Poetry is an outlet for the expression of thoughts and ideas into word form. You can pick up a piece of paper and write about whatever first comes to mind, and that will be poetry. You can write about that food that you are craving. You can scribble down a verse about why you like dogs better than cats or vice versa. And so on. Poetry comes from within, and it should be real. Real in the sense that the words on the paper sound genuine. There is a human’s voice behind them and not something robotic and monotonous. This voice will illustrate emotions and purpose. I wonder if AI will ever have the capability of making poems. Is there a certain sequence that words are organized to make them sound human or more human?
Goodreaux gave great insights into the why poetry is so valuable, now and forever. Poetry is accessible and relatable. Poems are short relative to books and novels, which encourages everybody to read them. Everyone knows the poem, “Roses are red, Violets are blue, sugar is sweet, And so are you. ” Poems are also easy to remember and leave a lasting impact on us. Goodreaux mentioned how a poem she read, at the age of twelve, had an effect on her. She was captured by the emotion and catharsis that the words of that page produced. The repetition element of the word “sorry” was relatable. We are all aware how the word sorry is used as a scapegoat for when someone acts with bad will. We know that sometimes sorries mean nothing because a word doesn’t inhibit a person from acting in a certain way, over and over again. Poets are able to connect with their readers, most of the time, by provoking emotion. This can be done through the syntax of words, imagery, and tone.
One of my favorite poems is by a Zen Buddhist monk named Ryokan.
I came to this village to see the peach blossoms
but spent the day instead
looking at the flowers along the river bank
A lot of ideas can be extrapolated from this simple poem. Sometimes we go somewhere in search of something but end up someplace that we never thought we would be. This poem might be relatable to my college experience. I may or may not fill in the blank to that poem someday.
I came to Baruch to learn about business
but spent my college years instead
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