Writing Poetry vs. Writing About Poetry

Creative Vs. Analytical

Although writing poetry and writing about poetry are both similarly connected, both actions make me think in different ways. When I begin to write poetry, I associate it with creativity and the ability to express myself. While writing poetry, I use it as an outlet to unleash my true emotions and sentiments regarding whatever I am writing about. However, when I am writing about poetry, it feels more analytical. Instead of thinking creatively, I focus on the reasoning behind why it was written and examining things such as word choice and structure. 

The Writer and The Critic

Although the process of writing poetry and writing about poetry are different, I found that both actions helped me strengthen my writing and analysis. For example, as I was writing about poetry, the analysis I was conducting helped me pay more attention while I was crafting my own poems. Analyzing poems helped give me insight into the different struggles and choices poets make while crafting their own poems. Since I was writing poems and writing about poems, this made me more thoughtful as a writer and a critic, since it made me conduct my analysis in an empathetic manner, and also use these skills in my writing. 

Lessons for the Classroom

From crafting my own poems and analyzing other poets’ work, similarly, I learned that creativity and analysis should not be separated in teaching. For example, I believe that when prompting students to craft their own poems, it would be best to have them analyze other poets’ works as well, so they can experience how the two processes enrich one another.