On Monday, we started our poetry recitations. It was different, because all semester we watched different performances, but we were never asked to be thee performers. It was my first time performing in front of a college audience, and I must say, it was quite the overwhelming experience. Everyone else’s performances were great, and so I felt compelled to deliver an exceptional performance as well.

Although I’ve discussed numerous poems in high school, I was never asked to recite a poem with so much emotion. Everyone’s poem covered a certain aspect of New York City, something that we could all relate to. I felt that everyone’s poem recitation somehow revealed their actual personality, and that’s how the performance came to life. We all had to tap into the emotion the poet might have been feeling when he/she wrote it. Everyone poem was unique, but this time I enjoyed it, unlike high school.

Ariana’s poem was definitely a memorable experience. I loved how we discussed aspects of Marilyn Monroe’s personality, and how she might have really felt. It made us all wonder that maybe Marilyn Monroe had more to her personality than just beauty and lust. It’s possible that maybe she used her popularity as a promiscuous woman to help fuel her acting career. I liked the overall message that the poem communicated, which was how all women would like to be treated respectfully regardless of their looks.

Overall, I enjoyed all the poems that were recited in class.  I liked how the poems took place during different time periods, but somehow they are understandable till today.  The poets made timeless works which could be related to the past and future New Yorkers. At the end of class, I could really say that I had a new understanding of poetry. I particularly enjoyed listening to everyone’s insights on their own poems, definitely making the experience memorable.