Today’s seminar seemed to have a kind of theme to it today in some respect, although I’m not sure it was planned that way.  We continued poetry recitations, and some of the poems we heard seemed to have a musical background or musical connection to them.  Of course, almost all poetry has a beat, a rhythm to it, but the poems today particularly seemed to have the musical element.  The first poem with this musical element was Birthplace.  It was a combination of poetry and hip-hop, so when read a certain way, it gave the effect of the hip hop music that we are all familiar with today.  The content of the poem revolved around a teenager who had just moved from Boston to New York, and this poem expressed his emotions and feelings regarding this change.  For me, the hip-hop beat and background gave the poem New York style and feel.  The second poem with this musical connection was The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes.  The poem, when read with or without music, definitely had the jazzy, blues-y feel to it, just when regarding the rhythm and length of the sentences and onomatopoeic devices.  One line that stood out to me was “He did a lazy sway.”  The poem itself seemed to have a “lazy sway” feeling to it.  I did especially like when the piano was played in the background of the poetry reading–it gave the poem extra emphasis, and really related to the mood, the tone, and even the content of the poem.  I like the musical connection these poems had, because then the poem is just like the common idea of a poem–rhythm, rhyming, and deep, intricate meaning.  There’s something extra that makes it special and gives it a whole new meaning beyond the other common elements.

Language was another poetic element that was discussed in today’s class.  The poem Engrish specifically brought up this discussion, because in the poem, the author explains how he doesn’t know certain languages, and he cannot pronounce certain words.  We discussed how learning a new language is difficult and frustrating, and that English must be the hardest language for any foreigner to learn, just because, in all reality, we do not speak properly at all and we combine and invent words constantly.  The author of this poem brought up this very matter in using three words: “Chinee, Chanel, Cheyenne.”  Enunciating these words shed light and put emphasis on the difficulty that is learning another language.  This brings up another point: the way a poem is read and emphasis on certain words gives new meaning to the poem and helps the person reading it get more into the character of the poem.  This was definitely applicable to the last poem we heard today, “New York at Night.”  I really liked the poem, because of its content and the way it was written.  It was written so emphatically and purposefully that when a person reads it, the language becomes such a significant factor in truly understanding the point of the poem.  I like how different words throughout this poem (and any poem) hold different weight and how choosing particular words adds or changes the meaning of the poem.

With each class, I am noticing the different techniques that make poetry reading a true art and give me more appreciation for people who recite poetry frequently.  It is interesting to observe and take notice of, especially since this is something new to me and not something I see very often.