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.
Hey Perla, I really like your connection to emotion when writing poetry. I, too, believe emotion necessary in writing poetry because poetry was created on the basis of releasing strong emotions or expression strong emotions without the consequences of acting upon them. The tedious parts of writing about poetry is definitely needing to really examine the poetry closely. This is a weak area of me, because of confirmation bias, I might over look something important no matter how many times I read. Additionally, the analytical element is entirely up to the writing, and althought there are no "wrong" answers in analysis, there are some answers, or even answers I come to myself, that leave me dumbfounded. I love how you included a segment where you talked about implementing this into the classroom. This is a really smart method to critically think about using this as lesson plan material. I do see alot of potential in poetry because of the avenues it can be used; the analytical element of writing in general, is further harnessed through poetic analysis. Like all skills, you can get better at analyzing and I truely believe students need to.
ReplyDeleteHi Perla,
ReplyDeleteI agree that writing analytically and from an emotional place come from two different parts of our brain. You expressed these as analytical and creativity. This is true, but at some point as in the refining of one's poetry we drift back into our thinking brain. Had we already decided on the type of poem? Does it still work? Is the meter working? Is the emotion still there to speak to my audience?
I think the two assignments work well together and provide strong elements to help create strengths for each of us and for future students if we impliment similar assignments into the classroom setting. I agree that analysis and creativity should stay together in assignments and will ponder how to structure more learning in this fashion. Nice job!
--CD O'Faolain