Ah, poetry.
So, I’ve been reading your reflections on poetry in particular and in general, and I feel much of the things y’all have expressed. (Side note: If you haven’t done Journal 9 yet, do so!) I love poetry. I love to read it, and, at times, to write it. That said, it’s a beast that I haven’t quite known how to deal with as a reader, a writer, OR a teacher.
When I was in grad school, the poet D. Nurkse told my Craft of Poetry class (I’m probably poorly paraphrasing here) the difference between writers of prose and writers of poetry is the fact that writers are concerned with what is filling up the white space, while poets are concerned with the white space itself.
That’s always stuck with me when I’ve written–and read–poetry: the white space is just as important as the words that are filling the page.
As you revise your poems (due Monday, May 4), look at your white space around your words, and see how you can change it. Play with the words and the white space.
So, a few things for you to work on:
- Formal critiques are due to me and the poets on Wednesday, 4/29. Please send your critiques to my gmail account!
- Revise poems for evaluation on Monday, 5/4.
- First, read assigned scenes from Suzan-Lori Parks’ play, Topdog/Underdog,
answer the questions after each scene, and be ready to discuss dialogue on 5/4. (If anyone’s interested in reading the entire play, let me know and I’ll email a copy–it’s a really great play!) - Then, find text threads on your cell phones and rewrite them as dialogue. Maybe you have one long text conversation or several–it doesn’t matter how long, but focus on the content. Be ready to share them on 5/4. (Feel free to change names or other specifics.)
If you have questions, you know where to find me!
Stay safe & be well!
