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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Student Poems and an Aesthetic

Stop by Carol's Corner today for the Poetry Friday Roundup. 

I wanted to share a couple more poems from my week with students at Brewer Elementary. I loved this photo and Metellus was so proud of the way his poem looked on the page, a little like that spraying water. 


This poet did not sign his work. We live in a military community where many fathers and mothers have been deployed multiple times. I hear his heart in this one.

I'm taking an online poetry class this month with Bob Haynes at Writers on the Net. Our first assignment was to write out our poetry aesthetic. I know the definition of the word, but I'd never thought about it in relationship to writing poetry. Trying to put into words the way I approach poetry took a little thought. Here's what I came up with. It feels very tentative.

I often find myself writing about the complexities and challenges of relationships. I like persona poems, like to try and understand what might make another person respond to life the way they do. I am not drawn to poems that are not accessible, but I long to understand the way those same poems make the leaps they do, the hidden connections. I like for a poem to make me stop and work to understand my own reaction to it, but not work to understand the poem. I am often frustrated by my inability to find the words and images that convey what I feel. I love the feeling that comes when I manage to get close. Writing in general, and poetry specifically, has given me a voice, but I am still often tentative to speak too loudly, if that makes any sense at all. I value honesty in a poem and vulnerability. I like to write joy, but it's much easier to write grief and struggle and sorrow. I don't think I have the freedom of play that I profess to love with words, even though I do love it. I call myself a writer, one who writes poems. I haven't made the leap to calling myself a poet.

At the end of the class, we will revise our aesthetic. I'll let you know if mine changes. Have you ever tried to define your approach to poetry? I'd love to hear if you have. 



13 comments:

  1. I'm fascinated by your poetry aesthetic. I had never heard of them. I especially like the line, "I like to write joy, but it's much easier to write grief." And like you, I'm not drawn to poems that are not accessible. Not even sure I want to understand them.

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    1. I have already been challenged by my own definition of my aesthetic. We'll see where this leads.

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  2. Thanks for sharing the student poems and your poetry aesthetic! Wholly agree about inaccessible poems. While I respect the act of writing and greatly admire poets, in particular, I have little patience for the obtuse and obscure. It becomes self-indulgent at that point -- when the poet knows what he or she's saying but hasn't effectively conveyed that to the reader.

    Good luck with your online class -- it will be interesting to see if/how your aesthetic changes after it's over. :)

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    1. I think I'm going to have to trust my gut more in this class than normal, feel free to experiment, let myself be pushed beyond my limits. A bit scary.

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  3. Hmm...maybe I'll try out your assignment.

    The last line of that second poem is indeed full of heart. And truth.

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    1. I'd like to hear what you come up with, Mary Lee.

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  4. The student poems are lovely - children do capture the essence of things in such a clear sighted manner. Your online class sounds exciting - that's a pretty good reflection - exploring one's own poetry aesthetic - that would keep me thinking all week long, arguing with myself. :) Hope you have fun throughout your sessions!

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    1. I argued with myself a good bit before writing it down. And now having read the other class members' thoughts, I think I probably didn't argue with myself enough!

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  5. One thing I've always enjoyed is the artist's statement that artists will post or put in the brochure at an exhibit. Why they are drawn to certain media or subjects. How they approach art. What it means to them. I'm going to put down some thoughts. Thanks for sharing yours!

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    1. It's been an interesting experience to write this down. I'm already questioning my thoughts and wondering what I meant. It brings a whole new meaning to that Forster quote, "How can I know what I think till I see what I say?"

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  6. This is a good challenge--to write out one's poetry aesthetic. I might try it.

    Violet N.

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  7. Is a poetry aesthetic both what kinds of poetry you like to write and what kinds of poetry you like to read? Looking at both of those questions is interesting.
    Your post reminded me of a couple of things...I was at a museum yesterday, and the contemporary art section was disappointing compared to the others. It made me think of contemporary poems that don't offer an entry point, that don't seem to want to give you access to them.

    Also, what you said about being frustrated by not having words to match what's in your head reminded me of this: http://tabathayeatts.blogspot.ca/2011/10/closing-gap.html

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