This semester course is for senior Creative Writing students interested in studying the art of poetry and writing original poetry. An open mind and supportive attitude will be essential as we workshop each other’s poems. We will be exploring several approaches to the art of writing poetry through a variety of different exercises to generate poems in open and closed forms.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Homework
On Tuesday, please bring in the two poems you have been working on. Remember to have your 1st drafts, evidence of workshop, and final copies.
One poem I found interesting was I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakely’s Version of “Three Blind Mice.” The reason behind my interest is that the poem’s title is actually a part of the first stanza and line. It reminds me of a poem I wrote recently and turned in where my title is read and followed by the first line in my poem to make a sentence. I also found this poem inspiring because he simply wrote his curiosities into a poem based on something he has known and heard. It gives me hope that I can write poems based on inquires of a story or fairy tale characters. It took me a few minutes, four stanzas in to the poem Marginalia to realize that he was talking about the margins of a paper, or in a book. I like how he incorporated phrases and authors and mentioned The Catcher in the Rye which reminded me of English with Ms. Parker last year. I admired how Collins took some inspiration from other sources of literature and gave credit to those he “stole” the lines from. For example in the poem To a Stranger Born in Some Distant Country Hundreds of Years from Now and Picnic, Lightning. The poem Morning reminded me how I didn't know the proper use of dashes in a poem, and the structure of couplets in the poem Bonsai was clever. However, I was surprised and a bit overwhelmed at the four page poem about an ad in a magazine for Victoria’s Secret, titled Victoria’s Secret. Just a few poems that caught my attention…
I often find myself wondering as I read Billy Collins' "Sailing Alone Around the Room" if all of his poems that are based on experience are personal. I found myself feeling a personal connection between writer and poem; for example, in "The Best Cigarette." A poem such as this is one that I think would be hard to write if it wasn't from personal experience - one without the knowledge (of experience) could write a poem about the best cigarette, but a reader who does smoke or has smoked would be able to pick up on the "less genuine" language that one uses when they don't know something firsthand. I found that there was a consistent use of cigarettes through the collection of poems - often Billy Collins writes of smoking while he writes. Billy Collins has a clear voice in each of his poems, but not one voice throughout the entire collection. "Budapest" greatly differs from "Pinup." In the latter, the reader can feel the more casual tone - it is almost as if a friend is telling a poetic recount of this garage with the pinup calendar. "Budapest" is a little more formal, and more poetic in the literal sense, with its metaphor of the pen being a human arm. I like both pieces - I think they give Collins versatility. Another contrast to both pieces is "Piano Lessons" which differs in tone, but also form. The poem in parts, or poetry cycle, helps tell a story over a greater period of time, breaking it into specific details. The imagery of this piece is raw and in that way, more powerful than the imagery in the previously mentioned pieces. Perhaps not everyone can relate to playing the piano, but the image of a grown man sitting in front of one practicing his scales is one that is easy to picture and the difficulty of learning a new talent is one that the reader can relate to. This third section is my favorite so far. I found the poems in this section to be more focused on the imagery and less on allusions and sophisticated language. Although the previous sections are beautifully written, the third section is the most raw and exposes Billy Collins as a human behind his writing.
I hate how long some of Collins poem titles are. I have a pet peeve for long titles, and it makes me not wnat to read the poem. As for poems that I did like, I really liked the Afternoon with Irish Cows poem. I thought it was very nice, and it had a good ring to it while I read it. I liked the line "Black and white maps on their sides" as a description for cows. Cows have always been just an animal to me, like, oh, look, a cow is over there. But with this poem, it made me feel that cows are really interesting. The way Collins wrote about cows reminded me of humans a little bit. The line "How patient and dumbfounded they look in the long quiet of the afternoons" made me think of how lazy humans get sometimes.The poem gave me a little laugh. I particulary loved the poem Shoveling Snow with Buddha. I have always been a lover of buddha, and this poem describes him in a very wonderful way. I love the idea that the dude is talking the entire time, and the buddha is just staying silent. It shows the concept of buddhism in a fun and inviting way. The picture of the buddha shoveling made me chuckle because, as Collins writes, "You would never see him doing such a thing". The way they stop shoveling to play cards, then the buddha starts shoveling again shows the perseverence that is common with buddihsts on their paths to enlightenment. Overall, I think Collins does a very good job portraying the buddha, and I am coming to like him the more I read his peoms.
Two of my favorite poems in the section, “Picnic, Lightning” by Billy Collins are Some Days and Morning. For some reason, I seem to be more attracted to Collins simple poems, than ones that are complex. Collins simple poems come off as pieces that are much more beautiful to me, but maybe that’s just because I like the simple things in life more than things that are overcomplicated. On the front of the book of poems, The New Yorker states “What Collins does best is turn an apparently simple phrase into a numinous moment.” I couldn’t agree more. Without all of the detail and research that may go into a more complex poem, I am able to fully understand what story is being told in the piece and appreciate the poem more; rather than my mind skipping over words or stanzas because I am unfamiliar with what is being said. One of the characteristics I like about the poem, Some Days, is the comparison between the individual and the dolls. Collins reflects upon how it must feel to have no control over yourself; to be moved rather than being able to move on your own. This reflection is personal to readers, allowing them to imagine how it would feel to be to have no control of the actions they took and what it would be like to be controlled by another individual. The poem, Morning, is one of my favorites due to the pure imagery that is involved. As a reader, I am fully able to imagine the morning being described. I like the repetition of the line “and buzzing around the house on espresso” since I feel as though this line represents mornings the most. Overall, I think this poem is purely beautiful, and nothing more.
One poem that grabbed my attention was "Insomnia." It reminds me a short story I wrote last year, which contained a lot of stream of consciousness. In this poem, Collins lines flow from stanza to stanza, creating a large image made of severall small images. The simplicity of the poem is probably what struck me the most. Taking the pictures that you see before falling asleep and turning them into a poem was very effective. Each poem varies in tone and theme, and not one sounds like the other, which makes Collins such a good author. In his fourth stanza, he wrote, "What is there to do but close my eyes / and watch him circling the night, / schoolboy in an ill-fitting jacket, / leaning forward, his cap on backwards, / wringing the handlebars, / maintaining a certain speed?" This image is very clear and although it doesn't have a specific point in the poem. Like most of the poems in the this section, there is a lot of imagery that appeals to any reader. "Dharma" is another poem that is clearly Collins' writing. Using a dog as the focus point of the poem, he gives it human attributions that ultimately pertain to Buddhist beliefs. "The way the dog trots out the front door / every morning / without a hat or umbrella, / without any money / or the keys to her doghouse / never fails to fill the saucer of my heart / with milky admiration." He gets the message across in a clever tone, and something that I guarantee no other author would think of.
The images that Collins brought out in the first part that I read obviously continue on in the second part. I was intrigued by the poem entitled Picnic, Lighting. The first caption about a mother being killed in a freak accident is what initially grabbed my attention. It made me what to know more about what happened. I loved how I felt like I was in the middle of the accident myself. The message of this poem what much more clear than some of the other ones that I had read in the earlier parts of the book. I have to say that I am still not sold on Collins or his writing style but to each its own. The similies and the metaphors that were used throughout this particular poem were also really good in my opinion. I will continue reading through this poem book and make my final judgement at the end.
I enjoyed these last two sections immensely more than I did the first two. I looked at the dates of the collections, and saw that these have been going in chronological order--and thus are going from the beginning of Collins' career to the present. His style has grown a lot--he, like Taylor said, is more focused on the images in his poems, rather than jumping from setting to setting, from perspective to perspective. This poem is from the third section, but it has been my favorite poem so far: "On Turning Ten" struck a particular chord, as I read it the day after my sister turned ten. She, too, was reluctant to enter the "big numbers," fearing she would leave her childhood behind. Many tears ensued. Collins' poem gave the perspective I had missed while comforting her, and brought me back to how scary turning ten was--a feeling that pervades the rest of our lives, as we grow older and older. I also liked the musical imagery Collins' employed in several of his poems.
Ashley Lawson
ReplyDeleteOne poem I found interesting was I Chop Some Parsley While Listening to Art Blakely’s Version of “Three Blind Mice.” The reason behind my interest is that the poem’s title is actually a part of the first stanza and line. It reminds me of a poem I wrote recently and turned in where my title is read and followed by the first line in my poem to make a sentence. I also found this poem inspiring because he simply wrote his curiosities into a poem based on something he has known and heard. It gives me hope that I can write poems based on inquires of a story or fairy tale characters.
It took me a few minutes, four stanzas in to the poem Marginalia to realize that he was talking about the margins of a paper, or in a book. I like how he incorporated phrases and authors and mentioned The Catcher in the Rye which reminded me of English with Ms. Parker last year.
I admired how Collins took some inspiration from other sources of literature and gave credit to those he “stole” the lines from. For example in the poem To a Stranger Born in Some Distant Country Hundreds of Years from Now and Picnic, Lightning.
The poem Morning reminded me how I didn't know the proper use of dashes in a poem, and the structure of couplets in the poem Bonsai was clever. However, I was surprised and a bit overwhelmed at the four page poem about an ad in a magazine for Victoria’s Secret, titled Victoria’s Secret.
Just a few poems that caught my attention…
Taylor Rugg
ReplyDeleteI often find myself wondering as I read Billy Collins' "Sailing Alone Around the Room" if all of his poems that are based on experience are personal. I found myself feeling a personal connection between writer and poem; for example, in "The Best Cigarette." A poem such as this is one that I think would be hard to write if it wasn't from personal experience - one without the knowledge (of experience) could write a poem about the best cigarette, but a reader who does smoke or has smoked would be able to pick up on the "less genuine" language that one uses when they don't know something firsthand. I found that there was a consistent use of cigarettes through the collection of poems - often Billy Collins writes of smoking while he writes.
Billy Collins has a clear voice in each of his poems, but not one voice throughout the entire collection. "Budapest" greatly differs from "Pinup." In the latter, the reader can feel the more casual tone - it is almost as if a friend is telling a poetic recount of this garage with the pinup calendar. "Budapest" is a little more formal, and more poetic in the literal sense, with its metaphor of the pen being a human arm. I like both pieces - I think they give Collins versatility. Another contrast to both pieces is "Piano Lessons" which differs in tone, but also form. The poem in parts, or poetry cycle, helps tell a story over a greater period of time, breaking it into specific details. The imagery of this piece is raw and in that way, more powerful than the imagery in the previously mentioned pieces. Perhaps not everyone can relate to playing the piano, but the image of a grown man sitting in front of one practicing his scales is one that is easy to picture and the difficulty of learning a new talent is one that the reader can relate to.
This third section is my favorite so far. I found the poems in this section to be more focused on the imagery and less on allusions and sophisticated language. Although the previous sections are beautifully written, the third section is the most raw and exposes Billy Collins as a human behind his writing.
I hate how long some of Collins poem titles are. I have a pet peeve for long titles, and it makes me not wnat to read the poem. As for poems that I did like, I really liked the Afternoon with Irish Cows poem. I thought it was very nice, and it had a good ring to it while I read it. I liked the line "Black and white maps on their sides" as a description for cows. Cows have always been just an animal to me, like, oh, look, a cow is over there. But with this poem, it made me feel that cows are really interesting. The way Collins wrote about cows reminded me of humans a little bit. The line "How patient and dumbfounded they look in the long quiet of the afternoons" made me think of how lazy humans get sometimes.The poem gave me a little laugh.
ReplyDeleteI particulary loved the poem Shoveling Snow with Buddha. I have always been a lover of buddha, and this poem describes him in a very wonderful way. I love the idea that the dude is talking the entire time, and the buddha is just staying silent. It shows the concept of buddhism in a fun and inviting way. The picture of the buddha shoveling made me chuckle because, as Collins writes, "You would never see him doing such a thing". The way they stop shoveling to play cards, then the buddha starts shoveling again shows the perseverence that is common with buddihsts on their paths to enlightenment. Overall, I think Collins does a very good job portraying the buddha, and I am coming to like him the more I read his peoms.
Mariah Gonzalez
ReplyDeleteTwo of my favorite poems in the section, “Picnic, Lightning” by Billy Collins are Some Days and Morning. For some reason, I seem to be more attracted to Collins simple poems, than ones that are complex. Collins simple poems come off as pieces that are much more beautiful to me, but maybe that’s just because I like the simple things in life more than things that are overcomplicated. On the front of the book of poems, The New Yorker states “What Collins does best is turn an apparently simple phrase into a numinous moment.” I couldn’t agree more. Without all of the detail and research that may go into a more complex poem, I am able to fully understand what story is being told in the piece and appreciate the poem more; rather than my mind skipping over words or stanzas because I am unfamiliar with what is being said.
One of the characteristics I like about the poem, Some Days, is the comparison between the individual and the dolls. Collins reflects upon how it must feel to have no control over yourself; to be moved rather than being able to move on your own. This reflection is personal to readers, allowing them to imagine how it would feel to be to have no control of the actions they took and what it would be like to be controlled by another individual. The poem, Morning, is one of my favorites due to the pure imagery that is involved. As a reader, I am fully able to imagine the morning being described. I like the repetition of the line “and buzzing around the house on espresso” since I feel as though this line represents mornings the most. Overall, I think this poem is purely beautiful, and nothing more.
One poem that grabbed my attention was "Insomnia." It reminds me a short story I wrote last year, which contained a lot of stream of consciousness. In this poem, Collins lines flow from stanza to stanza, creating a large image made of severall small images. The simplicity of the poem is probably what struck me the most. Taking the pictures that you see before falling asleep and turning them into a poem was very effective. Each poem varies in tone and theme, and not one sounds like the other, which makes Collins such a good author. In his fourth stanza, he wrote, "What is there to do but close my eyes / and watch him circling the night, / schoolboy in an ill-fitting jacket, / leaning forward, his cap on backwards, / wringing the handlebars, / maintaining a certain speed?" This image is very clear and although it doesn't have a specific point in the poem. Like most of the poems in the this section, there is a lot of imagery that appeals to any reader.
ReplyDelete"Dharma" is another poem that is clearly Collins' writing. Using a dog as the focus point of the poem, he gives it human attributions that ultimately pertain to Buddhist beliefs. "The way the dog trots out the front door / every morning / without a hat or umbrella, / without any money / or the keys to her doghouse / never fails to fill the saucer of my heart / with milky admiration." He gets the message across in a clever tone, and something that I guarantee no other author would think of.
The images that Collins brought out in the first part that I read obviously continue on in the second part. I was intrigued by the poem entitled Picnic, Lighting. The first caption about a mother being killed in a freak accident is what initially grabbed my attention. It made me what to know more about what happened. I loved how I felt like I was in the middle of the accident myself. The message of this poem what much more clear than some of the other ones that I had read in the earlier parts of the book. I have to say that I am still not sold on Collins or his writing style but to each its own. The similies and the metaphors that were used throughout this particular poem were also really good in my opinion. I will continue reading through this poem book and make my final judgement at the end.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed these last two sections immensely more than I did the first two. I looked at the dates of the collections, and saw that these have been going in chronological order--and thus are going from the beginning of Collins' career to the present. His style has grown a lot--he, like Taylor said, is more focused on the images in his poems, rather than jumping from setting to setting, from perspective to perspective.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is from the third section, but it has been my favorite poem so far: "On Turning Ten" struck a particular chord, as I read it the day after my sister turned ten. She, too, was reluctant to enter the "big numbers," fearing she would leave her childhood behind. Many tears ensued. Collins' poem gave the perspective I had missed while comforting her, and brought me back to how scary turning ten was--a feeling that pervades the rest of our lives, as we grow older and older. I also liked the musical imagery Collins' employed in several of his poems.