poetry

the question of what makes good poetry doesn't have a simple answer. poetry has always been something i have struggled to grasp by myself, and i appreciate the insight of my classmates as we delve into the workings of a poet's mind to find out what exactly s/he is talking about.

as i think about poetry, i have to ask myself what do i think makes good poetry? i don't ask myself that because i think that i am a good judge of poetry. but sometime, i have to answer, what am i going to decide to teach my middle school or high school students, and why?

one of the things that i have come to appreciate about poetry is the ability of a good poet to strike the cords of my heart with words.

and e.e.cummings does just that. half the time i don't understand what in the world he is saying, but i do know that it sounds amazing. :-) oh, and he does some neat things with spacing and punctutaion, too.


"O Sweet Spontaneous"

O sweet spontaneous
earth how often have
the
doting

fingers of
purient philosophers pinched
and
poked

thee
,has the naughty thumb
of science prodded
thy

beauty .how
often have religions taken
thee upon their scraggy knees
squeezing and

buffeting thee that thou mightest concieve
gods
(but
true

to the incomparable
couch of death thy
rhythmic
lover
thou answerest

them only with

spring)