I’m not very good at creating poetry, mostly because when I think of poetry, I think of this deep, emotional spew of words that have the power to move a person. Well in this case, I’m an immovable rock. I can’t find a way to put what I think or feel into words, because sometimes I don’t even understand why I feel certain ways. Poetry doesn’t faze me like others. It can be amazing and hold so much meaning, but it just doesn’t click for me. Maybe it’s because I don’t know the person in the poem. When I read books, I get a chance to meet the character, decide if I like them or not, and if I’ll get attached to them. Usually I get extremely attached to them, but I don’t get that experience with poems. The speaker doesn’t always introduce his/herself in their work or the poem isn’t about a specific person, but an event which makes it hard to connect with.
Now there was poem that I read last year that I did enjoy. It was called ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen, and was about a gas attack in a trench during World War I. I didn’t know that Owen was actually a soldier and experienced such an attack until just a few minutes ago while I was looking for the name of his poem. I guess that shows how much I pay attention to such things. I couldn’t remember much of the title besides ‘dulce’ because I was (in lack of better terms) shook by the ending of the poem, but I won’t spoil it too much for anyone. I can remember part of the poem though. Like when the speaker watches as a fellow soldier is killed by the poisonous gas. The description is what made me remember that particular part of the poem, just not the full scene described. But I think that’s the only poem that made any sort of mark on me.
Honestly, I think that everyone should read it at some point. If you aren’t interested in that sort of thing, then fine. I can’t really force anyone to read it. Just give it a try for me though? But I have to thank my English 2 teacher for having us read that poem as part of our practice for the English state test, so thank you, Mrs. Thibodeaux!