POETRY!!

Poetry is:
Beauty, form, flow, rhythm, rhyme, balance, imbalance, upset, anger, loss, recognition, history, humor, satire, politics, music, childhood, adulthood, sharing, covering, documentation, revolution ....putting words together that evoke emotion.
A form of "emotional download"...free up some "mind space" for new thoughts, or put our thoughts into permanence, and learn what others feel and think. Sometimes, I think poetry can be bland if the topic doesn't excite me...and then I feel like I am less of a reader because I must be missing something about an other's intellect or intent or use of words to create beauty.
Poetry is music, a flock of birds flying overhead in unison, a crowd cheering on a team, the birth of a baby, the death of a loved one...all things can be put to verse.

Group Discussion
1) Share our responses
2) Create a list of adjectives
Fear, hopes and dreams, other's actual experiences, relationships, symbols, pain,
addiction/drug use, vitality and youth, aging and growth, purge, encouragement,
educating, deathly, deep, entertaining, confusing, upsetting, funny, intelligent, elegant, secretive, ambiguous, romantic, relaxing, powerful, childish, artistic, wordy, complex, repetitive, fluffy, challenging, old, musical, expressive, brief, amusing, boring, and flowing.
Our groups three feelings/adjectives about poetry: Difficult, exciting, and emotional.
3) Read my mind (the professor's), what are her goals? To familiarize us with different authors of poetry and have us attain an appreciation of poetry. Maybe even write some poems. We will learn the terms of poetry, and analyze the messages it contains. Get us out of our comfort zone and embrace something new. To expand student's horizons, to view other people and cultures, to learn more about ourselves and each other, to understand what "good" poetry, to have fun with poetry,to make us more "active" readers and to write some poetry.
Professor read aloud a poem!