This semester I have a few goals. My first goal is to focus more on my homework and procrastinate less. I have been procrastinating for most of my time in school, so since it’s the final year for me I figure I should get it together. My next goal is to spend more time outside and with friends. I tend to spend most of my time in my dorm, so this semester I was to go on more walks and take breaks from homework. My roommates and I plan on taking study breaks and going for walks in the woods this year, which I am excited for. Lastly, I want to spend more time doing things I like with the people I love. Since this is my last year at UNE I want to make sure I embrace the unique experience of living and being surrounded by my friends.
To me, poetry is a way of expressing and communicating. Poetry is defined by Oxford Languages as “literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.” I feel like this is a pretty good definition of poetry, however it feels too clinical. I almost feel like the definition should be a poem. A definition of poem would definitely include distinctive style and rhythm. That is what stood out most to me in the definition provided. I feel like you know a poem when you see it.
To start I feel like I should define prose, because I’m honestly not sure what the definition is. According to Oxford Languages prose is defined as “written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.” The key here is “without metrical structure”. Metrical structure is defined as “relating to or composed in poetic meter” by Oxford Languages. This makes the task of defining poetry a bit easier as well as telling the difference. Poetry has rhythm and style, while prose does not. An alternative definition of poetry at its simplest could be “literary work with metrical structure”
I will be completely honest right off the bat….I was never really interested in poetry prior to this class. The reason being is because I was a very late bloomer when it came to becoming interested in writing, and poetry was something that never crossed my mind until recently. My goals for this semester is to really broaden my knowledge as a writer, and just like my previous writing class experiences, I want to be able to gain new skills and techniques that I can incorporate into my writing to become a better writer. I am someone that is always about putting myself out there and becoming better at the things I love, and I really want to become a better poet because I am admittedly not a very good poet, I will not lie. Poetry is something I have been scared to write a lot of because I usually stick to simple writing and I can’t go outside the box as much, compared to genre writing. However, I think with this class, I will learn that I CAN actually go outside the box and become something I never thought I could become.
For me, poetry is a way to express feelings about something you experienced or are passionate about in a way that you wouldn’t verbally communicate. It is a way to really express yourself in ways that only you understand. Poems for me are all about riddles, they are pretty much to me a riddle that has multiple answers. They can be incorporated many different ways, but only you yourself know the true meaning behind the poem because you wrote it.
As far as I know, prose is more stylistic and is faithful to the regular grammatic writing techniques, often seen in novels and essays. Prose is usually much more formal and sentence like, while poetry is rhyme and rhythmic, while also relying on breaking stanzas and sentences apart for flow. One is more grammatically and formally correct, while the other is more stylistic in terms of writing and emotion.
Throughout the past three years of college, I’ve taken several courses now that have, at the bare minimum, had at least one full unit dedicated to poetry. Arts and Critical Thinking and Maine Literature at YCCC, and Whitman to Hip-Hop here at UNE. What sets these courses apart from WRT 211 is that each of those aforementioned classes were dedicated to either poetry history, poetry comprehension, or poetry analysis. My hope is that through what I will learn WRT 211, I will be able to take what I’ve learned in previous courses and apply that knowledge to my own writing to become a better poet. I would like to think that my previous background in poetry analysis will be useful in helping my learning during this course, and that through previous coursework, it will also lend itself to enhancing my experience in this class.
In terms of goals which I have set for myself this semester, I think that most broadly, I want to learn how to write poetry effectively. Having been born and raised here in Maine, I want to be able to write poems that evoke an authentic feeling of what life is like here in New England, perhaps not unlike the stylings of Robert Frost.
As to the second journal question, in my estimation poetry is the abstract of prose. If I were asked to try and construct a working definition of what poetry is, there might be several ways which I’d approach doing so. As definitions tend to be limited to a single sentence, I will start there. I would define poems as a type of literature that is especially concerned with the use of its language, structure, and novelty. I use the word novelty here not in a negative context, but rather, in a poem’s desire to often do something completely distinct or interesting with the language in which it is written.
Finally, how does poetry distinguish itself from prose. I think that poetry tends to be concerned with the aesthetics of writing in a way that isn’t entirely analogous to the way that prose is concerned with such things. Prose can be incredibly conversational and succinct, written in a way that can be entirely compelling, but would make for very boring poetry. Although this final answer may be somewhat boring, I remain broadly agnostic as to whether or not there is any real true way to differentiate and define the two, as I believe written traditions tend to change with time and culture. It may be the case that we are able to come up with a succinct definition for both poetry and prose that are distinct with one another, which applies to a contemporary view of writing as we understanding it in the 21st century, though I am skeptical whether these definitions will remain true in one hundred years from now.
My goals this semester are to become more confident in my writing and sharing it with others, and to improve my techniques. To me, poetry is a form of expression through organized words. Prose is the natural flow of speech whereas poetry doesn’t have to be written so that it sticks to that natural structure. Poetry uses stanzas and prose sticks to direct sentences or paragraphs.
My goal for this semester in this class is to open up and dig deep. To write powerful poems, leaning how to leave an impact on readers.
Poetry to me isn’t the exact definition but instead something that makes you feel. Whether that may be love, anger, greif, sympathy, etc. Something that is poetic speaks to you– leaves you thinking.
What differs poetry from prose is that prose is more straightforward with no line breaks or rhyming to it. Whereas, poetry consists of line breaks and occasional rhyming.
My goal for this semester in this class is to open up and dig deep. Like many, I struggle dealing with my emotions/feelings. They can be really complicated. But this class is going to encourage me to open my heart up. I hope to be able to pour my emotions onto paper. To write powerful poems.
Poetry to me isn’t the exact definition but instead something that makes you feel. Whether that may be love, anger, grief, sympathy, etc. Something that is poetic speaks to you–leaves you thinking. Poetry is anything but easy. It’s meant to be complex. Some may see it as a riddle the way you have to figure it out. Sometimes there isn’t a right answer to what it is. It’s up to you, what you see, what you feel, what you are thinking. It’s almost impossible to define poetry. There are so many variations. There is no such thing as a good or bad poem. It all depends on the person reading it to see if they can understand it. It’s not something one can compare either.
What differs poetry from prose is that prose is more straightforward. Poetry makes you think about the meaning. Never will you come across poetry that is straightforward. In a way, prose can be poetic, but poetry will never relate to prose. Prose is typically written in blocky paragraphs that fill pages. Whereas, poetry purposely leaves blank space on a page. Unlike poetry, prose cannot be abstract. It is far more blunt. Another difference between the two is how expressive poetry is. Poetry uses metaphors, comparisons, personification, rhymes, rhythms, and comparisons to bring it to life. If you think about it, music can be considered lyrical poetry. Although, some might disagree. I believe that most songs are poetic with their lyrics. I guess there are songs out there with prose type of lyrics. Even still, I consider music to be a form of poetry.
The goals that I have for myself in this class for the semester are to expand my knowledge of poem structure and find my voice as a poet. Writing poetry is not something new to me, it’s actually a hobby of mine, but I tend to write how I please and without any kind of technique. As an English major with a concentration in writing, I think it’s important for me to learn this information not just to better my ability in my hobby, but also for my degree and whatever my career ends up to be. I hope that at the end of this course I can say that I have solidified my artistic voice and found what I want to say with my work. I also want to be able to correctly define and use the different poetic devices and
I would define poetry as a kind of short form literary art that uses unique sentence structures and conscious word choice to evoke emotion from the reader. In poetry, the precise arrangement of the words and rhyme schemes are tools used by the writer to portray the feeling they intend for their readers to experience.
Poetry differs from prose in many ways. Prose is often in a longer format, organized in paragraphs, and uses ordinary grammar and sentence structure. On the other hand, poetry is often broken up into lines and stanzas and aims to convey a more emotional tone. The language used in prose is more similar to how people speak in real life. In poetry, the language is often lyrical and flowery, and not like what you would commonly hear spoken by people. Being such a short form of art, each word in a poem is important and often picked by the author with specific intent.
This semester, my main goal in this class is to learn how to write poetry in a more intentional and structured way. I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing poetry, but my writing has often come from raw emotion rather than following any formal techniques or structures. I want to understand the different crafts behind poetry. How rhythm, line breaks, form, and sound work together to shape meaning. Learning these tools will help me express my feelings in a way that is not only personal but also artful and polished. To me, poetry is a form of art and emotional expression. It’s an outlet for feelings that might otherwise stay bottled up inside. When I write poetry, I don’t have to worry about confrontation or judgment, I can release my tensions without having a difficult conversation with another person. Poetry feels alive to me. It breathes and moves with me as I write. It can be beautiful and uplifting, or heavy and sad. It’s multifaceted in the way it captures both clarity and chaos. For me, poetry is not about making perfect sense to the world, but about putting emotions on paper in their truest form. Poetry differs from prose in its purpose and freedom. Prose is usually direct and structured with a clear intention–whether it’s an essay, a response, or a story, the goal is to make sense and communicate meaning in an organized way. Poetry, on the other hand, doesn’t always need to “make sense” to everyone else. It’s open to interpretation and thrives on ambiguity. While prose often explains, poetry suggests and evokes. It uses rhythm, imagery, and sound to create an experience rather than simply deliver information. In prose, clarity is expected; in poetry, mystery can be part of its beauty. That’s what I love about poetry, it allows both the writer and the reader to find meaning in their own way.
For this class I hope to learn the basic understanding of poetry. Not only from a writing perspective but from a perspective of understanding it from a reader’s perspective. I think another good goal for this semester is learning how to write about me and experiences I have had. Writing poems will help me start to take a concept and write about it from a personal point of view.
To my understanding, poetry is a form of writing where you are able to express yourself in a deeper way. When I think of poetry I don’t normally think of factual writing, I think of love stories and grief. But, there is definitely a world where poetry would be considered the opposite of those things. Prose is writing that is organized into sentences and paragraphs with grammatical rules. This differs from poems because poems don’t follow rules. They don’t have periods and they don’t expand on a topic, they are, for the most part, up for interpretation.
I haven’t explored poetry in a long time, probably since elementary school, when it was part of our curriculum. As we move through this class, some of my goals consist of reminding myself what it means to write creatively. I believe this form of writing will help expand my imagination and benefit my personal writings. I have written in a formal layout for much of my education and often miss writing without structure. My goal this semester is to rediscover how to create poetry and learn how specific stanzas, word phrasing, and metaphors flow together to make the meaning of my message unique. To me, poetry is how someone expresses themselves and the moments they’ve encountered in life. I think of it as written therapy, something others may not be able to put into words, but can relate to on a deeper level. While poetry doesn’t stick to any one format for its stanzas, I find repetition compelling and a way of tying the written piece together with a clear beginning and an end. This also plays into how poetry is different from prose; there is structure to the writing. Prose appears to be straightforward storytelling; the words are direct and clear, split into paragraphs, and are more formal. I notice a lack of creative story elements, where poetry has multiple meanings that are explained in abstract ways; prose has a focused meaning.
What are your goals this semester in this class?
To learn more about the different types of poetry and what inspired their creation.
What is poetry to you: is there a working definition you can put some language to?
A type of writing that is often creative and artistic in nature, commonly following a specific format or set of rules. These works are often ment to create a “concentrated imaginative awareness.”
How does poetry differ from prose?
Prose is significantly more formal and lays out all the details for us. Allowing us to draw the same or a similar conclusion as the author.
Poetry has many different informal formats and gives us a few details. We can use these details to draw new completely different conclusions then what the author may have intended.
My goals for this semester in class are to learn about different types or genres of poetry. Obviously I desire to get the best grade possible, but that is not my main goal. Instead of just focusing on my grades, I want to gain more knowledge on the art of poetry. I want to expand my vocabulary and thought process while still maintaining my creative writing abilities. One issue I have is I have trouble speaking up so I need to push myself to talk more in class, especially in a small group setting. I would also love to be able to read and understand how everyone else writes their own poems. Poetry to me is a collection of all different types of feelings and emotions. Poetry cannot be defined using only one or two of the human emotions, it uses all of them based on perspective. It is a subjective way of writing that all people can perceive in several different ways. Combining these factors allows poets to express themselves through sonnets or haikus or even just one sentence. It allows the reader to imagine scenarios and feel them in real time instead of just simply telling facts. Whether it be a large amount of vivid, deep words, or just a simple story, it is still poetry. Poetry is very different compared to prose. Although it may seem complicated to explain, it really all comes down to structure. Poetry is all about emotions, is more expressive, and is more structured when it comes to the feel and sound of each line. Prose, on the other hand, is more like an everyday, straightforward way of writing. It is written in lengthy, neat paragraphs on a clear page. Poetry leaves most of the page blank, leaving room for thought. In a more simple definition, poetry is abstract and prose is more literal.
1. My goal for this semester is to write poems that I am proud of and can show my mom. We discussed an artsy project where we all post our poems on a tree. I really want to show my mom the tree when she visits sometime!
2. Poetry is a form of literary expression. The definition of poetry can differ between people, as art is subjective. I see poetry as any form of writing that might be unconventional and evokes emotion. I think poetry is always inherently beautiful and more fun/whimsical than formal writing.
3. Poetry and prose serve similar purposes. The main difference is structure; a poem uses stanza/line format while prose is written in paragraph form. Prose can be a bit less abstract but this doesn’t mean it can’t be complex.
Mackenzie Schors
Creative Writing: Poetry
Jesse Miller
Journal #1
For JOURNAL # 1: 3 Questions:
What are your goals this semester in this class?
My goals for the semester in this class are to learn more about the general world of poetry. In the last few years, I picked up poetry as a hobby to express emotions I felt during everyday life, and through that I have accumulated a collection of work but I will admit I dont know much about the actual art of poetry. Therefore my goal for this semester is to dive deeper into my knowledge on poetry.
What is poetry to you: is there a working definition you can put some language to?
To me, poetry is a form of self expression, as well as an outlet. As previously mentioned, I have been writing poetry for years and it has always helped me express my emotions and things I don’t like to speak about out loud.
How does poetry differ from prose?
Poetry and prose differ in many ways. In my opinion, poetry is more of an art form in comparison to prose. Prose is more of a structured essay format, where you may not find as much emotion or layers to the piece, whereas poetry has many different layers to it. I also think prose are more straightforward in theme in comparison to poetry. I think you can read a poem and find many different meanings for it, whereas with prose, it feels more straightforward and like the meaning is right in front of you.
JOURNAL #1
1. What are your goals this semester in this class?
a. My major goal in taking a poetry course is to loosen the hinges on my ability to write poetry. In class it was mentioned that I am an aspiring songwriter. The fundamental difference between a song and a piece of music is lyrical content. I am able to create a melody, a harmony, and connecting pieces between distinct sections, but I find myself unable to adequately express the concepts within my head when it comes to writing the lyrics. My hope with this class is to grease the cogs in my head so that in the future poetry comes more naturally to me, because what are lyrics if not poems put to music?
2. What is poetry to you: is there a working definition you can put some language to?
a. Poetry is defined by me largely through its focus on the emotional or philosophical underpinnings of the writing in addition to the general format when written down. Written format is easy to describe as sentences are relatively loose in their formation, spreading across multiple lines in a way that leaves the actual placement of words within a sentence rather unimportant compared to their placement in the line. The focus of poetry on emotion and greater philosophical aspects arises out of this not quite strict form of written language as the format lends itself to those incorporeal aspects of existence through much more concise methods.
3. How does poetry differ from prose?
a. The most obvious difference is formatting with poetry being described above. Prose, in comparison to poetry, is much more focused on the sentence rather than the line. Punctuation carries more weight in a form of writing where you can make lines as wide or as thin as you wish without damaging the piece. Since prose does not have such an emphasis on placement within lines, it lends itself to longer descriptions of more concrete facets of reality.
15 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 1”
This semester I have a few goals. My first goal is to focus more on my homework and procrastinate less. I have been procrastinating for most of my time in school, so since it’s the final year for me I figure I should get it together. My next goal is to spend more time outside and with friends. I tend to spend most of my time in my dorm, so this semester I was to go on more walks and take breaks from homework. My roommates and I plan on taking study breaks and going for walks in the woods this year, which I am excited for. Lastly, I want to spend more time doing things I like with the people I love. Since this is my last year at UNE I want to make sure I embrace the unique experience of living and being surrounded by my friends.
To me, poetry is a way of expressing and communicating. Poetry is defined by Oxford Languages as “literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.” I feel like this is a pretty good definition of poetry, however it feels too clinical. I almost feel like the definition should be a poem. A definition of poem would definitely include distinctive style and rhythm. That is what stood out most to me in the definition provided. I feel like you know a poem when you see it.
To start I feel like I should define prose, because I’m honestly not sure what the definition is. According to Oxford Languages prose is defined as “written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.” The key here is “without metrical structure”. Metrical structure is defined as “relating to or composed in poetic meter” by Oxford Languages. This makes the task of defining poetry a bit easier as well as telling the difference. Poetry has rhythm and style, while prose does not. An alternative definition of poetry at its simplest could be “literary work with metrical structure”
I will be completely honest right off the bat….I was never really interested in poetry prior to this class. The reason being is because I was a very late bloomer when it came to becoming interested in writing, and poetry was something that never crossed my mind until recently. My goals for this semester is to really broaden my knowledge as a writer, and just like my previous writing class experiences, I want to be able to gain new skills and techniques that I can incorporate into my writing to become a better writer. I am someone that is always about putting myself out there and becoming better at the things I love, and I really want to become a better poet because I am admittedly not a very good poet, I will not lie. Poetry is something I have been scared to write a lot of because I usually stick to simple writing and I can’t go outside the box as much, compared to genre writing. However, I think with this class, I will learn that I CAN actually go outside the box and become something I never thought I could become.
For me, poetry is a way to express feelings about something you experienced or are passionate about in a way that you wouldn’t verbally communicate. It is a way to really express yourself in ways that only you understand. Poems for me are all about riddles, they are pretty much to me a riddle that has multiple answers. They can be incorporated many different ways, but only you yourself know the true meaning behind the poem because you wrote it.
As far as I know, prose is more stylistic and is faithful to the regular grammatic writing techniques, often seen in novels and essays. Prose is usually much more formal and sentence like, while poetry is rhyme and rhythmic, while also relying on breaking stanzas and sentences apart for flow. One is more grammatically and formally correct, while the other is more stylistic in terms of writing and emotion.
Throughout the past three years of college, I’ve taken several courses now that have, at the bare minimum, had at least one full unit dedicated to poetry. Arts and Critical Thinking and Maine Literature at YCCC, and Whitman to Hip-Hop here at UNE. What sets these courses apart from WRT 211 is that each of those aforementioned classes were dedicated to either poetry history, poetry comprehension, or poetry analysis. My hope is that through what I will learn WRT 211, I will be able to take what I’ve learned in previous courses and apply that knowledge to my own writing to become a better poet. I would like to think that my previous background in poetry analysis will be useful in helping my learning during this course, and that through previous coursework, it will also lend itself to enhancing my experience in this class.
In terms of goals which I have set for myself this semester, I think that most broadly, I want to learn how to write poetry effectively. Having been born and raised here in Maine, I want to be able to write poems that evoke an authentic feeling of what life is like here in New England, perhaps not unlike the stylings of Robert Frost.
As to the second journal question, in my estimation poetry is the abstract of prose. If I were asked to try and construct a working definition of what poetry is, there might be several ways which I’d approach doing so. As definitions tend to be limited to a single sentence, I will start there. I would define poems as a type of literature that is especially concerned with the use of its language, structure, and novelty. I use the word novelty here not in a negative context, but rather, in a poem’s desire to often do something completely distinct or interesting with the language in which it is written.
Finally, how does poetry distinguish itself from prose. I think that poetry tends to be concerned with the aesthetics of writing in a way that isn’t entirely analogous to the way that prose is concerned with such things. Prose can be incredibly conversational and succinct, written in a way that can be entirely compelling, but would make for very boring poetry. Although this final answer may be somewhat boring, I remain broadly agnostic as to whether or not there is any real true way to differentiate and define the two, as I believe written traditions tend to change with time and culture. It may be the case that we are able to come up with a succinct definition for both poetry and prose that are distinct with one another, which applies to a contemporary view of writing as we understanding it in the 21st century, though I am skeptical whether these definitions will remain true in one hundred years from now.
My goals this semester are to become more confident in my writing and sharing it with others, and to improve my techniques. To me, poetry is a form of expression through organized words. Prose is the natural flow of speech whereas poetry doesn’t have to be written so that it sticks to that natural structure. Poetry uses stanzas and prose sticks to direct sentences or paragraphs.
My goal for this semester in this class is to open up and dig deep. To write powerful poems, leaning how to leave an impact on readers.
Poetry to me isn’t the exact definition but instead something that makes you feel. Whether that may be love, anger, greif, sympathy, etc. Something that is poetic speaks to you– leaves you thinking.
What differs poetry from prose is that prose is more straightforward with no line breaks or rhyming to it. Whereas, poetry consists of line breaks and occasional rhyming.
My goal for this semester in this class is to open up and dig deep. Like many, I struggle dealing with my emotions/feelings. They can be really complicated. But this class is going to encourage me to open my heart up. I hope to be able to pour my emotions onto paper. To write powerful poems.
Poetry to me isn’t the exact definition but instead something that makes you feel. Whether that may be love, anger, grief, sympathy, etc. Something that is poetic speaks to you–leaves you thinking. Poetry is anything but easy. It’s meant to be complex. Some may see it as a riddle the way you have to figure it out. Sometimes there isn’t a right answer to what it is. It’s up to you, what you see, what you feel, what you are thinking. It’s almost impossible to define poetry. There are so many variations. There is no such thing as a good or bad poem. It all depends on the person reading it to see if they can understand it. It’s not something one can compare either.
What differs poetry from prose is that prose is more straightforward. Poetry makes you think about the meaning. Never will you come across poetry that is straightforward. In a way, prose can be poetic, but poetry will never relate to prose. Prose is typically written in blocky paragraphs that fill pages. Whereas, poetry purposely leaves blank space on a page. Unlike poetry, prose cannot be abstract. It is far more blunt. Another difference between the two is how expressive poetry is. Poetry uses metaphors, comparisons, personification, rhymes, rhythms, and comparisons to bring it to life. If you think about it, music can be considered lyrical poetry. Although, some might disagree. I believe that most songs are poetic with their lyrics. I guess there are songs out there with prose type of lyrics. Even still, I consider music to be a form of poetry.
The goals that I have for myself in this class for the semester are to expand my knowledge of poem structure and find my voice as a poet. Writing poetry is not something new to me, it’s actually a hobby of mine, but I tend to write how I please and without any kind of technique. As an English major with a concentration in writing, I think it’s important for me to learn this information not just to better my ability in my hobby, but also for my degree and whatever my career ends up to be. I hope that at the end of this course I can say that I have solidified my artistic voice and found what I want to say with my work. I also want to be able to correctly define and use the different poetic devices and
I would define poetry as a kind of short form literary art that uses unique sentence structures and conscious word choice to evoke emotion from the reader. In poetry, the precise arrangement of the words and rhyme schemes are tools used by the writer to portray the feeling they intend for their readers to experience.
Poetry differs from prose in many ways. Prose is often in a longer format, organized in paragraphs, and uses ordinary grammar and sentence structure. On the other hand, poetry is often broken up into lines and stanzas and aims to convey a more emotional tone. The language used in prose is more similar to how people speak in real life. In poetry, the language is often lyrical and flowery, and not like what you would commonly hear spoken by people. Being such a short form of art, each word in a poem is important and often picked by the author with specific intent.
This semester, my main goal in this class is to learn how to write poetry in a more intentional and structured way. I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing poetry, but my writing has often come from raw emotion rather than following any formal techniques or structures. I want to understand the different crafts behind poetry. How rhythm, line breaks, form, and sound work together to shape meaning. Learning these tools will help me express my feelings in a way that is not only personal but also artful and polished. To me, poetry is a form of art and emotional expression. It’s an outlet for feelings that might otherwise stay bottled up inside. When I write poetry, I don’t have to worry about confrontation or judgment, I can release my tensions without having a difficult conversation with another person. Poetry feels alive to me. It breathes and moves with me as I write. It can be beautiful and uplifting, or heavy and sad. It’s multifaceted in the way it captures both clarity and chaos. For me, poetry is not about making perfect sense to the world, but about putting emotions on paper in their truest form. Poetry differs from prose in its purpose and freedom. Prose is usually direct and structured with a clear intention–whether it’s an essay, a response, or a story, the goal is to make sense and communicate meaning in an organized way. Poetry, on the other hand, doesn’t always need to “make sense” to everyone else. It’s open to interpretation and thrives on ambiguity. While prose often explains, poetry suggests and evokes. It uses rhythm, imagery, and sound to create an experience rather than simply deliver information. In prose, clarity is expected; in poetry, mystery can be part of its beauty. That’s what I love about poetry, it allows both the writer and the reader to find meaning in their own way.
For this class I hope to learn the basic understanding of poetry. Not only from a writing perspective but from a perspective of understanding it from a reader’s perspective. I think another good goal for this semester is learning how to write about me and experiences I have had. Writing poems will help me start to take a concept and write about it from a personal point of view.
To my understanding, poetry is a form of writing where you are able to express yourself in a deeper way. When I think of poetry I don’t normally think of factual writing, I think of love stories and grief. But, there is definitely a world where poetry would be considered the opposite of those things. Prose is writing that is organized into sentences and paragraphs with grammatical rules. This differs from poems because poems don’t follow rules. They don’t have periods and they don’t expand on a topic, they are, for the most part, up for interpretation.
I haven’t explored poetry in a long time, probably since elementary school, when it was part of our curriculum. As we move through this class, some of my goals consist of reminding myself what it means to write creatively. I believe this form of writing will help expand my imagination and benefit my personal writings. I have written in a formal layout for much of my education and often miss writing without structure. My goal this semester is to rediscover how to create poetry and learn how specific stanzas, word phrasing, and metaphors flow together to make the meaning of my message unique. To me, poetry is how someone expresses themselves and the moments they’ve encountered in life. I think of it as written therapy, something others may not be able to put into words, but can relate to on a deeper level. While poetry doesn’t stick to any one format for its stanzas, I find repetition compelling and a way of tying the written piece together with a clear beginning and an end. This also plays into how poetry is different from prose; there is structure to the writing. Prose appears to be straightforward storytelling; the words are direct and clear, split into paragraphs, and are more formal. I notice a lack of creative story elements, where poetry has multiple meanings that are explained in abstract ways; prose has a focused meaning.
What are your goals this semester in this class?
To learn more about the different types of poetry and what inspired their creation.
What is poetry to you: is there a working definition you can put some language to?
A type of writing that is often creative and artistic in nature, commonly following a specific format or set of rules. These works are often ment to create a “concentrated imaginative awareness.”
How does poetry differ from prose?
Prose is significantly more formal and lays out all the details for us. Allowing us to draw the same or a similar conclusion as the author.
Poetry has many different informal formats and gives us a few details. We can use these details to draw new completely different conclusions then what the author may have intended.
My goals for this semester in class are to learn about different types or genres of poetry. Obviously I desire to get the best grade possible, but that is not my main goal. Instead of just focusing on my grades, I want to gain more knowledge on the art of poetry. I want to expand my vocabulary and thought process while still maintaining my creative writing abilities. One issue I have is I have trouble speaking up so I need to push myself to talk more in class, especially in a small group setting. I would also love to be able to read and understand how everyone else writes their own poems. Poetry to me is a collection of all different types of feelings and emotions. Poetry cannot be defined using only one or two of the human emotions, it uses all of them based on perspective. It is a subjective way of writing that all people can perceive in several different ways. Combining these factors allows poets to express themselves through sonnets or haikus or even just one sentence. It allows the reader to imagine scenarios and feel them in real time instead of just simply telling facts. Whether it be a large amount of vivid, deep words, or just a simple story, it is still poetry. Poetry is very different compared to prose. Although it may seem complicated to explain, it really all comes down to structure. Poetry is all about emotions, is more expressive, and is more structured when it comes to the feel and sound of each line. Prose, on the other hand, is more like an everyday, straightforward way of writing. It is written in lengthy, neat paragraphs on a clear page. Poetry leaves most of the page blank, leaving room for thought. In a more simple definition, poetry is abstract and prose is more literal.
1. My goal for this semester is to write poems that I am proud of and can show my mom. We discussed an artsy project where we all post our poems on a tree. I really want to show my mom the tree when she visits sometime!
2. Poetry is a form of literary expression. The definition of poetry can differ between people, as art is subjective. I see poetry as any form of writing that might be unconventional and evokes emotion. I think poetry is always inherently beautiful and more fun/whimsical than formal writing.
3. Poetry and prose serve similar purposes. The main difference is structure; a poem uses stanza/line format while prose is written in paragraph form. Prose can be a bit less abstract but this doesn’t mean it can’t be complex.
Mackenzie Schors
Creative Writing: Poetry
Jesse Miller
Journal #1
For JOURNAL # 1: 3 Questions:
What are your goals this semester in this class?
My goals for the semester in this class are to learn more about the general world of poetry. In the last few years, I picked up poetry as a hobby to express emotions I felt during everyday life, and through that I have accumulated a collection of work but I will admit I dont know much about the actual art of poetry. Therefore my goal for this semester is to dive deeper into my knowledge on poetry.
What is poetry to you: is there a working definition you can put some language to?
To me, poetry is a form of self expression, as well as an outlet. As previously mentioned, I have been writing poetry for years and it has always helped me express my emotions and things I don’t like to speak about out loud.
How does poetry differ from prose?
Poetry and prose differ in many ways. In my opinion, poetry is more of an art form in comparison to prose. Prose is more of a structured essay format, where you may not find as much emotion or layers to the piece, whereas poetry has many different layers to it. I also think prose are more straightforward in theme in comparison to poetry. I think you can read a poem and find many different meanings for it, whereas with prose, it feels more straightforward and like the meaning is right in front of you.
JOURNAL #1
1. What are your goals this semester in this class?
a. My major goal in taking a poetry course is to loosen the hinges on my ability to write poetry. In class it was mentioned that I am an aspiring songwriter. The fundamental difference between a song and a piece of music is lyrical content. I am able to create a melody, a harmony, and connecting pieces between distinct sections, but I find myself unable to adequately express the concepts within my head when it comes to writing the lyrics. My hope with this class is to grease the cogs in my head so that in the future poetry comes more naturally to me, because what are lyrics if not poems put to music?
2. What is poetry to you: is there a working definition you can put some language to?
a. Poetry is defined by me largely through its focus on the emotional or philosophical underpinnings of the writing in addition to the general format when written down. Written format is easy to describe as sentences are relatively loose in their formation, spreading across multiple lines in a way that leaves the actual placement of words within a sentence rather unimportant compared to their placement in the line. The focus of poetry on emotion and greater philosophical aspects arises out of this not quite strict form of written language as the format lends itself to those incorporeal aspects of existence through much more concise methods.
3. How does poetry differ from prose?
a. The most obvious difference is formatting with poetry being described above. Prose, in comparison to poetry, is much more focused on the sentence rather than the line. Punctuation carries more weight in a form of writing where you can make lines as wide or as thin as you wish without damaging the piece. Since prose does not have such an emphasis on placement within lines, it lends itself to longer descriptions of more concrete facets of reality.