It was very useful for me to write about poetry prior to writing my own poem because it provided me with the proper support I needed to write a poem myself.
Writing about poetry was so useful because it tasked me with first, reading the poem and thinking critically about it. Reading the poem engaged me and gave me an idea of the author's perspective, making me want to explore more, especially because I did not fully understand the poem on my first reading. Upon reading the poem, I felt moved and intrigued by the poet's words. In order to write about this emotional experience, I had to examine the poetic elements used in the poem and how they accomplish the vivid experience. I also chose to explore the historical context of the poet's author and what their life must have been like. In becoming curious about the author and their circumstances, I was able to research and gain a better understanding of their perspective and what my chosen poem may have been saying to its readers.
From learning about the poetic elements and how an author's circumstances are reflected into their poetry, I was given a glimpse of how I may also chose to express myself. Metaphors, rhyme schemes, and all the poetic elements I had to learn about in order to understand my chosen poems was now not just for famous authors, but for me as well! I now have these elements in my pocket, which prepared me in giving me ideas for how I could formulate our own ideas. Writing my own poetry was similar to writing about poetry because I was also tasked with understanding poetic elements--only it was a bit harder and a bit more vulnerable, because I had to be creative and find my own way to employ these elements. I was also the one to choose the poem's topic and events, which felt daunting at first. I knew that my experiences and perspective would certainly be reflected in my poems because they were my own creative expressions, which came more from my heart and was more loaded with my personal life than my argumentative essay. This felt much more vulnerable than examining or arguing for an interpretation of someone else's work.
From this experience, I learned that thinking critically about poetry and its elements prior to writing my own poetry was helpful because it prepared me with the tools I needed. This gave me insight on how I can teach students to write poetry with the proper support so they do not feel like they are starting from nothing. I also learned how vulnerable it can feel to write poetry, which inspires me to make sure that my classroom is a safe and welcoming environment where students feel safe to express themselves.
