Reflection On Poetry Project: Poetry Anthology
I have devoted to the Poetry Project: Poetry Anthology as a great opportunity to demonstrate my love and knowledge of poetry in the course unit. To reflect, I have enjoyed every bit of my overall experience in my poetry journey. Coming to class with an opened mind and heart, I have fulfilled my poetry desire as a literature enthusiast. In addition, I have developed a high degree of understanding of poetry, through studies of colour marking, close reading, and commentary, thus I can now effectively review, analyze, and discuss various poems from different writers, forms, periods, geographical regions, and poetic techniques.
My favourite moment in my poetry journey is when I was given my first task, which was to define poetry. As I had never questioned it, I began to be incited about the true idea of poetry. Stumped of what Mr. Watson expected from the class, I however then concluded to define poetry as the song of one’s heart. I have understood that poetry involves the conception of a heart, which composes of the elements of tempo (speed of pulses), rhythm (alteration of strong and weak pulses), etc. My favourite moment brought the start of my poetry journey. In addition, when encountering opportunities and challenges in my poetry journey, I have appreciated and modified my profile of strengths and weaknesses in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as follows in depth.
My strength in reading includes selecting and applying appropriate reading comprehension strategies such as asking questions, to understand the intended meaning of the text. For example, in the activity of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, I asked a question on: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, ” (line 1), and I wondered what yellow symbolizes. There I would start to build my comprehension in the text. My weakness in reading includes identifying and analyzing enough to connect the text elements, such as imagery, to the presentation of an idea, such as a theme. For example, in the activity of “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, I had the lack of identifying and analyzing text imageries, such as darkness, woods, and winter, to a theme of some sort. Thus, I did not find any significant meaning from the text. I understand I need more practice in such activities.
My strength in writing includes locating and selecting information to appropriately support my ideas in a written form. For example, in the activity of individual poetry analysis – “Ode to Nightingale” by John Keats, I was able to locate and select the information on: “My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains, my sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk or emptied some dull opiate to the drains, ” (line 1-3), which there were examples of drugs (hemlock, opiate) to an extended metaphor for the heart aching, which is the drowsy numbness. I was able to communicate the picture of the intended meaning.
My weakness in writing includes identifying and organizing an appropriate organizational structure to effectively communicate the topic, purpose, and audience of writing. For example, in the activity of individual poetry analysis – “Ode to Nightingale” by John Keats, I communicated my writing in a form of a close reading or colour marking to Mr. Watson; and understandably, I did not receive satisfaction from my reader, because I should have done in a literary commentary, which is best suited for my topic, purpose, and audience of writing.
My strength in listening includes selecting and applying appropriate listening comprehension strategies, such as attentively facing the speaker, to understand the intended meaning of the text. For example, in the activity of "Common Magic" by Browen Wallen, a group reading task, I faced to the person reciting the poem to be present in the time to understand the message.
My weakness in listening includes identifying and making effective connections between the text ideas and out of context information like personal knowledge, experience, and insights. For example, in the activity of "Hope" by Emily Dickinson, a group reading task, I lost myself attempting to decipher every word to bring the intended meaning; however, I fail to consider any out of context information, such as my personal experience, and group members’ experience, with hope.
My strength in speaking includes identifying and selecting an appropriate manner, structure, and style to effectively communicate the topic, purpose, and audience of speaking. For example, in the activity of reading logs in a group setting, I recited the poem using appropriate pronunciation, tempo, emphasis, etc. , to effectively convey the message to my group.
My weakness in speaking includes understanding and demonstrating appropriate speaking strategies to the purpose, situation, and audience. For example, in the activity of reading logs in a group setting, I learned that I had the lack of speaking strategies, which then I went out to diversify my skill set. I still hold promise to read out loud several times, as recommended by Mr. Watson, to thoroughly understand the poem.
In conclusion of my preface, I have reflected on my overall experience in the course unit of Poetry. I have conveyed that I have appreciated and modified my profile of strengths and weaknesses in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. To highlight, I am still learning about the true idea of poetry at the end, as well the beginning, of my life-long poetry journey.
