Poetry Reflection

In several people’s lives poetry can take an important role. To some people it is simply reading the poems and enjoying them, to others it is the only way one can express themselves. Some people are inspired by day to day actions, others by once in a lifetime, type of moments. Whatever type of poetry it is or whatever way it is written, poetry is a vital part in millions if not billions of lives today.

Since I was a child I always enjoyed two things, writing and poetry. In the first grade I was introduced to the most simple form of poetry, a couplet. From there on, I would often make silly rhymes at the most opportune moments. In third grade, I had been introduced to cinquain poem, which I liked to call, “that diamond poem, thing.” It was not the most elaborate of names, never the less, I still enjoyed writing them. It wasn’t until sixth grade until I truly understood poetry. I realized that poetry was not simply an array of words lined up on a paper in different forms, poetry is like a secret language. This secret language is only known by those who truly understand what poetry is. With poetry, no longer does anyone have to express themselves through unheard shouts and outspoken eye rolls. Millions of people write poetry about daily problems involving their lives, most times not about the specific details, but the main ideas. These, what we can call main ideas, surface in just about everybody's lives. Which to me entails the fact that poetry belongs to everyone. Though you might not write nor read poetry, you speak it, you think it, and your life might just be a poem. You could possibly hate poetry with a passion and from time to time you just might think or speak a type of couplet. The joys or miseries of your life, might just be, and most likely are a poem, written by some person you might never know, or possibly a person close to you. Poetry never has to be about the highest or lowest points in life, sometimes it’s about the in between. That just might be the thing, poetry has such as wide variety that it is never defined, because defining it would be to limit. Poetry is anything but limiting, which is why it belongs to everyone.

When thinking of life experiences and how it affects my writing or a other poets writing, I always seem to find myself thinking back to a certain book with a certain quote. This book being, The Picture of Dorian Gray states, “Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter,” this quote is said by Basil. The value of this quote is undefinable, simply for the reason that it holds so much truth. Poets all over the world don’t simply write about random things, they write about their life experiences. For example, Edgar Allen Poe. Throughout the entirety of his life, Poe experienced the death of several loved ones --since a young age-- and debt, to the point where he would burn furniture to keep warm. In return, just about each one of his poems revolves around death, betrayal, revenge, and or insanity. The Tell-Tale Heart, for example revolves around murder, The Raven, revolves around an insane man who mourns the death of a mysterious Lenore. This being said, I feel that poetry is more of a story on the poet, than it is an actual story itself.

Throughout our entire poetry unit I found myself half the time, in utter awe. Reason being, I have always enjoyed reading poetry, I find a certain joy in doing so. The idea of reading about poets I had never even heard of before really struck me, in a good way. Most importantly, the idea of writing poems in class and being able to have our peers read them was all the better. It now seems to me, writing poetry in the future is something I will pursue with joy.