1. The first poem I remember reading/hearing/reacting to was . . .
While I'm sure I heard many poems from my parents and grandparents as a baby and toddler, the first poem I personally remember, and the first I would claim as my own, is the first poem I ever recited at a speech arts recital. I don't remember how old I was - 5 or 6 maybe? It was in a lecture theatre type room at the local community college. I was wearing a red/white/black 101 Dalmatians outfit. I was so painfully shy when I was little. I've been told I whispered the whole thing. I have some other memories of that night, but I'm not sure if they are true memories, or things I have made up over the years that fit with the story and embellish it. Anyways, the poem was I Had A Little Turtle - Anonymous.
I had a little turtle
Who lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle,
He climbed on a rock.
He snapped at a mosquito,
He snapped at a flea.
He snapped at a minnow,
And he snapped at me!
He caught the mosquito,
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow,
But he didn't catch me!
Who lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle,
He climbed on a rock.
He snapped at a mosquito,
He snapped at a flea.
He snapped at a minnow,
And he snapped at me!
He caught the mosquito,
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow,
But he didn't catch me!
2. I was forced to memorize [name of poem] in school, and . . .
I'm not sure I remember ever memorizing a poem in school. I remember having to memorize lines and songs for Christmas concerts. Oh wait, we had to memorize poems as a class for the Kiwanis Festival, but none of them really stick out. I've had to write poems in various English classes throughout the years. In English 10 I had to memorize a passage from both Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night to perform in front of the class. All the poems I remember having to memorize have been for Speech, not for school. Of course, like practically everything else I do, I would start out with the best of intentions, but then usually left memorizing them completely for the night before I had to preform them. By some incredible stroke of luck, I never had to face the embarrassment of forgetting my lines in front of an audience. Of course, that meant I wasn't always word perfect. On more than I occasion I paraphrased into my own words various parts of various poems because I could remember the basic idea, but couldn't remember the exact words. I'm not sure that that went over much better than just outright forgetting them would have.
3. I read/don't read poetry because . . .
I enjoy reading poetry, but I have to be in the right mood. I don't sit down with a book of poetry and read it straight through. Instead, I will flip through, reading poems as they catch my eye. Sometimes there will be a certain poem that matches what I am feeling exactly, and I will search that poem out and read it multiple times and wallow in it. Usually I read novels as pleasure reading, but there are sometimes when only poetry will do.
4. A poem I am likely to think about when asked for a favourite poem is . . .
Hmm . . . this is a hard question. There are a lot of poems that I really like and would consider favourites depending on when I am asked. It's hard to choose just one. I think I would probably go with Alone by Jean Little. I really like a lot of her poems. They seem to capture exactly how I feel - this one especially. It suits me perfectly.
5. I write/don't write poetry, but . . .
I do write poetry. Kind of. I go through phases where I write poetry constantly, and it's actually pretty good. Then there are times when I really want to write poetry, but I just can't seem to do it. If I can even manage to get something down on paper it isn't even worth being called a piece of crap. The third type of phase is when I just have no interest in writing poetry at all, so I don't even bother trying. The first phase is awesome. The middle phase is awful. "I ache with words I cannot find." I'm in that phase right now. Hopefully it will pass soon.
6. My experience with reading poetry differs from my experience with reading other types of literature . . .
I am always reading a novel, every free moment I have. Poetry, on the other hand, only gets read occasionally, when I am in the mood for it. If I am not, then I get nothing out of it. Sometimes I will read a poem just once, and then lead it. Other poems I will read over and over and over in one sitting -sometimes to try and understand it, sometimes just to drink it in. Reading poetry is something that I do just for me, unlike much of the other reading I do.
7. I find poetry . . .
Everywhere and in everything, especially if I am looking for it. I love, however, when I find poetry somewhere unexpected, or when I don't realize that I am looking for it.
8. The last time I heard poetry . . .
It's been a long time since I've heard others performing poetry. Probably not since I last performed in the Kiwanis festival. I've been thinking lately of going to check out one of the poetry readings that some groups in town put on occasionally. I enjoy hearing people read their poems, but for the most part, I prefer to experience poetry by reading it myself. It is a very personal thing, for me, I think.
9. I think poetry is like . . .
A good thunderstorm . . . staring into a deep, calm, summer lake . . . a hug . . . a good, long run . . . crying . . . friends . . . comfort food . . . laughter . . . a release . . . fish . . . an ache . . . the wind . . . God . . . a well . . . a good, loud scream . . . falling in love . . . a look into the human soul . . . I think poetry is wisdom.
As seen at The Hobgoblin of Little Minds
I'm not sure I remember ever memorizing a poem in school. I remember having to memorize lines and songs for Christmas concerts. Oh wait, we had to memorize poems as a class for the Kiwanis Festival, but none of them really stick out. I've had to write poems in various English classes throughout the years. In English 10 I had to memorize a passage from both Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night to perform in front of the class. All the poems I remember having to memorize have been for Speech, not for school. Of course, like practically everything else I do, I would start out with the best of intentions, but then usually left memorizing them completely for the night before I had to preform them. By some incredible stroke of luck, I never had to face the embarrassment of forgetting my lines in front of an audience. Of course, that meant I wasn't always word perfect. On more than I occasion I paraphrased into my own words various parts of various poems because I could remember the basic idea, but couldn't remember the exact words. I'm not sure that that went over much better than just outright forgetting them would have.
3. I read/don't read poetry because . . .
I enjoy reading poetry, but I have to be in the right mood. I don't sit down with a book of poetry and read it straight through. Instead, I will flip through, reading poems as they catch my eye. Sometimes there will be a certain poem that matches what I am feeling exactly, and I will search that poem out and read it multiple times and wallow in it. Usually I read novels as pleasure reading, but there are sometimes when only poetry will do.
4. A poem I am likely to think about when asked for a favourite poem is . . .
Hmm . . . this is a hard question. There are a lot of poems that I really like and would consider favourites depending on when I am asked. It's hard to choose just one. I think I would probably go with Alone by Jean Little. I really like a lot of her poems. They seem to capture exactly how I feel - this one especially. It suits me perfectly.
5. I write/don't write poetry, but . . .
I do write poetry. Kind of. I go through phases where I write poetry constantly, and it's actually pretty good. Then there are times when I really want to write poetry, but I just can't seem to do it. If I can even manage to get something down on paper it isn't even worth being called a piece of crap. The third type of phase is when I just have no interest in writing poetry at all, so I don't even bother trying. The first phase is awesome. The middle phase is awful. "I ache with words I cannot find." I'm in that phase right now. Hopefully it will pass soon.
6. My experience with reading poetry differs from my experience with reading other types of literature . . .
I am always reading a novel, every free moment I have. Poetry, on the other hand, only gets read occasionally, when I am in the mood for it. If I am not, then I get nothing out of it. Sometimes I will read a poem just once, and then lead it. Other poems I will read over and over and over in one sitting -sometimes to try and understand it, sometimes just to drink it in. Reading poetry is something that I do just for me, unlike much of the other reading I do.
7. I find poetry . . .
Everywhere and in everything, especially if I am looking for it. I love, however, when I find poetry somewhere unexpected, or when I don't realize that I am looking for it.
8. The last time I heard poetry . . .
It's been a long time since I've heard others performing poetry. Probably not since I last performed in the Kiwanis festival. I've been thinking lately of going to check out one of the poetry readings that some groups in town put on occasionally. I enjoy hearing people read their poems, but for the most part, I prefer to experience poetry by reading it myself. It is a very personal thing, for me, I think.
9. I think poetry is like . . .
A good thunderstorm . . . staring into a deep, calm, summer lake . . . a hug . . . a good, long run . . . crying . . . friends . . . comfort food . . . laughter . . . a release . . . fish . . . an ache . . . the wind . . . God . . . a well . . . a good, loud scream . . . falling in love . . . a look into the human soul . . . I think poetry is wisdom.
As seen at The Hobgoblin of Little Minds
