Getting to Know Each Other

I have thoroughly enjoyed our poetry class for several reasons. One of these reasons is that, although our class in large in regards to workshopping poems, it is small in regards to getting to know each other. At this point, I'm not positive that I remember everyone's first name--and I certainly don't remember last names. However, I know people based on their poetry. I don't think I've ever had a class where we concentrated and focused on workshops. There's something pretty cool about knowing that if one of our classmates forgot to write their name on their poem, I might be able to correctly identify it just based on the writing style and content. I love that we've become so familiar with each other's work that such a thing is possible. I also love the way reading poems from so many different people from so many different backgrounds has broadened my knowledge of poetry and even helped me with my own work. This is probably the only class where I will miss classmates this semester, too. This class has been fairly easy, but I feel like I've learned so much! I'm so glad I took this class. It was great to hear everyone's ideas and poetry. = )

Hope to have classes with you guys again!

Sarah Corra

Revising poems

After the last workshop day of the class, I was left with some great feedback for my poem. For the most part, my peers agreed that my work, although a fun read, was a little bit of a hodgepodge. The poem did not flow as well as it could have. So what I attempted to do in my revisions was make the poem flow better from stanza to stanza. Because I was working with the references of so many different pop culture icons, I decided the best way to connect the people I wrote of was by association using the events of their respective lives as the borameter. Initially, I started out with Lennon then moved to Ingrid Berman. In my revised version, I used sections to better represent my thought process in the poem, and to better aid the reader throug the poem. I coupled JFK with Lennon, highlighting their tragically young passings. I used Monroe, Berman, and added Judy Garland to another section, actresses that to me best represent the grainy black and white era of cinema. I also added an even more playful opening to the poem, one that uses the speaker's voice slightly more in reality, something that I think adds to my poem's idea of the cycles of being high. I think that the workshop process and Matt's comments greatly helped my work here. I knew where I was trying to go, but I didn't know how to get there. The comments my classmates gave me allowed me to see the direction I needed to be pointed in to write a sensical poem.

workshopping and portfolio

The workshopping process was something that greatly improved my work throughout the semester. At the beginning of the year, I would read my poetry to myself and think that it read well, that what I was writing was substantial and creative. But when I was able to have my peers read my work, certain things were pointed out to me that I never would have thought of if not for the workshop process. Certain things that were disclosed to me: sometimes a cluttered, complicated image is not the best one. An image that is clear, concise, and brings out some sort of emotion is usually the best. Also, poetry can be vague, but being vauge for the sake of being vague is not a recipe for good work. I have found that, although you are writing for yourself, you are also writing for the sake of the reader. The revisions I made in my portfolio reflect the work I made to make my poems more accomidating to the reader. Although the strange is welcomed in this genre, I have found that the simplest form, however strange, usually works best, as is the case for most things.
Michael McCune

Imitation Poems

I love that we've done several imitation poems in class. I think it's a great experience to attempt to write using the style of other poets. It's an interesting challenge, and I've learned a lot from it. I decided that it would be fun to try to imitate Dean Young's poem "True/False." While I kept his style of numbered statements, I also attempted to maintain a certain depth to the statements I made.

True Or False?

1. There is always a right answer.
2. He loves me.
3. Do you see what I see?
4. Robin’s Egg Blue is a cooler crayon than Periwinkle.
5. Cell phones give you cancer—all that radiation gnaws away at your brain.
6. I am a culinary genius.
7. I masturbate to keep warm.
8. Bill Gates.
9. Wednesdays are the new Fridays—you know what I mean.
10. Full moons bring out the crazies.
11. Chivalry is dead.
12. Pay. Attention.
13. My black cat really is bad luck.
14. She also has a crooked ear from where my brother squished her in the Lazyboy.
15. I am beautiful.
16. Question Mark.
17. Men go through PMS too…sort of.
18. The government hears you dirty-talking your girlfriend.
19. Why is the rum always gone?
20. You are forgiven.
21. I complain about hickeys.
22. I am proud of my hickeys.
23. He loves me not.
24. If your grandmother had seen you last night, she would have been ashamed.
25. We are made in God’s image.
26. Number twenty-nine is a lie.
27. I love my name.
28. I’ve always admired you.
29. Sixty-nineing is more fun to say than do.
30. Ozzy drools like a dog. He begs and fetches, too.
31. My ring finger is unadorned.
32. Grammar is a forgotten art.
33. Wouldn’t you like to know?
34. Your mother told you lies.
35. But she was damn good in bed.
36. Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.
37. Naps are better if you’re not alone.
38. I have issues with authority.
39. People with uniforms intimidate me.
40. People with uniforms and guns intimidate me even more.
41. Sarah can fly—but it’s not recommended.
42. A bomb in the lasagna? Great Scott!
43. This one time, I went to my uncle’s house in Louisiana. My brother & I were bored, so we went down to the bayou in a boat. I leaned over the edge of the boat to see what we hit, and an alligator jumped up and bit me in the face.
44. Forty-three is totally true, and I have the scar above my left eye to prove it.
45. Men are merely necessities.
46. Unless you have plenty of AAA batteries.
47. I want to see my landlord in the scope of my rocket launcher.
48. Then pull the trigger.
49. No one in Hollywood deserves to be mentioned in this poem.
50. I cannot ride a bike.
51. I have no desire to learn either—most the time.
52. Pacifists always get assassinated.
53. I hate being a woman.
54. I love being a woman.
55. I aspire to be a kinky old lady.
56. Some kid once mistook my birthmark for a tattoo.
57. But I’m still not telling you where it is.
58. I have a fetish for Asians…female Asians.
59. But mostly I’m totally straight.
60. Except for that cold, lonely night in Manhattan.

Sarah Corra

Waiting for my foot to ring by Bob Hicok

What a strange and interesting poem! This thing is full of awesome lines which at first glance all seem to be somewhat random (as you might be able to tell by the title) yet have something woven between them that keeps them all together to tell some sort of story. My absolute favorite line in this poem is "I have sunlight on my hands/I'm thinking of putting it in a box and sending/to the people who weight sunlight". Brilliant. That this poem seems to be doing is bringing a sort of Hyper realism (i think that's the right word) to an otherwise normal, but sad situation. The speakers father is on the operating table for what seems to be colon cancer, and the speaker in basically just showing us what he sees but in a very unique way. He then tells us about his fathers childhood, and some stuff about his own childhood as well. I suppose one line in his poem kind of shows what he is doing, and that is "Every time I write, I try to hold/the world still by noticing how the world moves". VERY cool poem.

`Brian Michael Dunar

On Being a Sonnet Snob

I think I'm a sonnet snob. First of all, I would like to say that I am not one of those few talented poets who write sonnets well. Even though this is the case, I still have a certain idea in mind when it comes to what a sonnet should be like. A sonnet should have certain qualities to it, in addition to the actual rules/criteria that defines a sonnet. It should use more formal language.--though not necessarily Old English. I also have trouble grasping "modern sonnets." For example, "Heat" by Denis Johnson does not fit my criteria. I don't deny that it is a good poem; and it certainly is interesting. However, I just prefer the more traditional sonnets. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" by Shakespeare and "Farewell to Love" by Michael Drayton are both great sonnets. I love the language used in both of these sonnets. I also like the more romantic themes. While I appreciate that we all have our own style when it comes to writing poetry, I also appreciate that we all enjoy different types of poetry. I think the types of sonnets I enjoy are the more traditional sonnets.

Sarah Corra

Response to Moment by Sarah C. Portner

Good job! I found this poem really interesting. I like how you managed to capture that "Moment" in time so vividly yet you didn't give away what happened in this moment. I think the mystery in this poem along with the strong details and imagry really brought it to life even without knowing what exactly happened. The other cool thing about it is that it is able to be related with to me as the reader even though I have not experienced this moment. It is written in a way that makes it universal and shows the value of friendships and the impact it can make on our lives, whether good or bad. The one thing I did find unclear however (if you are looking for some suggestions for revision as well) is actually the very last line. This is because it does not have a direct link to a point in the poem. I think it is talking about the colors two lines before, but I think the placement of the line makes it seem like the days are running down the face in smears and not the colors. I may have interperated (sp?) it wrong though, but if it was a little bit more clear like the rest of the poem I think that would be really helpful.

Thanks for the good read!
Brian Michael Dunar