While
studying English as I child, I always regarded poetry as nothing more than a
creative outlet. It would have been
simply a method of expressing feelings of sadness, love, joy, and basically any
other human emotion. However, after
attending Dr. Luo’s lecture on the “Textual Construction of Poetry,” I
ultimately learned that poetry involves much more than simply putting words on
paper, and responding to external stimuli.
By the end of the lecture, I realized that poetry involves much more
than just language because it incorporates sound and emotion to create a
beautiful, and sometimes personal, work of art.
As the lecture began, I learned
about the importance of sound within poetry.
Initially, Dr. Luo shared with the audience the poem “The Span of Life”
by Robert Frost. The line “The old dog
barks backward without getting up” is actually a difficult line to say because
the syllables are rougher. In contrast,
the second line, which is “I can remember when he was a pup,” is actually
easier to say because the idea of “tender” sounds with not that many
consonants. Learning this lesson from
Dr. Luo made me realize that poetry involves much more than words because there
needs to be a sort of rhythm that would make a poem distinct. Such an idea also directly relates to the
theme of my Senior Seminar class, which is “Music and Literature.” In the end, poetry involves much more than
language because the sounds of the words create a musical element within
written work that could either add to the aesthetic quality of a poem, or cause
it to lack any sort of credibility. A
word can stand alone, but the combination of words creates art.
I was also fascinated by how the
structure of a poem affects its overall impact on readers. For example, Dr. Luo mentioned how George
Herbert’s poem, “The Altar,” suggests the image of a tower. I am very fond of poetry that involves
unusual forms, such as poems by poets like e e cummings, in which the overall
look of the poem contributes to its overall meaning. I adore this type of unconventional poetry
because it allows me to challenge generally typical types of writing, and inspire
me to write creative work that also defies the ordinary. Dr. Luo’s presentation of such a unique poem
reveals how any type of writing can be special in its own way, and that writing
does not have any rules or regulations at all.
Viewing such a special piece of literature reminds me of how writing can
sometimes be plain and ordinary, but art transcends the conventional, and
becomes something that is truly extraordinary.
By the end of Dr. Luo’s
presentation, I learned about how modern and contemporary poetry distinguishes
itself from other types of writing that was done in the past. Dr. Luo discussed the idea of “textual
density,” (Dr. Luo’s PowerPoint) which adds a sense of depth to a piece of
art. It was fascinating to learn about
what makes a piece of writing a work of art, and what factors distinguish the
differences between ordinary writing and literature. I believe that some of the greatest writers
who ever lived, like Emily Dickinson and Lord Byron, were able to understand
how to make their writing have a sense of density so that their work became
timeless.
Finally, I already know that I am
not the best writer in the world, but I still do my best to learn how to
improve myself. Finally, I like to think
that even though there is a distinction between art and something that lacks
value, all people are artists because we all try to express ourselves by living
the lives that we all have. Sometimes
creative individuals struggle with creating something truly magnificent, but
all people do their best to work on the ultimate canvas, which is life
itself. Not all of us can be famous, but
we can all enjoy the wonder of being alive.
Works Cited
Luo,
Lianggong. “The Textual Construction of Poetry.” California State
University—Los Angeles English Department. Room E & T A 129 at California
State University—Los Angeles. 7 April 2015. PowerPoint Presentation.
University—Los Angeles English Department. Room E & T A 129 at California
State University—Los Angeles. 7 April 2015. PowerPoint Presentation.
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