Jan 27-Jan 31

The content of poetry is where freedom of expression can be best utilized, but the tools that are used to make  senses, feelings, and images come alive are more static. The use of iambic pentameter, for example, aids in the rhythmic pattern of words so commonly admired in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18. When looking at literature, specifically in poetry, looking at the context of which the work was composed enhances the readers experience and understanding of the writing. When looking at Sonnet 18, knowing that England is usually cloudy, dark, and rainy helps readers to understand how a English native views a summer day compared to how a native of Southern California experiences it. To someone from England, a summer day is a rare occasion of beauty. So to compare someone to a summer's day is a compliment, but to tell someone that their beauty exceeds that of a summer's day is a high form of flattery.


 I am a person who likes to have definitive understandings of a work of literature. On the contrary, poetry can have different meanings depending on the one who is analyzing it. When discussing "the meaning" of a work, I can get frustrated with the different responses that are given and the lack of clarity when it comes to deciding which interpretation is "correct". When looking at poetry I actually like hearing the way that my colleagues receive a poem and how they come to their various conclusions. My understanding can be very narrow, so being able to hear the knowledge that others have about a poem helps me explore different points of views and analyze poems from different standpoints.