On Thursday my Advanced Poetry class looked at one of my pieces of formal poetry I was FORCED to write and submit to the class. I am not a structured poetry girl. I haven't practiced it enough to be good at it, but I gave it a go and got a lot of good feedback on my sonnet. I now plan on writing a 4 part poem (or four poems with a similar subject but with one changing aspect) without too much form on the subject my sonnet was about (a chair behind a coffee shop hidden in the foliage, don't worry about it). So yeah, I'm changing most of the poem because SONNETS INHIBIT MY CREATIVE FLOW. It's fine. I appreciated having to work with a lot of structure, and I plan on continuing to write poems of different forms to hone my writing craft.
The second half of the class, two classmates and I led a discussion on Alan Shapiro's poetry book "Night of the Republic". While I was talking about a specific poem, I commented on how the structure of the poem (long sentences cut up into very short lines), in combination with the subject matter (a deserted place that the speaker writes about, bringing up how people in the daytime frequented the area, or that people once looked upon/used x,y,z object and things like that) reminded me of a high exposure time/low shutter speed image taken on a location, but in poetic form. There were more reasons for that comparison to be a good one (you'd have to read this poet's work, I think), and my commentary was more eloquently state in class because it was more in context, but basically my professor (Farnsworth) was like "Did you write that down? You should, or I'm going to steal it for myself" and I felt really proud of my thought. Which is embarrassing to admit, but who doesn't love a good little nod of praise?
And my "original' idea led me to this realization that, after years of learning the basics of logic and reasoning, of what answers teachers wanted to hear, of what the general answers and responses to different questions and ideas were (x symbolizes y, the response to x argument is y response, x topic should be responded to with y theory, things like that. A lot of these things I learned from debate, to be honest, but also the classroom in both high school and college.), I have finally started to truly critically think and create original ideas that aren't puns or that don't come directly from previous knowledge I have learned (think spouting things one has learned from the professor or textbook or articles they read online).
Obviously I've had thoughts of my own before, as I am my own person. But I just feel like I've... grown into my intellect. A part of it might be having to write poetry that brings fresh, clever imagery that isn't cliched or boring or meaningless or too weird and nonsensical, but rather a perfect combination of ingenuity and genuineness (ha). I know I'm not particularly eloquent right now (which is unfortunate, as it takes away a lot of the warrants and strength to my claim of intellect), but I'm basically writing this post while actively fighting my eyelids from slipping down and enveloping me into darkness. So perhaps now is not the best time for me to state how clever I have been feeling lately. But I'm sure I'll figure out a way to persuade you eventually. Let's talk about something else, though.
This year was the second annual Bates Authors Guild lean-to Autumnal/Halloween camp-fire reading, where a great many members of BAG (and some non-members) clambered into cars, drove to a forest with a small lean-to hidden within in (the people in my car and I got lost for a bit of time, but we started howling and bonding with nature, staring up at a sky full of stars and celestial bodies, so it turned out to be wonderful). We all read our spooky poetry, spooky stories, along with "Welcome to Night Vale" tweets, non-scary poems, and the psychological concept of Limerence. It was an "appreciation of arts in a different way than usual" because it was out in NATTTUREEEEE and was SPOOOOOKYYYY. Or something.
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| Wow what grace. I'm definitely not embarrassed about my technique in this performance. |
I've been writing poetry that can be expanded into more than one poem. Like a set of 4 poems. Usually based on seasons or different stages of relationships or stuff like that. I'm excited, but I need to write more. MORE WRITING. And actually good writing. Not word vomit like this (haaaaa, sorry).
I'm excited for my classes for next semester, 3 English and one Environmental Studies. I don't know if I should do short term this year. I have a lot of feelings. I want to start applying for grants and scholarships and volunteer work and jobs for the summer and after I graduate already. I want to start working on my future. I want to also do the work I need to do for this semester.Like a giant research paper and a project with hella feasibility plans. And a few essays. And poems I need to start churning out. SO MUCH WORK YAY. Also, I met with Professor Farnsworth again today to figure some things out, and every time I get to talk to him I'm just completely at ease and happy. He is wonderful. Also, housing plans for next year are arising and I might be living off campus with 9 of my most favorite people. Well, some of them.
BUH.
OKAY.
BED TIME.
Night.
It is kind of funny how I at least never remember anyone sitting me down and saying "Well here's how you apply ideas about stuff you know to stuff you don't know" but I gained that ability somewhere along the line.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's also strange to me that the "critical reasoning" capabilities come just as much from o-chem as english, history, et al.
Yeah. I think my ability to apply ideas for "stuff I don't know" came a lot from debate, because debate deconstructed every issue or topic seen in debate rounds (which is any topic you could think of) into an assortment of arguments that pop up over and over again (utilitarianism vs deontology), moral relativism, economics, social effects, when paternalism is justified, interventionism, human rights, blah blah blah) . So suddenly things became less complex and then I could start thinking less about what I don't know, and more about how I could apply what I DO know to a topic and broaden my thoughts from there.
ReplyDeleteBut also suddenly something has just finally clicked in my head and I'm just coming up with really clever thoughts, projects, arguments, paper topics, grant proposals and ideas more. It's brilliant. Life is exciting.
CRITICAL REASONING IS THE BEST. To be honest, I was always doubtful of the main selling point of Liberal Arts colleges about how it teaches us to think critically and for ourselves and stuff. I was like "well, if I don't have much of it now in high school, I don't think I'll ever get it" or "I'm doing well enough without it now, how much can it really positively impact me?" But like. Wow. I don't know, man. I feel so much more capable of taking any issue on because I know how to figure my way through it.
I MEAN I'M STILL NOT THE MOST BRILLIANT PERSON and I do get help and ideas from fellow students and my professors, but I'm just excited that college hasn't been a waste of time or money haha.
END RANT.