The Power of Poetry

When I was a kid, I just didn’t get poetry.  Sure poems were easy enough to read, but I thought there were full of hidden meanings that I would never be able to understand.  It was the genre meant for really smart people, not me.  Through our recent work though, I realize just how wrong I was.  Poetry is a lot more important to me than I thought.

For one thing, poetry has helped me capture moments that matter (and even moments that don’t).  When I read “Hummingbird” by Felice Holman, I was reminded at how seemingly insignificant moments matter.  By rereading this poem over and over, I relived the moment and found great appreciation in it.  It made me think of how much I need to slow down my own life to appreciate the small moments.  That’s where the magic happens.

I also became more appreciative of the writing process through this unit. Before I used to become frustrated when ideas wouldn't come to me, but when we wrote alongside Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger, I saw how important it is to trust in the writing process. I became more patient and flexible when crafting my own poems, and sure enough, some ideas grew organically.

Finally, I saw that poetry is in the music we listen to. When I read "Let it Go" with a poet's eye, I saw how many poetic techniques the authors use. With metaphors, repetition and alliteration, they made their images and ideas shine through.

Like I said, poetry means a lot more to me now that it once did. In fact, it is such a unique genre that I just couldn't imagine my reading and writing life without it.

"Humming Bird" By Felice Holman

This poem speaks to me on so many levels.  First and foremost, hummingbirds remind me of home.  My mom and dad have a hummingbird feeder outside their kitchen window in Maine, and during the summer we are often entertained by their constant whirring about while eating dinner.  It's there that I've seen the "glistened green" and "brightened blur" upclose.  It's as if their feathers are covered with a glossy sheen. 

I also like this poem because of the way Felice Holman wrote it.  She includes alliteration in the first line, and all of those "W" sounds actually sound like the motor-like flapping of a hummingbird's wings.  She also includes a simile in that line with "wound wires."  It gives me an image of tightly wound wires that are let go and unravel.

Finally, I think the poet is using the hummingbird as a metaphor of a thought.  In the last line there is "a moment fanning, and then gone," just like a thought.  It's there in one instant and then gone in the next.  And like a hummingbird, you better appreciate it before it's too late.

Image from:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/rmb3588photo/8034514714/in/photolist-8aoGsv-dVXNAX-d29Xfj-cdYZ1G-6r4mXM-6WpTni-98uWbe-jBzP8k-s7K4-4Ym8tU-jBzQ8X-2pW35i-deYZiL-7W5GYA-jsjST-wB7a-6bDAqU-eUhsBm-kZeVG2-8pCWWs-J1aS-8sCgwg-8pCZ2s-8pzN7n-wUCAJ-bqD5sw-bqD5vL-bqD5To-bDxZP2-85ibe-5aaj3R-8imKaJ-5aexLQ-4VvzjA-8onnrY-8onow3-8onn9y-8ojc9k-8ojcpc-br48EC-6LFEh3-4Ym9A9-jsHLSs-jsFyqt-jsHd1e-jsHr4D-jsHZ9w-jsK8V9-jsGZGr-jsHoPu 

Definition Poems

Following Michael Salinger's lead with "Swagger," you did a great job making your Membean words come to life.  Take a look at some of the standouts.  Which is your favorite?

Introduction to Poetry

Poetry is a genre like no other.  Poems can make us laugh, cry, and wonder, but they also invite us to see things in a new light.  In "Introduction to Poetry," Billy Collins does exactly this.  In his poem, he explores how people read and enjoy poetry.  

First off, the images that Collins uses really stand out.  From a beehive to a light switch, to a water skier, Collins creates strong metaphors though which the reader can "see" meaning.

Later on, Collins ends the poem with a change in mood and tone.  He ends his poem with, "But all they want to do/is tie the poem to a chair with rope/and torture a confession out of it."  This personification of a poem being tortured shows how some people look for hidden meaning in poetry. 

In the end, this poem leaves a lasting impression. I chose it because I always used to think that I needed to find someone else's interpretation of a poem.  Instead, Collins knows how important it is for readers to find their own meanings in the poems they read.