Mr. Sam Hamill clearly states what poetry can mean without the rhythm and mumble jumble that readers think a poems needs in order to be a master piece. I feel he is accurate when saying that writing is a form of human communication but i must say that this is just one minor form of communication. To me emotions and the ability to express them even if it is not just on paper is a huge part of communicating. Hamill made a great impression to me when he said "A true poet, someone once said, is often faced with the difficult task of telling people what they already know and do not want to hear"(Hamill 547). This is very true to most poetry but not all. Poems are not always a negative way of expression although most seem to have that demeanor about them. I think some of the best poetry is those about real people and real events. Stating peoples names and giving them a character is a hard part of any written work but as Hamill says this allows the reader to establish a relationship with the character of the poem or piece of written work. I believe too that "Knowledge is the loss of innocence"(Hamill 550). To those who know everything innocence is a bliss and the unknown is not very fun. Most people would like to shelter their loved ones from harm and almost put blinders on them to protect them from the harsh worlds truth, but that does not allow individual growth. The truth is scary at times but is also amazing. We need not to hide from the world but learn from what it delivers. Hamill did a great job to allow his readers to better understand what poetry can mean and how to decipher the unknown that is being written.
This is the poetry foundation website where you can view a variety of poetry http://www.poetryfoundation.org/
Carolyn Forche looked more on the realm of poetry in forms of political and personal. Politics in general are a very touchy subject so to write about them seems pretty brave. I appreciate how Carolyn uses the word prejudice when relating to poetry, because if a person does not have an open mind when reading someone else work it makes it difficult to understand. Social aspects of poetry is an angle that i never really though that much about but when reading Poetry of witness it allowed me to see that if a person is very involved with the social aspect of life a poem may be hard to interpret or even understand. Poetry can be very blunt and even seem forceful if the author has that tone, but then again it is up to the reader how s/he wants to hear it. I respect how the author Carolyn has accumulated poetry for over a decade and approached her publisher to print this collection of work. This is a great way to view the world through other peoples eyes. It is almost as though you are tela-ported to that area and place in time if the author gives details, tone, place etc. She is a very strong author and her word choice is amazing. The thought of what she created and allowed any reader to have access to is great. The experiences that are caught on paper is a moment that can be shared for eternity. An English professor once told my wife write for you, not because it is an assignment or something you have to do, but to allow those in the future to hold a piece of you locked in time forever. Writing is a talent but anyone can do it. It is not all about grammar and structure (although this is very important) but the experience you are sharing
I feel that the ideas that both of these authors shared have just laid a new path of the writing process. It relates very closely with the poems that were read and written about last week because they too experienced moments that inspired them to write about which i have now decided that most poetry is that of a witness.
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