shakespeare Theater. Coming from an environment in which people cringed at the thought of reading poetry it is invigorating to see poetry as such an integral part of the DC community.
My own personal experience with the DC poetry community comes directly from a poetry reading at the Folger Theater. I went to see an acclaimed Russian Poet Vera Pavlova perform her newest works. Upon arrival at the theater I fully expected to be in the company of a wholly academic community. That was exactly the opposite; in the lobby of the theater was an eclectic mix of people seemingly from all walks of life and all age groups.. The vibrancy of the DC poetry community has continued to astound me, whether it is the College students who buy copies of Street Sense on the Corner, or my friends who were excited to attend a poetry reading with me, or the fliers that are plastered on my schools walls proclaiming the newest poet to be visiting the city.
Maybe, since DC is a much larger city than I am used to living in, the poetic culture is much larger or maybe DC is a more “cultured city” and more people wish to perform poetry in DC. But I think the vibrancy of DC poetry is not determined by the poets or the poetry itself but rather by the individuals who live in DC. The residents of this city seem to have a genuine desire to engage in the poetry community, almost an eagerness to attend poetry readings or read poetry anthologies. This could all be a masquerade for people to seem culture but I don’t think so. When I was sitting in the Folger Theater listening to Vera Pavlova, I was immersed in a community that was excited to be in the presence of poetry. At the end of the reading instead of filling out of the theater to go home to proclaim how “cultured” they were to their friends, they stayed not because they had to but because they wanted to meet, engage and interact with the poet. Not out of a desire to be considered “artsy” or “cultured” but rather out of a genuine desire to learn about and engage in the large and vibrant poetry community of Washington DC.
Coming to Washington DC, has changed m view on poetry and reignited a previously smoldering passion. The poetry community of DC is vibrant and seems to encompass numerous different aspects of DC residents lives. Poetry in this city emerges in so many forms from the anthology of poetry written by the homeless (entitled street sense), to poetry slams at such places as Bus Boys and Poets, to poetry readings at such venues as the Folger Shakespeare Theater. Coming from an environment in which people cringed at the thought of reading poetry it is invigorating to see poetry as such an integral part of the DC community.
My own personal experience with the DC poetry community comes directly from a poetry reading at the Folger Theater. I went to see an acclaimed Russian Poet Vera Pavlova perform her newest works. Upon arrival at the theater I fully expected to be in the company of a wholly academic community. That was exactly the opposite; in the lobby of the theater was an eclectic mix of people seemingly from all walks of life and all age groups.. The vibrancy of the DC poetry community has continued to astound me, whether it is the College students who buy copies of Street Sense on the Corner, or my friends who were excited to attend a poetry reading with me, or the fliers that are plastered on my schools walls proclaiming the newest poet to be visiting the city.
Maybe, since DC is a much larger city than I am used to living in, the poetic culture is much larger or maybe DC is a more “cultured city” and more people wish to perform poetry in DC. But I think the vibrancy of DC poetry is not determined by the poets or the poetry itself but rather by the individuals who live in DC. The residents of this city seem to have a genuine desire to engage in the poetry community, almost an eagerness to attend poetry readings or read poetry anthologies. This could all be a masquerade for people to seem culture but I don’t think so. When I was sitting in the Folger Theater listening to Vera Pavlova, I was immersed in a community that was excited to be in the presence of poetry. At the end of the reading instead of filling out of the theater to go home to proclaim how “cultured” they were to their friends, they stayed not because they had to but because they wanted to meet, engage and interact with the poet. Not out of a desire to be considered “artsy” or “cultured” but rather out of a genuine desire to learn about and engage in the large and vibrant poetry community of Washington DC.
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