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Poetry Unit 12- Final Reflection
Examine poetry that is diverse in terms of genre, culture, time period, place and conditions of publication, and/or authorship
Unit 3- Sonnet Reading- In this unit I examined diverse poetry written in sonnet form from different time periods, places and genres. I chose Billy Collins Sonnet because it was funny. I didn’t care for the theme of love, lost youth, mourning, or shame, represented by the other works; the current poet, Collins, was more optimistic. I identified more with the current period (though Wordsworth had a point and still does today!) that Collins spoke within and it was fun to see the history of all that came before him in his sonnet. I hope Shakespeare wasn’t offended.
Unit ⅞- Poems & Poets Group Project- In units 7 and 8, I chose another modern poet, Sarah Kay. The modern poets have less restraints; it’s considered culturally acceptable for all humans to participate in poetry today unlike society in the past. Women especially can be more honest about what they feel and won’t be escorted to a psych ward to be silenced. The other poets we examined from the other groups had different cultural, time and place and publication conditions. It’s interesting to see those differences when comparing the poetry.
Practise close reading in order to formulate interpretations that are grounded in evidence from primary texts
Unit 3- Sonnet Reading- This was my first big poetry analysis lesson. It was important to me to figure out what they were referring to because whatever poem I chose to read, it had to have the appropriate tone and understanding. I wanted to respect the poet and feel what it was I was reading. Forming interpretations is hard I learned, because language changes. I had to look up some words and phrases when I was truly stuck.
Unit 10- Poetry Reading- In the unit 10 poetry reading I had to find a ‘favourite’ poem or a few. Again, I had to practise close reading and interpret the poet's meaning, as well as my own. Maggie Smith’s Future and Clock struck me right away as thoughts and feelings I related to. It was fun to listen to the others read poetry and see where they emphasised words or breaks or ideas from the text. It’s so interesting how everyone can read the same poem so differently.
Apply terminology and practices associated with literary analysis
Unit 2- Poetry Definitions- In this unit I learned all the poetry terms. This was a game changer because now I could associate all of the vocabulary into analysing the poem. I applied the term diction to help/ tell me about possible time or place the poet has written the work or how understanding enjambment allows me to properly read the poem with more flow into the next line. I actually used one of my words, onomatopoeia, in my latest short fiction piece for another class.
Unit 4- Sonnet Writing- My first attempt writing a sonnet would not have ended well if I didn’t learn all of the literary terminology first. I couldn’t just come out and say what I wanted to say, I wanted to use the poetry vocabulary to help me associate a new way to say it without changing the meaning. I also incorporated imagery, rhyming, quatrain, motif (heavens/ stars) figurative language and of course, metre.
Interpret poetry in relation to social, cultural, and historical contexts
1. Unit 9- Your Project Made Me Think Of- I really like bringing poetry off the page and putting it into the real world. In unit 9 I guess I channelled Wordsworth, and needed to get back to nature. There I related interpretations from the poem, Cloud, by the Sandra Cisneros group, and thought of the absence of social obligations while walking through Starved Rock. When I first read Eagle Poem by the Joy Harjo group, I thought of my grandfather who is an indigenous adoptee, and the symbols of freedom and the freedoms lost throughout America’s history. I also related to the nature right outside my door, a tree, that serves as this demonstration of resilience and remembrance in my suburban environment.
2. Unit ⅞- Poems & Poets Group Project- As I researched Sarah Kay, I learned that slam poetry was a thing before it was a thing. Growing up in New York she was exposed to a rich and diverse cultural society. It helped shape the person she wanted to be and who she actually turned out to be. Her poetry relates to her experiences living in relation to that society, with her own cultural background and clashing of those histories.
Communicate how the material conditions of publication, reception, and dissemination affect poetry
Unit 2 Padlet- Poetry in the World- In this unit I became aware of the positive and negative ways in which material conditions of publications affect poetry. As I opened my eyes to the world in search of ‘poetry’ I found a lot of positive and also stoic affirmations in the places I routinely frequent, my own home being the major location. I found I tended to surround myself with the same ‘poetic vibes.’ I posted one of my favourite optimistic/ meditative quotes from a magnet. I also saw a lot of poetry affected by misrepresentation, manipulation and intervention from political and other cultural motivations. However, my classmates have a similar eye and posted more simple and positive poetic materials like I did.
Unit 9- Your Project Made Me Think Of- The ideas and feelings that surfaced when reading the other groups projects, again forced me outside to see what society was doing with poetry. I think a lot of the themes and topics represented in the poetry just so happened to be big mainstream topics, like feminism, but since the times are different, I was able to bring a more positive light to those issues and feelings because in this world, that reception of poetry has gotten better.
Examine how poetry reflects and challenges the literary conventions within which it is produced
1. Unit 9- Your Project Made Me Think Of- Time changes everything. Plath, Harjo, Nakahara, Kay, Kaur, and Cisneros have all shared various structures and creative freedoms, but they all differ due to societal norms, artistic movements and cultural trends of their time. Sarah Kay’s slam poetry definitely challenges the conservative elements of poetry. She sings one of her poems too. Rupi Kaur even adds drawings to her poetry. I learned how the modern free verse keeps opening doors wider for creativity.
2. Unit 10- Poetry Reading- For the poetry reading unit, I boldly chose to read one of my original poems. I reflect some elemental conventions while challenging others. I believe my poem was innovative to the traditional norm because it was read like a story or conversation. I thought that ‘dialogue’ was more personal and the best way to enhance understanding for the reader.
Analyse poetry for its artistic complexity, unique formal elements, depth, and nuance
Unit ⅞- Poems & Poets Group Project- For the unit 7 and 8 project I chose Sarah Kay’s poem, ‘Unreliable’ to analyse. The literary devices she uses are imagery, dialogue, metaphors and rhetorical questions. The theme of doubt stood out in her tone, then she gave a nuance to the end by creating an appreciative epiphany.
Unit 5- Poetry Analysis- I read five various poems all different in artistic, complexity and simplicity like in, ‘We Real Cool' and ‘This Is Just to Say.’ ‘Dover Beach’ and ‘Do Not Go Gentle into That Goodnight’ were probably the most ‘deep’ poems. ‘Filling Station’ was just funny and the lightness of ‘This Is Just to Say’ has a noticeable metre. It’s amazing to compare the different poets by how they see the world and relate specific words to their own sentimental experience.
“What is something you feel like you accomplished during the course that is NOT necessarily identified directly as a course objective?”
I gained a better insight into poetry and how to read poetry and what it actually is or isn’t, but only by letting go of the insight I had before starting this class. By throwing out what I thought I knew, I was able to take bigger leaps of appreciation and adaptation. I also found that prior to this class, I read poetry like a ‘Magic Eye’ image, always looking through the words to find the message. I realised the meaning didn’t matter so much as much as my own interpretation did.