Hey World! Today we're talking poetry. We've spent the last few weeks not only writing and explicating on poetry, but we've also written and performed some as well. There are a few similarities that both share. There are differences between the two as well. As for similarities, you've still got to sit down and write. They both require you to collect your thoughts and really think about what you've got to say. I listen to music while writing both which helps me focus. However, that's where the similarities end. Explicating on poetry requires intense analysis of poetic elements. Its definitely a lot less fun to write about poetry than to write poetry. I love writing poetry and I used to do it all the time. I love the creative expression of it, and thats just something I don't feel when I write about poetry.


Writing about poetry did inform my own poetry for this week. In a way it was helpful to have a deeper understanding of the elements of poetry. Even though the paper I wrote was on Walt Whitman's poem "O Captain! My Captain!", which is known for lacking his free verse style, I still had to study his free verse techniques. Learning about these techniques helped me as I wrote a narrative free verse poem for class. I've only come to writing free verse very recently and I don't have much practice with it. I definitely love the freedom it allows and the fact I'm not pinned down on what I can say by chasing rhymes. 


I think what I've learned could be helpful in my future teaching practice. I've learned more about the basic elements of poetry. I learned much more about meter, rhyme, repetition, and extended metaphor through my explication on "O Captain! My Captain!". These base elements are important to impress upon our students during creative writing assignments. I'm looking forward to incorporating them into future lesson plans.


Well, that's about all I have to say. I hope you have a great day. Come back soon for the next exciting installment of Chris Can't Write Good!