POETRY WORKSHOP

Our in-class workshop not only improved the poem I submitted but also opened my idea of composing and revising poetry altogether. Hearing each individual remark about my own poem allowed me to view my own poem as a first-time reader would again and again. These fresh perspectives revealed ambiguities and inconsistencies within the poem I previously would not have thought to revise. At first, I felt hesitant to share my work with others, but I liked understanding which parts of my poem drew readers further into my writing and which parts proved totally ineffective. I now know where I can begin to improve this poem and my future writing. The workshop emphasized the fact that ultimately my poem should stand alone without my explanation. Recognizing that poetry implies a relationship with a reader in this way will shape my poetry in the future because I will try to understand the purpose of my own poetry as precise pieces of communication to a reader rather than simply as moments of self-expression. At the same time, this workshop offered me the opportunity to read other poems to gain insight into how others approach poetry and to decide what parts of other poems I admired and could implement in my own writing. Each poem contributed new possibilities that really excited my attention. My classmates taught me how to communicate through attention to detail structure in their own poetry. I saw by reading these examples that I want to do these things in my own poetry. Mostly, I honestly enjoyed reading the work of my classmates. As I do not get to share in the writing process of other individuals in this way very often, I found myself motivated to provide praise and constructive criticism. I feel more of a supportive community forming within our class that motivates me.