Have you ever think that a single poem that you just read can move your emotion and also change your life? Surprising right but people tell me all the time that they don't like poetry. I wish they don’t say that. Not that I want them to lie but just want them to get it. I want their lives to be better because of poetry. I want them to care more about other people because of poetry. I want to take every student I have ever had, my family, my children, my town, my country into the auditorium of words.
Maybe you didn't have a great first experience in schools when you read Old English poems or Shakespeare. Don't get me wrong, I love Shakespeare. How about a poet from our own country, our beautiful Malaysia? It seems to me that I never read work that wasn't European or American until after I graduated! Thankfully, I know that has changed somewhat before I graduated from this degree course.
Too many people didn’t like to be caught dead reading poetry. Be caught alive at a reading!! Seriously, what would happen if you went to a reading? Just for fun? No one would ask you to explain the poem. No circles to fill in with a number 2 pencil, just words and sound. The understanding of poem differs from every other people that read it. How it moves you that is the important thing that you should know.
This is just what I felt about poetry. Maybe it sounds silly right, talking about poems and how it can change my life. Well, I am on the same boat as you people also before I went through this degree courses and be inspired by the people that love and appreciate poetry a lot.
Maybe you didn't have a great first experience in schools when you read Old English poems or Shakespeare. Don't get me wrong, I love Shakespeare. How about a poet from our own country, our beautiful Malaysia? It seems to me that I never read work that wasn't European or American until after I graduated! Thankfully, I know that has changed somewhat before I graduated from this degree course.
Too many people didn’t like to be caught dead reading poetry. Be caught alive at a reading!! Seriously, what would happen if you went to a reading? Just for fun? No one would ask you to explain the poem. No circles to fill in with a number 2 pencil, just words and sound. The understanding of poem differs from every other people that read it. How it moves you that is the important thing that you should know.
This is just what I felt about poetry. Maybe it sounds silly right, talking about poems and how it can change my life. Well, I am on the same boat as you people also before I went through this degree courses and be inspired by the people that love and appreciate poetry a lot.
After browsing through some blogs I had found some useful blogs that can help you feel inspired by poetry. If you want to be inspired too, check out http://www.poets.org and follow the links to poets, poems and poetry readings. It's a good place to start. I have a list of some of my favorite poets (NOT an exhaustive list because there are so many more I love) posted here: http://www.stefanielipsey.com/inspiration_and_resources
Poets and readers, please feel free to comment on some of your favourite poems and poets. Inspire me!!
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