New Tools (Blog 3)

This week, we talked about some of the ways in which we can strengthen our poems through comparing, personifying, using apostrophes, and lying. I liked exactly how Koch put it, “It is possible to think that if poetry remains faithful to what is rational and clear, then it will also remain a prisoner of what is already known: it will say, no matter what the poet intends, essentially the same old things” (56). I like thinking about using these new tools in writing poetry to add not only depth and meaning to my poetry, but also to step outside the confines of everyday language and explore and experiment with varying forms of how to use it. Koch explained this perfectly in his book with that quote by adding sense or I guess I should say significance to the purpose of poetry.

After this week’s readings, I am really beginning to gain a better understanding of the language and music of poetry. The knowledge of poetry continues to expand every week. Most especially after this week’s readings, I am inspired to write using some of the new tools I learned to enhance my writing and what I am trying to evoke in my poems. The idea that saying less is more in poetry can add more meaning to it, is beginning to take hold in my mind. I have enjoyed thinking and coming up with ways in which I can make my poems so much more detailed with saying less and using better, richer words and comparisons.

The artistic process is starting to make more sense to me and it now seems like it is so much more than just mangled words and muddled phrases, but there is meaning and tools that are being used behind what is being written and not just nonsense like I sometimes use to feel when I would read poetry. After reading these first few chapters in Koch’s book, the artistic process is becoming clearer to me and I feel as though I can carry a lot of what I am learning into life and the things I create and add more meaning.