Tyson's Journal 4

I think the first few chapters about the structure and definitions in poetry helped the most.  I enjoy learning new words as well as the foundation of the art.  It has better helped me to understand what goes into writing poetry and how difficult it can be if the author puts a large amount of effort into it.

One idea that really makes sense to me is probably not from the book but something from class. Doing something different.  Being forced into new styles and trying new things has varied my own style.  Instead of writing the same poem over and over, I am now writing something new, and I can now take my old style and apply a new twist to it.

I haven't learned a great deal from the poems themselves but better the discussions before or during the reading of a poem.  They make for good illustrations of new ideas.  Without one of the poems we read in class (sorry I forget which one it was) I would not have learned what assonance is, nor have used it recently to the point it will stick to memory.  I can't remember the exact line so instead I will include my own, that I thought was clever....   "I pontificate my pain pompously" ....Assonance and redundancy.  I love it. 

Another thing I have enjoyed is playing with stops and line breaks.  This has given poetry a whole new meaning and is awesome to be able to mislead the reader into thinking something else before a twist.

Cynical,
I hate everything about poetry,
of those who don't write poetry.
In truth I love poetry,
when I'm not writing it.

I don't think this would work as well without those line breaks at the commas.