Writing and Dissecting: The Similarities and Differences of Making and Arguing About Poetry

    When I was writing about the poem "Ozymandias" and making an argument about it I obviously had to deeply analyze the meaning in each word and line. So when I was making my own poem "Surfing Bonaparte" I also considered the meaning behind the poem's words. My argument was that the meaning of the poem was about the inevitable fall of all civilizations led by tyrants that was a reflection of the author's views regarding tyranny. So I had to do some research on the author and use sources that talked about and referenced his viewpoints in association to the text. I also looked into the history behind the poem as it was talking about Pharaoh Ramses II and learned about why Shelley chose the name Ozymandias instead of Ramses due to directly quoting from an ancient Greek historian. So when I wrote my poem about Napoleon, I wanted to make it a bizarre reference and retell how lost the Naval war to the British and soon after lost the entire war, being banished to St. Helena. His surfing can be considered an allegory for Napoleon riding the high of his war as he conquered much of Europe only to wipe out after getting too close to the sun, or more correctly eclipse. But making a poem yourself definitely does not require anywhere near as much research or analysis as writing about a poem does, as you are the one making a poem and are the author so you mainly follow your gut. The only major thing to take into account is respecting the poetic format you choose to apply to your poem, other than that it is much more freestyle and liberative than writing about poetry. Those were all similarities and differences I noticed regarding both. Writing about poetry regarding "Ozymandias" did inform me about some potential topics and symbolism I could use regarding historical characters in poems that I used for "Surfing Bonaparte" as mentioned previously but I really cannot say the same vice versa. What I learned from the experience overall is that poetry is much more than just literature that sounds nice and rhythms. There is so much more to it in expression and storytelling, the complex formats of them and symbolism behind it, as well as the symbolism and meaning behind the rhythms and whatever story they are trying to tell. While I am not someone who is aspiring to be an English teacher I can definitely recommend teachers to encourage students to try and interpret the poems they are assigned to learn and read about and express their opinions to the class. I also recommend English teachers to encourage or assign their students to write their own poetry at least once per school year and have them all share and read their poems to the class in a poetry slam as it is a fun experience that can improve their writing while also being a way to express and bond with their classmates. Last class's poetry slam made me realize how fun and eye opening they were, as I listened to my peers pour their hearts out and share deep and personal experiences with the class in the form of expressive poetry. Overall I enjoyed the five weeks focused on poetry a lot more than I ever thought I would because if I may be honest, I was never super fond of poetry. It is not that I hate it or even dislike it, it's just that it is my least favorite form of literature. But that doesn't mean I dont enjoy, appreciate it, or recognize its importance. Poetry is an important part of English Literature and always will be in my opinion.