Poems in Burroway

I really enjoyed reading all of the poems in Burroway for this week. Whether it was the language choice, subject, or structure of the poem, each one delivered something interesting and unique. I believe that is one of the greatest concepts to poetry. It can transform into anything and it will not be considered wrong. Poetry differs from prose because, I feel, it is a type of art form. Similar to every type of art imaginable, poetry is free to be whatever and is a form of expression. Poetry can be loud, wild, and provocative just as much as it can be subtle, sweet, and delicate. It can be real or imaginary; educational or inspirational; even have a melodic flow or be strict and contained. It all depends on the personality of the poet or events that emotionally inspired the poet so much, that they would need to express their feelings on paper. Also poetry doesn't have to be long and overly detailed, like a short story would be. You can say so much (through emotion and meaning), in poetry, without writing much at all. Two poems that I found really entertaining would be Philip Larkin's "Annus Mirabilis" and Donald Hall's "To a Waterfowl". While these poems expressed actual events within the life of both poets, they were comical and light. Sometimes, when I plan on writing a poem I forget that it does not always have to be serious. There doesn't even have to be this cryptic message that I want my reader to figure out. I personally loved the use of pop culture in "Annus Mirabilis". It kept the poem interesting and helped me further understand what was going at this time in Larkin's life. Also in "To a Waterfowl" he addresses the poem to an age group or generation similar to my own. This helps me relate to the poem even more and find it all the more enjoyable.