Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Challenge of Writing Poetry

Poetry is so hard to write.  It is so personal, and no matter whether you are 8 or 80, the difficulty is right there, staring you in the face.  My daughter, Megan is taking a poetry writing class as part of her post secondary class at Ohio University Lancaster.    She shares the challenge.

Poems are Personal

"Poems are personal," he said.
As if I want to share,
with fifteen people I don't know.

I scribble things out
because after two hours
I've got nothing to share.
No love stories, at least not with you.

"Poems are personal."
What's my story to you?
Feelings are hard.
To tell you would leave me bare.
I can imagine me pouring out my heart,
only to see your blank stare.

So nice to meet you.
You'll learn a lot,
because "poems are personal."
I'll have to give this some thought.

Elementary rhymes,
and childish themes.
Poems aren't my style,
or that's how it seems.

As I sit here and write,
with so little heart,
this poem isn't personal,
but it's definitely a start.

As we start our focus on poetry in Reading Workshop, what are your thoughts?  Opinions?  Ideas?

46 comments:

Hadley P. said...

I agree with the author in the poem when they are talking about being personal. I think that writing poems are difficult because you have to be so personal with strangers.

Elementary rhymes,
and childish themes.
Poems aren't my style,
or that's how it seems.


However, I don't agree with that, though. I honestly don't think that little kid rhymes are poetry. You cannot judge your opinion on poems by referring to children's rhymes.

Hannah C said...

I think writing poems are extremely difficult for two reasons. One is because we don't write poems as much as we do anything else in The Reading Workshop. Two, they are personal which makes them hard to write if you are given a certain topic to write about. For example, if the teacher assigns everyone in your class to write a poem about your blog, then he expects everyone's to be different. That means you can't just look off of your neighbors paper and copy what they have down, because that is their own personal thought and yours should be different.

My thought about the poem "Poems are Personal" is that what is says is absolutely true. There's no way I would want to share a poem about my personal thoughts to fifteen people I don't even know. It also takes me a long time to get an idea up and running.

I really don't like writing poetry, but that is because we don't write poems a lot, like Mr. McGuire told me.

Mr. McGuire said...

Hadley,

I think that is a good point I honestly don't think that little kid rhymes are poetry. You cannot judge your opinion on poems by referring to children's rhymes.

I also think Megan would agree with you, but faces the challenge of making a poem meaningful, and then sharing it with classmates.

Makayla K said...

The author is very good at writing this poem. I really like when it says
( As I sit here and write,
with so little heart,
this poem isn't personal,
but it definitely a start.
)
I can really relate to that like when I try to write something I sit with little heart.

Mr. McGuire said...

Makayla,

Hopefully as we work through this together, you will dig into your heart and share your thoughts and your passions.

Rylee C said...

I think this poem is giving the thought of what the writer thinks of poetry. I think that the writer is saying that poetry is about something personal in your life. I also think that the writer is saying that poetry isn't as easy as you think it is.

I agree with what I think the poem is about. I think that poetry comes from the heart. It comes from something that is personal or something that has happened to you. I also agree that poetry isn't as easy as what you expect. I also think that poetry has to have a meaning and a theme to it.

Eric D. said...

This poem relates to me because I have some personal things and I feel Heartless sometimes and that I also feel helpless to other people.

Mr. McGuire said...

Eric,
I think poetry might just be a way for your to express thoughts and ideas you have.

Ian L. said...

I think that a lot of poems are personal and that like it says in the poem I would not want to write a love story or anything with a lot of feelings or all my personal thoughts. I am shy around people that I have met for the first or second time and I would not even be able to write a long poem because I would be too nervous.

Rj.b said...

I think that poetry is easy. All you have to do is think about what you do in your life, and mix that in with your poem. Then think how do your feel are you happy ,sad,or mad. Then you can add something that is funny ,or maybe something sad that has happen in your life, and add that in your poem. So I would have to disagree poems are easy to write.

Madison H. said...

I like the thought of this poem. It states that if you don't know someone you don't want to express your feelings with them.

Poems are personal! Poems are always what you think or your thoughts about whatever it is that you are writing about. I think that this poem tells how she felt even though she said that she didn't have anything to say.

I wouldn't want to read poems to people I just met and don't think they would understand me and my feelings.

Savannah M said...

I really like this poem think she gave it a lot of thought and opinion. I think what she said about Poems are Personal is true. Poems are your personal thoughts and your dreams.

The way she wrote this poem she expressed the way she thinks about poetry. I would not want to read a poem to everybody because a poem is when you tell your personal feelings about something or someone. But if I wrote a poem that was funny I would be more than glad to share it.

caleb w said...

This poem relates to me because I'm not good at writing poems. I'm not that patient.

Kaitlyn said...

I like that. I really do agree with you on that one. Because when I write a poem I don't want a bunch of people reading. I really would not want people I don't know reading it that would just be embarrassing to me.

Shawn.W. said...

The thing that I like about this poem is that she put all of the stuff that she wanted in there. I am glad that that she did not just go in there and put in stuff that she did not know. The only thing that I want to say is that this is A good poem.

Micah L said...

I agree with the idea of this poem. I believe poems are personal too. Poems just seem better when they are personal.

I think poems are better when they are personal. When poems are personal they seem to have more of an impact in poems. I think poems that are personal have impact on people because if it's personal then that means it is probably nice and has a lot of love or something like that. I think has in impact on people.

I really, really like poetry, because poetry is never ever done. You could use the best poet in history and still add on to it and change it. I also like poetry because poetry does not have to rhyme. Poetry is some what a part of life for people including me. Poetry seems to always have impact in you, in your life. It does not really have an impact if you do not write a personal poem. Thats why Poems are Personal, so that they can speak to you.

cassie said...

I like this poem because it has a lot of thoughts and opinion. What I think about what she said about poems being personal is sometimes they can be really not personal you never know.But it is personal because they express the way you are and then it is personal.

Tyler B. said...

I think it is very difficult to write poems because one most poems are personal.Two because you have to put in your thoughts,expressions and feelings in your poem.

My thoughts about this poem "Poems are Personal" is true. The reason I think this poem is true because everybody has there own thoughts and opinions.

Hannah Hop said...

I agree with the author of this poem when they say:
"Poems are personal", he said
As if want to share,
with fifteen people I don't know.

I agree and relate to this part of the poem because sharing personal thoughts and feeling are really hard to do in poetry. Sometimes they are way too personal to share or other times it is hard to put all of your feelings and thoughts into words!

Kate said...

When the author wrote:
Elementary rhymes,
and childish themes.
Poems aren't my style,
or that's how it seems.

I can relate to that because I can't write poems that I like. I can write short stories, but I'm bad at writing poetry.
That is why I don't know how the next few weeks will go with writing poetry. I guess I have to do it, but I don't think I'll like it. That might be why I don't write poems though.

Karly said...

What I think is if you put your goals and you work your hardest that you really put your heart into it then it should be a good poem!

The line "Poems are personal" is really a meaningful thing to me,because maybe you do not want your poem to be seen or maybe you do.Poems are personal to me what about you?

Poems are very meaningful things to me anyways because you can express your feelings to someone or to your mom or dad or even your family.

Thats what poems mean to me you can use poems in many different ways.This poem has a lot of opinions it and of course that is my opinion!

Brandon C. said...

I agree with you. When I write poems I don't want to share them. They are about me and I don't want everyone to see what I write. If a bunch of random people that I don't know read my poem, It would embarrass me if I made a mistake or shared some of my personal information.

Mr. McGuire said...

Kate,

Don't worry

I can't write poems that I like. I can write short stories, but I'm bad at writing poetry. That is why I don't know how the next few weeks will go with writing poetry.

The poetry project in Reading Workshop is a journey that you will survive, grow, learn, and succeed.

Mr. McGuire said...

Hannah Hop,

When you said, Sometimes they are way too personal to share or other times it is hard to put all of your feelings and thoughts into words!
you make a great point. When you are successful sharing and put forth the hard work, the results will be amazing.

Andrew S said...

The part in this poem that I can really relate to is that the poems I write or type up on the computer are what has happened in my life. The reason is because stuff in my life is a way I write poems. The other thing is that I try to add feeling and details about the objects and places around me.

zach D said...

I think that poetry is important. Because you say what you think or how you feel. Like you said it is personal.

Sense we are going to be working on poetry for the next three week. Then I should get better.

I think when you do your best and try your hardest you can really make a good poem.

Justin G. said...

Poems are like telling someone how you feel. You got to express your feelings. So you definitely would not want to tell someone you just met how you feel.

Poetry is not about rhyming because if you just rhymed you would not get your full thought to who the person is reading it. The only way you are going to get your feeling through to the person who is reading it is if you tell them exactly how you feel, just like it says in the poem.

Shaylee said...

I like this poem because it tells you how some poems are personal and how it's hard for some people to write a poem. Not everyone keeps their poems personal. Not everyone thinks poems are hard. No matter what people think I still agree with this poem.

I agree with this poem because It is very hard to write a poem. Most people don't know what to write about, or how to start a poem. Sometimes I have trouble with a poem i'm working on. Every once in a while people have trouble when they're making a poem.

Nathan N. said...

This poem means to me that if you give all you have than than it is personal.
These liens mean the most to me :

I scribble things out
because after two hours
I've got nothing to share.
No love stories, at least not with you.

"Poems are personal."
What's my story to you?
Feelings are hard.
To tell you would leave me bare.
I can imagine me pouring out my heart,
only to see your blank stare.

What do these lines mean to you? Here is my advise to everyone, give it your all then give more (meaning give more than you can give.

Destiny said...

I kind of agree with you. I think there could be people that says it is just another peace of writing. I think that you should not put stuff that would embarrass you into your poetry. I think you should put some stuff but not to much that it will make you fill uncomfortable.

kelsey said...

When you are writing a poem it is mostly about you and your life or maybe even your love life, I don't know. Anyway what I am trying to say is that poems are indeed very personal. Poems are also about the thoughts you have like about your feelings.

This is what i think poems are about.

Nash C. said...

"I scribble things out
because after two hours
I've got nothing to share."


I agree with this part of the poem because I always find it hard to write poems and make them personal. When I do write a personal poem it takes me a long time.

Kennedy said...

Poems are personal as if I want to share with fifteen people I don't know really tells me that when you write a poem it is not just through words together that rhyme. You really have to tell what you feel and what the meaning of the poem is. You will just have to give it some thought about what you are writing.

Jimmy C. said...

As if I want to share,
with fifteen people I don't know.


I agree with Megan because I wouldn't want share my poem either with people I didn't know.

joey p said...

feelings are hard to tell you would leave me bare this line speaks to me because I keep a lot of secrets, personal ones and if they figure that secret it just leaves you sad. so i know what your talking about when you say to tell you would leave me bare.

Justin P. said...

I agree with the author when she said:
When the author wrote:
Elementary rhymes,
and childish themes.
Poems aren't my style,
or that's how it seems.
I agree with that because I think poems that rhyme are too corny. Every since the third grade I thought poems that didn't rhyme sounded better than poems that did rhyme.

Cierra D said...

"Poems are personal." Feelings are hard.

I think that theses to parts of the poem are really special. When you write a poem you are telling how you feel. But sometimes it is harder than you think. sometimes you you can't explain how you really feel.

Jacob A said...

"Poems are personal," he said.
As if I want to share,
with fifteen people I don't know.


This part of the poem means that you are scared to share something in front of different people. I think that it is O.K. that some people get scared of sharing something that is personal. My advice to you is to do your best and then you won't be so scared.

Mr. McGuire said...

Joey,

If you use the same honestly in your poetry that you did in your comment, I am sure your poems will be excellent.

Bethany K said...

I'll have to give this some thought.

This line speaks to me because with poems or writing or even some life decisions you have to think about things and decide what to do. You have to give them some thought. Something I have to give a lot of thought but some I might have to give little thought, but thinking of things and giving them some thought and do not rush.

Hannah Hart. said...

I can agree or relate to this poem because, poems are really personal and sometimes it's hard to let your feelings out on a piece of paper.

From personal experiments I know it is really hard to start a personal poem, it takes time and practice to really let out your feelings. But when you get started you can really write some good stuff.

Alysha p. said...

Poems are personal

Poems are personal they are your feelings. They are given to a special person. When I write a poem I show my personal feelings. In my poem I write to get me feelings out. After getting my feelings out I feel a little better.

Jacob P. said...

Poems are personal. Poems are personal, they're your thoughts and they're coming out of your head. It's O.K. to be scared to share your writing. If you mess up and it's bad then everyone might laugh, or just maybe your classmates will help you learn from your mistakes. But you shouldn't be scared, poems are a good way to get your feelings out. So what I'm saying is don't be scared. You may learn from your mistakes.

Darren said...

A personal poem is something that is personal like a love life or something you write about yourself and about how you feel. Some poems are very personal and you need to be very confident about what you write. Make sure you put plenty of thought in your poem.

alden said...

"Poems are personal," is a good line because most good poems are personal. if you wrote a poem about how good or bad potato chips are or how good Christmas is than that would be your (personal) opinion.

Kasi R. said...

I really like this poem because I think somethings are better if we just keep them to ourselves.

If you are to write a poem about your life you might not want to do that if you have a bad or personal life that no one knows about. It would be tough for you to try writing things that you are comfortable enough to say out loud. I have somethings that I do not tell to others that are personal that I would be uncomfortable to say out loud, so I know what it is like.