Looking to your “pointing” notes from today’s class, what observations can you make about what tends to resonate with you in poetry? Extra credit for writing a "found poem" from your notes...
In reading over my pointing notes, I found that they are all about nature or wildlife: Tennessee heat, tomato, mossy, cicadas, binding the giant, summer bugs, wildlife, three deer, summertime sunshine, dewey grass, every type of beautiful, wild animals, smile, snow in january. This all makes sense. The list is comprised of the things that make me feel good, happy and free. These things are nature in its purest form, unaffected yet by humans waiting to be experienced. This list is made of the things that make my stress so unimportant it makes me hate the traditional lives that we live.
Unlike Ham, my pointing notes didn't reveal a particular pattern-they were kind of all over the place. Most of the phrases I jotted down, however, describe things that I can relate to. For example, I have felt Nashville's "sticky" heat, heard "the season's music," felt rough "aggregate" beneath my own bare feet, been stuck in "traffic worse than steeplechase," mocked the "newly bough cowboy boots" worn by tourists, and cursed our city's "unforgivable humidity." It kind of sounds like a given, but I suppose that my pointing notes show that the poems that most resonate with me are the ones that I can relate to and imagine having written myself.
I don't see much of a trend in what stuck out to me, but if I were forced, I would say that words or phrases that tie into the writer's emotion or possessiveness. For example, I wrote down:
The place where my soul resides Take me back to my own little wonderland My city Takes it all in This is where I belong The happiest childhood anyone could ask for He sails far far away Smile Joy
These words seem to be the author's feelings of nostalgia or happiness, and I guess hearing the poems evoked these emotions in me, as well.
I tended to pick words or phrases that are interesting for the tongue to say. Examples are: two hooked trees, pet peeves, snapping turtle snaps. When I hear someone reading poetry, I am drawn to the words that were good examples of imagery. Examples are: this is the longest house ever, navigate perfectly in the dark, and Bellemeade Boulevard hides from Charlotte Pike. Overall, I am more likely to pick words that literally sound unique and words that create strong imagery.
The majority of the words in my pointing notes are verbs. For many of you, I only pointed back single words. I never realized how crucial active, strong verbs were until just now. Verbs are more than passive or action. They are imagery; they set the tone for a poem, and the setting for a story.
Below is a poem I made from your words. Every new line means that the words came form a different poem. "To" is the only word I added. This was tricky, and I hope it doesn't sound like a poser or something equally terrible.
Cavities, The pocket of forgotten, Sank to shaded earth Rooted on a slopey hill.
Pop! He plays music, Binding the giant (to) Concrete and trees Here.
Dwindling, Secluded, Hopes Follow Slow time.
Ask for Compromise, Allegiance, Memories, Satisfaction
From my pointing notes, I didn't find any secret themes or underlying truths, but rather just a list of words and phrases I like. Some, but not all, are examples of imagery (mossy creek, hay bales bake), and some, but not all, are examples of alliteration (sycamore shore, sweet southern smell, scream and scooter). There are several that are powerful enough to stand on their own (refuge, brave, belong, proud, allegiance, happiness, joy) and others, as Alex mentioned, that are just fun to say (magnolia, sandalwood, sycamore, griddle).
The words and phrases I picked were ones that I remembered even after a few more of the lines of the poem had been read. I chose to write down phrases that I liked the sound of/that I thought were catchy, such as "a jungle for me to explore" and "weekdays are made of left turns". None of the words or phrases that I chose had much relation to another, I just chose words that I like the way they sound when they are read and ideas that I found clever or interesting.
I didn't really see much of a specific theme in my poetry trends specific things. I did however seem to notice that I focused a lot on phrases as apposed to specific nouns or verbs. A few examples:
brave knights and beautiful princes pocket of the forgotten smells of apple cider the place where my soul resides clinging deperately to my childhood etc...
I did notice while writing the phrases down in class that I payed more attention to things I could relate to, such as clinging deperately to my childhood, tennessee heat, hours that felt like minutes. I payed a lot of attention to things dealing with my heritage, specifically in Ham's poem. The only things I wrote down were:
tallest trees, mushiest dirt, brown unpainted fence, slender black labs, '83 blazer
I noticed a very southern trend when looking back on these.
Here is a poem created from different phrases I jotted down.
in this part of town tennessee heat fill me with joy the lost boys of never never land clinging desperately to my childhood don't stray too far from home sometimes i drive by and smile about this town in tennessee
I really like your poem Lauren! I, like Hannah, wrote words down that were all over the place; there isn't any sort of pattern in my notes. Most of what my notes (if I had to pick a theme) were adjectives and nouns. I really like smilies and metaphors in poems so I have a lot of those writing down, "reception blew up", "HHS is my neighbor", "hours that felt like minutes." I also liked all of the specific nouns that were in the poems, "UT Baseball Cap", so I wrote down lots of those. Here's my stab at a poem:
You can find me left or right binding giant to soil
This is not my home secrets lurk in the mushiest dirt and unpainted fence
rabbit stakes claim in wonderland
It's never quiet, never loud hours that felt like minutes
I did not notice a specific theme in my notes from this activity.
Bask in everything over the years makes a jungle for me to explore The pocket of forgotten own little wonderland dogs included no matter which path a different type of feel All evidence of the outside world was lost maybe if we're lucky you can find me Just the way I live no matter the weather.
While listening to the poems, I wrote down phrases that stuck out to me that I wanted to read over again. Some of them were phrases I liked to say or phrases that I wanted to remember some day. I didn't focus on nature or emotions as much as just picking out a phrase that jumped out at me.
Tomato garden Tree house Magnolia trees Never, never land
Tennessee heat Sticky summers Summer bugs Season's music
Jungle for me to explore Secluded Small Creek Wildlife
Speed bump Black and white Hectic Just the way I live
Salty air Sprinklers Lemonade stands Sweet southern smell Miss it when I'm gone
Something that I noticed was each thing mentioned was something that no one else but the author probably noticed about their place.
For example: the eight speed bumps, the grandfather wearing the ut baseball cap, the brown unpainted fence, among many others
This tiny little things are something that the person writing the poem noticed that made an impact on how special they though their place was. No one else probably would know about these tiny little details about their home unless they had lived their and made memories like they had.
I noticed that a lot of the words or phrases I wrote down had to do with emotion or atmosphere. I wrote down things like "sprawling streets," "hustle and bustle," "clinging desperately," "reminisce," etc. I don't think the rest of what I wrote down really had a pattern.
Here is my found poem: We had to escape the hustle and bustle of sprawling streets.
This is where I belong-- the pocket of the forgotten-- the place where my soul resides. Peaceful, secluded-- It's never loud.
All evidence of the outside world lost, it is every type of beautiful here. A jungle for me to explore-- abundance of wild animals, sound of summer bugs, branches so heavy they sank-- Feels like a daze.
But beware-- learn to cherish my refuge, nestled in pale pink blossoms, Before we all perish.
While looking back through my notes, I found that I didn't choose words that particularly "related" to me, but more words that stood out to me the most. I remember that I would usually pick phrases from the beginning of the poem or the last line. Also, like Alex Cal mentioned, I picked phrases and words that, "interesting for the tongue to say, " such as: "summertime sunshine" and "mushiest dirt." I definitely noticed a pattern in how people would choose their words/phrases, like some people would stick with one word choices, where others would choose all of the words with the same connotation, like nature or simply poetic.
I really enjoyed this assignment, and it definitely made me think a little bit out of the box. Here's my "found poem"...
the outside world was lost, i am stuck in the jungle for me to explore. brisk and crisp, with hopes of snow, this is not my home. this is where i live, with ruffles, pastels, and bows, salty air, urban streets, (and) season's music, across what will always be, where i escape.
What stuck out to me from the poems were strangely the small specifics. Small things such as a swimming pool, a friend named Ellen, cookie dough, green lawns, and tall magnolias. The seemingly small things are, to me, the most important. These small details are what takes the reader away from his or her own reality and places them into the writers. By supplying the reader with a small specific, they will create images from their own self conscious, forming new worlds that still somehow seem familiar.
Shots are fired, of which all have heard but few will see. Take me back. I bask in summertime sunshine, alone. Taunts everyone claims as their own, slow time. A dumb one. Predictable. I learned to compromise. I guess I’m proud.
WOW. I just wrote a mega-blog post and lost the whole thing. Just thought y'all should know.
ReplyDeleteIn reading over my pointing notes, I found that they are all about nature or wildlife: Tennessee heat, tomato, mossy, cicadas, binding the giant, summer bugs, wildlife, three deer, summertime sunshine, dewey grass, every type of beautiful, wild animals, smile, snow in january. This all makes sense. The list is comprised of the things that make me feel good, happy and free. These things are nature in its purest form, unaffected yet by humans waiting to be experienced. This list is made of the things that make my stress so unimportant it makes me hate the traditional lives that we live.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Ham, my pointing notes didn't reveal a particular pattern-they were kind of all over the place. Most of the phrases I jotted down, however, describe things that I can relate to. For example, I have felt Nashville's "sticky" heat, heard "the season's music," felt rough "aggregate" beneath my own bare feet, been stuck in "traffic worse than steeplechase," mocked the "newly bough cowboy boots" worn by tourists, and cursed our city's "unforgivable humidity." It kind of sounds like a given, but I suppose that my pointing notes show that the poems that most resonate with me are the ones that I can relate to and imagine having written myself.
ReplyDeleteI don't see much of a trend in what stuck out to me, but if I were forced, I would say that words or phrases that tie into the writer's emotion or possessiveness. For example, I wrote down:
ReplyDeleteThe place where my soul resides
Take me back to my own little wonderland
My city
Takes it all in
This is where I belong
The happiest childhood anyone could ask for
He sails far far away
Smile
Joy
These words seem to be the author's feelings of nostalgia or happiness, and I guess hearing the poems evoked these emotions in me, as well.
I tended to pick words or phrases that are interesting for the tongue to say. Examples are: two hooked trees, pet peeves, snapping turtle snaps. When I hear someone reading poetry, I am drawn to the words that were good examples of imagery. Examples are: this is the longest house ever, navigate perfectly in the dark, and Bellemeade Boulevard hides from Charlotte Pike. Overall, I am more likely to pick words that literally sound unique and words that create strong imagery.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the words in my pointing notes are verbs. For many of you, I only pointed back single words. I never realized how crucial active, strong verbs were until just now. Verbs are more than passive or action. They are imagery; they set the tone for a poem, and the setting for a story.
ReplyDeleteBelow is a poem I made from your words. Every new line means that the words came form a different poem. "To" is the only word I added. This was tricky, and I hope it doesn't sound like a poser or something equally terrible.
Cavities,
The pocket of forgotten,
Sank to shaded earth
Rooted on a slopey hill.
Pop!
He plays music,
Binding the giant
(to)
Concrete and trees
Here.
Dwindling,
Secluded,
Hopes
Follow
Slow time.
Ask for
Compromise,
Allegiance,
Memories,
Satisfaction
From my pointing notes, I didn't find any secret themes or underlying truths, but rather just a list of words and phrases I like.
ReplyDeleteSome, but not all, are examples of imagery (mossy creek, hay bales bake), and some, but not all, are examples of alliteration (sycamore shore, sweet southern smell, scream and scooter).
There are several that are powerful enough to stand on their own (refuge, brave, belong, proud, allegiance, happiness, joy) and others, as Alex mentioned, that are just fun to say (magnolia, sandalwood, sycamore, griddle).
The words and phrases I picked were ones that I remembered even after a few more of the lines of the poem had been read. I chose to write down phrases that I liked the sound of/that I thought were catchy, such as "a jungle for me to explore" and "weekdays are made of left turns". None of the words or phrases that I chose had much relation to another, I just chose words that I like the way they sound when they are read and ideas that I found clever or interesting.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really see much of a specific theme in my poetry trends specific things. I did however seem to notice that I focused a lot on phrases as apposed to specific nouns or verbs. A few examples:
ReplyDeletebrave knights and beautiful princes
pocket of the forgotten
smells of apple cider
the place where my soul resides
clinging deperately to my childhood
etc...
I did notice while writing the phrases down in class that I payed more attention to things I could relate to, such as clinging deperately to my childhood, tennessee heat, hours that felt like minutes.
I payed a lot of attention to things dealing with my heritage, specifically in Ham's poem. The only things I wrote down were:
tallest trees, mushiest dirt, brown unpainted fence, slender black labs, '83 blazer
I noticed a very southern trend when looking back on these.
Here is a poem created from different phrases I jotted down.
in this part of town
tennessee heat
fill me with joy
the lost boys of never never land
clinging desperately to my childhood
don't stray too far from home
sometimes i drive by and smile
about this town in tennessee
I really like your poem Lauren!
ReplyDeleteI, like Hannah, wrote words down that were all over the place; there isn't any sort of pattern in my notes. Most of what my notes (if I had to pick a theme) were adjectives and nouns. I really like smilies and metaphors in poems so I have a lot of those writing down, "reception blew up", "HHS is my neighbor", "hours that felt like minutes." I also liked all of the specific nouns that were in the poems, "UT Baseball Cap", so I wrote down lots of those. Here's my stab at a poem:
You can find me
left or right
binding giant to soil
This is not my home
secrets lurk in the mushiest dirt and unpainted fence
rabbit stakes claim in wonderland
It's never quiet, never loud
hours that felt like minutes
I did not notice a specific theme in my notes from this activity.
ReplyDeleteBask in everything
over the years
makes a jungle for me to explore
The pocket of forgotten
own little wonderland
dogs included
no matter which path
a different type of feel
All evidence of the outside world was lost
maybe if we're lucky
you can find me
Just the way I live
no matter the weather.
While listening to the poems, I wrote down phrases that stuck out to me that I wanted to read over again. Some of them were phrases I liked to say or phrases that I wanted to remember some day. I didn't focus on nature or emotions as much as just picking out a phrase that jumped out at me.
ReplyDeleteTomato garden
Tree house
Magnolia trees
Never, never land
Tennessee heat
Sticky summers
Summer bugs
Season's music
Jungle for me to explore
Secluded
Small Creek
Wildlife
Speed bump
Black and white
Hectic
Just the way I live
Salty air
Sprinklers
Lemonade stands
Sweet southern smell
Miss it when I'm gone
Something that I noticed was each thing mentioned was something that no one else but the author probably noticed about their place.
ReplyDeleteFor example: the eight speed bumps, the grandfather wearing the ut baseball cap, the brown unpainted fence, among many others
This tiny little things are something that the person writing the poem noticed that made an impact on how special they though their place was. No one else probably would know about these tiny little details about their home unless they had lived their and made memories like they had.
I noticed that a lot of the words or phrases I wrote down had to do with emotion or atmosphere. I wrote down things like "sprawling streets," "hustle and bustle," "clinging desperately," "reminisce," etc. I don't think the rest of what I wrote down really had a pattern.
ReplyDeleteHere is my found poem:
We had to escape
the hustle and bustle
of sprawling streets.
This is where I belong--
the pocket of the forgotten--
the place where my soul resides.
Peaceful,
secluded--
It's never loud.
All evidence of the outside world lost,
it is every type of beautiful here.
A jungle for me to explore--
abundance of wild animals,
sound of summer bugs,
branches so heavy they sank--
Feels like a daze.
But
beware--
learn to cherish
my refuge,
nestled
in pale pink blossoms,
Before we all perish.
While looking back through my notes, I found that I didn't choose words that particularly "related" to me, but more words that stood out to me the most. I remember that I would usually pick phrases from the beginning of the poem or the last line. Also, like Alex Cal mentioned, I picked phrases and words that, "interesting for the tongue to say, " such as: "summertime sunshine" and "mushiest dirt." I definitely noticed a pattern in how people would choose their words/phrases, like some people would stick with one word choices, where others would choose all of the words with the same connotation, like nature or simply poetic.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this assignment, and it definitely made me think a little bit out of the box. Here's my "found poem"...
the outside world was lost,
i am stuck in the jungle for me to explore.
brisk and crisp, with hopes of snow,
this is not my home.
this is where i live,
with ruffles, pastels, and bows,
salty air, urban streets, (and) season's music,
across what will always be, where i escape.
What stuck out to me from the poems were strangely the small specifics. Small things such as a swimming pool, a friend named Ellen, cookie dough, green lawns, and tall magnolias. The seemingly small things are, to me, the most important. These small details are what takes the reader away from his or her own reality and places them into the writers. By supplying the reader with a small specific, they will create images from their own self conscious, forming new worlds that still somehow seem familiar.
ReplyDeleteShots are fired,
ReplyDeleteof which all have heard but few will see.
Take me back.
I bask in summertime sunshine,
alone.
Taunts everyone claims as their own,
slow time.
A dumb one.
Predictable.
I learned to compromise.
I guess I’m proud.
Today I climb the tree alone.
ReplyDeleteHides from sprawling streets,
Secluded,
Peaceful,
A jungle for me to explore.
Pale pink blossoms
Few will see.
Cicadas make it a game;
Proud,
Noisy enemies.
Cold,
Biting, evening breeze
Taunts my curls.
The last few minutes of sunlight
Fill me with joy,
Short-lived satisfaction far from home.