My Poetry Experience

       Poetry to me is art. It is a way for people express their emotions and opinions, and tell their stories in less formal writing. For the most part I love reading poetry and hearing people speak their poetry. As for writing poetry, I'm a train wreck. I have not done poetry for two years so this poetry assignment brought up a lot of fear. So many thoughts were running through my mind in the time leading up to starting my first poem. I was worried that I would not be good enough, that my poems would suck, and that I would just plain embarrass myself. It's hard for me to put my writing out there, and although I'm becoming more comfortable showing/presenting my work to others, handing in writing that I'm not secure with is just straight difficult. Once I started putting out ideas, and words on paper, as well as seeking out assistance, it was much easier to understand where exactly the best starting point was for me. Seeing examples helps me write, examples inspire me and for this project they were my saving grace. I think that this project, although difficult at the start, was a great experience for me to practice different styles of writing. I look forward to trying out different writing styles that I do not normally use, mostly because I feel like it is a good way to learn.

School vs. You

        Children are sent to school at a young age and taught the necessities of life. They spend five days a week for ten months a year in a classroom from the time they are three or four to the time they are 17 or 18. Then they go off to Collage or University to complete the necessary education for whatever they plan to do until retirement. 

        The system allows little room for enjoyment, and students end up hating school and learning before they even get to fully experience it. What people learn from kindergarten to grade 12 is interesting but it can also be boring, and it seems to be getting harder and harder to distinguish the two. There is little focus on teaching kids that learning is good, and more focus on teaching pointless things. Things that people will generally not remember when their third grader is asking them for help. 

        I believe that learning is very important, it is just hard when somethings that I have to learn are not tailored to me as an individual, and more tailored to the class as a whole. For instance, in grade nine and ten English I had to do poetry. I am terrible at poetry, and although I do not hate reading it, I detest writing it. I love writing, but not poetry or essays. Although it is important to know how to write in those formats, by the time that I am in grade 12 I think that I should not have to write in those styles. 

        To improve letting student be assessed by their own interests in an English setting, teachers should give topics and let students decided how they should be assessed. For example, say a teacher shares a heart warming story about a boy saving his dog and in response the students have to write how they feel after hearing the story. The students should be given the option to write their responses however they see fit. They should be allowed to write it in poetry, as an essay, as a interview, or any format acceptable for the class content. This way an individual student interested poetry can write a poem about how they feel, where as a student interested in journalism can write their response as an interview. 

        I think that if the content that children learn in school was more tailored to their interests, it would be easier and more enjoyable for them to learn. I also believe that it would make them as adults more content with their employment. A society where children are excited to go to school and learn is something that should be a goal for every school system.

Words on Paper

       Louis L'Amour, born on March 22, 1908, was the youngest of seven children. He lived in North Dakota. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, but he also wrote historical fiction, science fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and short-story collections. Throughout his life he wrote and collected many writings. He suffered from pneumonia, and after he through it off cancerous cells were found in his lungs. After finding out that surgery was not possible, he decided to write a memoir to commemorate his life. He died on June 10, 1988 while editing a book.

          “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” -Louis L'Amour

         This is something that I have heard many times before, from English teachers, family members, and even friends. I have never read any of Louis L'Amours writings, but I think that this quote shows that he is very insightful. This can be very applicable to any writer, and it definitely is for me. In my life, when I'm struggling with finding out something to write, I start making lists. It gets my brain going and the ideas start pouring out. I believe that as soon as you start writing, more ideas, and even better ideas will come.