Poetry Matters

Does poetry matter? This is a question that a lot of people would say no to. The real answer to the question is yes. It does matter more then we know. Not only is it a way to express the way one is feeling, but also it gives us something to relate to. Maybe the writer and the reader have gone through similar situations and the reader just wants to know that someone else out there has felt what they are feeling. As for the writer, it allows them to get things off their chest. It lets the whole world know how they feel or their opinion on a certain topic. I believe that poetry has been stereotyped as long, boring, out dated, and hard to understand. This page will hopefully show that there is poetry out there that is new and that we can all relate to in someway or another.
When reading poetry, there are steps that the reader should take in order to appreciate it.
1. The reader should annotate while reading. Annotating is taking informal noted in the margins.
2. Get the basic gist of the poem. Find out who the speaker is and what the poem is about. Look and see how it is written, what form it is in. look for the meter and rhyme of the poem.
3. Lastly, free-write about the poem you just read. Write whatever comes to mind, and then come up with a thesis from your free-writing exercise.
I have posted several different videos to help you understand that poetry can be modern and that you can relate to it as well. The first video on the left is and older poem by Robert Frost. This is probably what you think of when you think of poetry. The other three videos are new modern poets. Check the out and see if you like what you hear. You will probably be able to relate more to them and will be able to understand what they are talking about without thinking critically.