My Radical Poems

The driving Question

The driving question for this project is “how might I write poetry that I enjoy and show who I am?” The book above is all of the poems I learned how to put together!  

Before I continue, I’ll show some of the criteria for the “e-book” so you have a bit of an understanding about it.

Intro

Throughout the past few days we learned how to do many poems, some of which I had never even heard of! Although we did have a few setbacks, like the snow days (I’ll talk about that later) we did as much as we could in the time we had. Keep in mind, poetry was never something I liked to do in the past, it was always something that I would dread doing in school. So I wasn’t very ecstatic about this unit, although you may see my opinion change through the poems I did. I have found it interesting to read sometimes but it was never something I wanted to do myself. 

Sometimes you are expected to find so much more within the poem instead of just reading it for enjoyment. 

Throughout the many poems styles we created, there were some I liked and others that I wouldn’t want to do again. For example I really enjoyed the “found” poem. It was fun just being able to pick up a random book and make a poem out of it. 

My Favourite Poem

 I selected this book from the LAC room, not really knowing what I was looking for or how it was going to end up. If I had chosen a book from home, I would have flipped to my favorite page, and it would have been good BUT I wouldn’t have put much thought into it. By choosing a book I had never seen, the outcome of possibilities was endless. I had no pre-mindset of what I wanted. The end result was a poem that I’m quite proud of, as it has a lot of meaning, mood and emotions. This poem shows a lot of who I am because it feels like the things I enjoy and is relatable. 

Found Poem

The Ocean Breeze

Stood quite still, listening

The lights glowed

The books were neat and orderly in their cases

The bay stretched dark and silent

It was late September, the night was breathless

Summers dead hand still lay heavy on the land

The tiny spark hissed and went out

In the dark, the moon alone at night

The loneliness, starlight

The other poem I really liked making was the imagery poem. This is probably because I’m a very visual person and I like to paint a picture in my head of how the words turn into a story. 

For example when I was writing about my fish tanks, I felt like I could really picture them as I was writing. There’s DEFINITELY a mood to it. It’s a very bubbly and light hearted poem in my opinion.

Imagery Poem

In a glass oasis, fish dance and shimmer,

Plants sway, creating a watery glimmer.

Bubbling streams, rocks and caves to explore,

A hidden world, a serene place to adore.

The Poem I Didn’t Like so Much

Haikus

Although it is an unpopular opinion, I’m not fond of haikus one bit. What could be easier than writing three lines about nature?? However, I find it irritating when I get a good idea, write it down and it’s not the right amount of syllables. It’s just annoying… not much else to say. 

How May I Write Poetry That I Enjoy and shows who I am?

For me personally, I write poetry better when there are less rules, for example a free verse poem. With a free verse poem you can say just the right words without having to worry about if there are the right syllables or a rhyme scheme and what not. I like poems that are more personal and don’t just say exactly what they mean. That way it reaches the right audience. The poetry I enjoy is creative and about the things I can relate to. 

When I go to write poems the mood and the tone are probably the most important piece of it. How I’m feeling in that moment definitely impacts how the poem ends up and what audience it’s going to reach. I’d say it’s probably one of the biggest pieces of the poem. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, even though I still don’t ADORE poetry, I do feel my perspective on it has changed. I’ve gained a greater understanding of what it really means to be a poet and that there are so many different poetry styles out there. I believe this project was a good learning experience for me.