My first assignment (one of two) is due today. It is to submit a short poem which, "demonstrates unexpectedness."
I reacted two ways initially. I wanted to put my best work forward because it will be the work that my class mates will judge me by. I also resented the idea of unexpectedness because I don't feel that originality is necessarily a worthy goal. Anyways, once i got out of my own ass...
A is for apple,
B is for blue,
C is for crab,
D is for do.
E is for elephant
Frollicing in
Grass,
Have
Ideals,
Joke with
Kindness,
Search[1] for truth in the
Madraglass.
N is for nothing
O is for omit
P is for, “Peace out my Brothers and Sisters.”
Q is for quit.
______
[1] ‘Search’ is a know synonym of ‘Look’.
Unexpected is essentially a function of expectations. So, before i started writing, I considered expectations.
1. formal expectations. I set up a pattern and broke it. I could have done this more (not rhyming, etc). but the search for look and not finishing the alphabet was enough. if i break the form too much, it's no longer a form and i'm subverting something that doesn't exist. (Of course, the opposite could also be true, because of the assignment something totally un-unexpected could be unexpected).
2. the footnote. i'm so fucking postmodern.
3. to play with rhyming. modern poems don't often rhyme with old fashioned rhyming rhymes.
4. have meaning. the poem means nothing, it's a gibberish poem. i tried to hint at meaning to make the lack of meaning more acute. 'madraglass', as far as i know, is a word i made up.
5. social expectations. I'll be expected to put forward a good poem, if not my best. This is neither of those. I am subverting the exception of quality and the expectation that serious writers will be serious and try to show off. I also feel i'm expected (based on the reading assignments) to submit serious poetry. this poem nothing but is play.
Nonetheless, I wrote a new poem. It's the first thing my classmates will see and it's not very good. And it isn't directly contributing to the goal of finding my voice. But i think it's the courageous choice because it isn't me trying to be the best in the class. It's me being me. Silly, playful and not taking poetry too seriously. And i feel it is unexpected.
(NOTE: I ended up cutting out the footnote. It was too much.)
I reacted two ways initially. I wanted to put my best work forward because it will be the work that my class mates will judge me by. I also resented the idea of unexpectedness because I don't feel that originality is necessarily a worthy goal. Anyways, once i got out of my own ass...
A is for apple,
B is for blue,
C is for crab,
D is for do.
E is for elephant
Frollicing in
Grass,
Have
Ideals,
Joke with
Kindness,
Search[1] for truth in the
Madraglass.
N is for nothing
O is for omit
P is for, “Peace out my Brothers and Sisters.”
Q is for quit.
______
[1] ‘Search’ is a know synonym of ‘Look’.
Unexpected is essentially a function of expectations. So, before i started writing, I considered expectations.
1. formal expectations. I set up a pattern and broke it. I could have done this more (not rhyming, etc). but the search for look and not finishing the alphabet was enough. if i break the form too much, it's no longer a form and i'm subverting something that doesn't exist. (Of course, the opposite could also be true, because of the assignment something totally un-unexpected could be unexpected).
2. the footnote. i'm so fucking postmodern.
3. to play with rhyming. modern poems don't often rhyme with old fashioned rhyming rhymes.
4. have meaning. the poem means nothing, it's a gibberish poem. i tried to hint at meaning to make the lack of meaning more acute. 'madraglass', as far as i know, is a word i made up.
5. social expectations. I'll be expected to put forward a good poem, if not my best. This is neither of those. I am subverting the exception of quality and the expectation that serious writers will be serious and try to show off. I also feel i'm expected (based on the reading assignments) to submit serious poetry. this poem nothing but is play.
Nonetheless, I wrote a new poem. It's the first thing my classmates will see and it's not very good. And it isn't directly contributing to the goal of finding my voice. But i think it's the courageous choice because it isn't me trying to be the best in the class. It's me being me. Silly, playful and not taking poetry too seriously. And i feel it is unexpected.
(NOTE: I ended up cutting out the footnote. It was too much.)
RSS Feed