Phew, I'm crawling back out of the woodwork for this killer prompt. Maybe it's because I've felt disconnected from my local writing community recently and have been doing a lot of rock climbing, but I couldn't help myself.

  This is what it's like to climb into the storm:

  Tilt against the rock, a crucifix 
  shod in rubber. Ignore the thunder—
  uncertainty is why you came. Open
  your mouth when you breathe.

  The rhododendron and pine will be
  gone tomorrow; taste them 
  on the rain today. At the top,
  hook the metal back

  to your waist. Leave the wall clean. 
  Leave your hands raw. Leave your feet
  bare when they return to Earth. The sand 
  is soft in Muir Valley, and the snakes 

  don’t bother with cloudy weather. 
  This is what it's like to toss fear, 
  wet, across the ground where it will 
  run in rivulets with mud and melting 

  clay. Spill it from chest and gut. 
  Trade it for laughter. Grin with
  bright teeth that know what it's like
  to fight gravity.

This does not surprise me much, unfortunately. What does surprise me in my day-to-day life is the incompetence of youth who have grown up with nearly unfettered access to high speed internet and a variety of devices. I teach suburban high schoolers from upper-middle class families, and my students are astoundingly tech illiterate. They do not understand, conceptually, the difference between cloud storage and local storage. They are unable to download a file and then locate it later because they have absolutely no grasp of files or folders or where/how to access/sort information on the machine. Hell, they don't even know how to navigate menus to change display settings, sort information differently, or save a Google Doc as PDF. These kids are freshmen and juniors in high school-- they are 14-16 years old, and if I let them, they would spend the entire school day staring at their phones, laptops, and iPads.

-

I had assumed, previously, that being raised on tech would result in a high baseline literacy with the software, but I was wrong. They use their devices all day, but it seems like they use them for such specific, shallow, narrow tasks that they don't pick up any skills beyond how to navigate Instagram and pick up the latest online Jugendsprache. I spend a depressing amount of instructional time either walking them through basic steps to upload an assignment or doing it for them.

I've been passively interested in meditation and Buddhism for a long time. I've done sporadic meditating and reading but nothing consistent. But I recently read the book "Mindfulness in Plain English," and was really blown away and inspired by it. For the last week I've been meditating a couple times per day, and taking the messages in the book to heart throughout the day. It's been an incredible week, and I decided to research some more about Vipassana meditation and Buddhism. I so much liked what I read, and have been benefiting so much from daily practice, that I decided I will visit a Buddhist meditation center on Sunday, partake in group meditation, and start their "Introduction to Buddhism" classes. Here's to serious exploration of spirituality for the first time.

Absolutely! Below I have pasted just the section of the syllabus with the texts we read, grouped together by motifs, themes, and styles. Ignore the stuff like quizzes and presentations and other class stuff. I didn't take the time to delete it all out. The abbreviations like "(MP)" or "(c)" after certain poems indicate to the students where we are to find the texts (our book, online, online module, etc). The textbook we used was "The Making of Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms" and it was very good. It was written and compiled by working, published poets, instead of by academics. Anyway, enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions about it!

Week 2 : Form and content relationships W, 1/15 Poems: George Herbert, “Easter Wings” (MP 143); Miller Williams, “The Shrinking Lonesome Sestina” (MP 38-39);. Songs: Cold War Kids, “Hang Me Up to Dry.” Quiz 1. Sign up for 3 possible presentation dates. DMP rep to stop by to explain the resources the DMP offers you.

F, 1/17 Poems: George Herbert, “The Collar” (c); Thom Gunn, “The J Car” (MP 133-34). Secondary reading: Fenton, “Where Music and Poetry Divide” (c under “secondary reading”). Quiz 2.

Week 3 W, 1/22 Point of view/personae. Robert Browning, “My Last Duchess” ” (MP 130-132); The Toadies, “Possum Kingdom”; Portugal. The Man, “Creep in a T-Shirt.” Quiz 3.

F, 1/24 Romance/Realism. Poems: Sarah Piatt, “A Lesson in a Picture” (pp); Edwin Arlington Robinson, “Richard Cory” (c) Songs: Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, “Real Naked Girls”; The Postal Service, “Clark Gable.” Quiz 4.

Week 4: Carpe diem lyrics and variants W, 1/29 Christopher Marlowe, “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” (MP 209); John Donne, “The Good Morrow”; Songs: Radiohead, “Nude”; Weezer, “Tired of Sex.” Quiz 5.

F, 1/31 Andrew Marvell, “To His Coy Mistress”; Sharon Olds, “Sex without Love”; Songs: The Smiths, “Ask.” Quiz 6. Presentation: Raybecca

Week 5: The not-here W 2/5 Ideas of heaven. Poems: Emily Dickinson, “’Heaven’—is what I cannot reach!” (#239); Songs: Talking Heads, “Heaven”; Arcade Fire, “Keep the Car Running.” Quiz 7. Presentation: Sophia F, 2/7 The Romantic dream. Poems: Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty.” Songs: Wild Nothing, “Live in Dreams” and “Take Me In”; Animal Collective, “What Would I Want? Sky.” (All Animal Collective lyrics are available on the band website, animalcollective.org.) Quiz 8. Presentation: Jack DMP workshop #1: GarageBand. Meet in our regular classroom. After the quiz, those taking the workshop will head to a DMP room tba.

Week 6: Cameron McGill All selections this week are preparation for our videoconference with working musician and published poet Cameron McGill, of two bands (Cameron McGill and Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s; see cameronmcgill.com for info). The lyrics for the new record (just out in Dec.), Gallows Etiquette (GE), are posted on Carmen--sent to this class by the artist himself!

W, 2/12 Side 1 of GE; Secondary reading: Katie Darby Mullins, Editor’s Note, Measure 7.2 (2002): vii-viii (attached to syllabus); Cameron McGill, “Haiku Cycle” (published in Measure; attached to syllabus); Cameron McGill, “Three Poems,” Split Lip Magazine 9 (Jan.-Mar. 2014) (c). The three individual poems are titled “Heart-Sowing,” “In the Waiting Room,” and “If the Mayans are right” Quiz 9. Presentation: Laura

F, 2/14 Side 2 of GE; Cameron McGill, three poems from Poetry East (2013): “I Fall Asleep Like Lions,” “Painted Dolls,” and “Broken Guns.” Today you must also hand in, during class, a word-processed list of six videoconference questions for our 2.19 videoconference. Here is the assignment: Develop a list of six questions to ask Cameron McGill next week. It works best in these videoconferences to mention a particular song or poem by the artist; quote lines; then present your interpretations to which he can respond. At least three of your six questions should be about interpreting the language from particular songs. They do not all have to be songs we discussed in class—feel free to range more broadly in his work on your own. Your other questions may be about topics in music and poetry more broadly. Bring a copy of your questions to the videoconference, and attach to it the lyrics of the songs you ask about so you have them when you need them. Not all his lyrics are fresh in his mind; you will want to quote the lines you are referring to when you pose your question. Each of your questions should fully develop an idea to which he can respond. Your interpretive questions should be about 3 sentences in length. Quiz 10.

Week 7 W, 2/19 Videoconference with Cameron McGill. Bring a copy of your questions to the videoconference, and attach to it the lyrics of the songs you ask about so you have them when you need them.

F, 2/21 Youth, Pressure, Escape. Poems: Sarah Piatt, “The First Party” (pp); William Stafford, “Fifteen” (c). Songs: Neutral Milk Hotel, “The King of Carrot Flowers, Part One”; Beirut, “Elephant Gun.” Quiz 11. Presentation: Max Kilcup DMP workshop: iMovie. Meet in our regular classroom. After the quiz, those taking the workshop will head to a DMP room tba.

Week 8 Intimacy and Its Perils W, 2/26 Poems: Marilyn Hacker, “Villanelle” (MP 16-17); Songs: Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”; The Antlers, “Two.” Quiz 12. Presentation: Ivy

F, 2/28 Poems: John Keats, “Bright Star” (MP 62); Christina Rossetti, “From Monna Innominata” (MP 63); Songs: Death Cab for Cutie, “Brothers on a Hotel Bed”; Bon Iver, “Blood Bank.” Quiz 13. Presentation: Michaela

Week 9 Disconnections W, 3/5 Poems: Walt Whitman, “Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand” (c) and “To a Stranger” (c); Stan Rice, “The Strangeness” (c); Songs: The National, “Green Gloves.” Quiz 14. Presentation: Kent

F, 3/7 Poems: Louise Bogan, “Tears in Sleep” (MP 188) The Mountain Goats, “Moon Over Goldsboro” (attached to syllabus in its form as a poem by John Darnielle, from Measure). Quiz 15. Presentation: Cody

SPRING BREAK, 3/10-14

Week 10 Alienation & “Modern Man.” W, 3/19 Poems: T.S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men” (c); Songs: Arcade Fire, “Modern Man”; The Antlers, “The Universe is Going to Catch You.” Quiz 16. Presentation: Max Orr

F, 3/21 Edwin Arlington Robinson, “The House on the Hill” (MP 9); Ezra Pound, “Hugh Selwyn Mauberly” sections I and II (c). Songs: The National, “Mistaken for Strangers”; Modest Mouse, “Missed the Boat”; ”; Wavves, “Convertible Balloon.” Quiz 17. Presentation: Isiah

Week 11 The poetic image; or, What’s a Poem to Do? W, 3/26 Poems: Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “In Memoriam” (sections LIV and LV) (c); H.D., “Oread” (c); Songs: Radiohead, “Kid A.” Quiz 18. Presentation: Joey

F, 3/28 Michael Davidson, “Et in Leucadia Ego” (pp); Paul Hoover, “Poems We Can Understand” (pp); Animal Collective, “Peacebone.” Quiz 19. Presentation: Richard

Week 12 Parents W, 4/3 Robert Hayden, “Those Winter Sundays” (MP 150); Weldon Kees, “After the Trial” (MP 36); Sufjan Stevens, “Romulus.” Quiz 20. Presentation: Devin

F, 4/5 “Intention” v. “intentional fallacy.” Andrew Bird’s essays, “How’s My Living?” (c) and “Words Will Tell” (c); Andrew Bird’s songs, “Oh No” and “Not a Robot, but a Ghost.” Quiz 21. Presentation: Hilary

Week 13 W, 4/10 Sex and/or Love? Poems: Sharon Olds, “Sex without Love” (c); Metric, “Poster of a Girl”; Wild Nothing, “Vultures Like Lovers.” Quiz 22.

F, 4/12 Daily Life. Poems: Jackson Mac Low, “Daily Life” (pp); William Wordsworth, “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” (MP 61); Songs: Animal Collective, “Daily Routine.” Quiz 23. Presentation: Caroline

Man, these Ohio threads sure do bum me out! I was born and raised in Ohio, and I still live here. I'm curious about how much time you guys have spent in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus. I live in Columbus, and the culinary and craft beer scene here are incredible, especially in the last five years. Our neighborhoods are havens for art-- the Short North Gallery Hop scene boasts all kinds of gorgeous work and good food on the fancier end, but neighborhoods like Franklinton and Old North are home to some of the most vibrant artistic and literary communities you could ask for.

I've spent time in Dresden, Berlin, Amsterdam, Seattle, Portland, and NYC, and I don't feel like I miss a ton by living in Ohio. I wish we had better mass public transit, and I wish Ohio had more wilderness and mountains to explore. That being said, living in Ohio puts you within a day's drive of a dozen wonderful outdoor spaces beyond fields and Hocking Hills.

Anyway, I felt the need to say something positive about Ohio. I couldn't stand to live in its rural areas, or probably even in Dayton or Toledo, but the three C cities are vibrant and exciting places to be, despite the bad reputation they get.

Awesome. I just took an English course called "Poetry and contemporary alternative music lyrics." Imagine a poetry class where half the texts are poems from an anthology of great poetic works, and the other half are the lyrics to music by artists like The Mountain Goats. Anyway, The Mountain Goats were on our syllabus, and that's how I discovered them. It was such a fun class. I've always felt that song lyrics didn't get quite enough recognition as meaningful art- they are often, I think, as much poetry as poems are.

Sylvan Esso- kind of like the xx but more up tempo and fun

Brick + Mortar- kinda like bass and drums meets grungy indie rock

Blind Pilot- compelling indie folk

  A white water wash of unwanted, stuck-together thoughts crash into each other constantly crash into me certainly 
  and it feels all day (better stop by the store later for toilet paper oh and ) as though there really is no safe way (I hope
  I didn't embarrass myself earlier with-) to put a stop to the cacophonous, (John, Christ what was I thinking?) discordant  
  chorus of one thousand (I've got to make sure I get my notes together before-) different voices all too preoccupied with 
  (that midterm, and I-) what is gone and what is coming to (wonder if Emily would be willing to-) take a moment and

  Hush.
  Breathe through
  Your nose and feel
  Your breath move past the
  Sensitive tips of your
  Nostrils and over
  The fine hairs
  Of your
  Lip.

  Feel
  Each thought
  As it bursts into
  Your brain, but step
  Back, observe it, dry,
  And then just let
  The thought
  Go. 

  Enjoy for one brief moment,
  Or maybe two,
  The power of hush.

Hi! I've been here a while. I rarely post or comment, but mostly lurk with great enthusiasm.

"Esoteric."

It's one of those words I've read a lot of times, but keep ignoring because I don't wanna bother. But I encountered it today while reading about pedagogy for a class on teaching writing, and decided it was time to just learn the damn word. Thanks, Google.

  Not always, but sometimes, when I put on some music,
  I shed my shirt to the floor, drop my jeans, don
  My thin, black and white pants from Dresden, drown perfectly. 
  
  I frantically vibrate about the room, dance ecstatic energy.
  Due dates, death, daily drudgery fall from my shoulders
  Against their will, like boulders released in a landslide 

  Ecstatic beads of grinning, greasy sweat pour forth 
  From my face through the ancient dance, each second tastes
  Newer than the salty last, and the present moment is torn
  From its neglected seat in my harried mind.

It seems there's an argument somewhere for the public to subsidize state colleges more, which may help young people and the economy overall.

I too was told from an extremely young age that college was essentially a must. Everyone, regardless of ability or financial situation, it seemed, was destined for college. The public school I went to did little or nothing to expose us to other options. That's a crime. Students need to be made aware of the wide array of career routes they have as far trade school and skilled labor, as well as community college and whatnot. Not everyone was destined for college.

the absolute shittest culture on earth, the American one.

I'm wondering: Do you actually believe that Americans have the shittiest culture on Earth? And if so, why? In fact, do we really have our own culture, or are we home to an incredibly diverse range of constantly-evolving cultures?

I'm an American, though I've never been very patriotic or whatever. I recently spent two months in Europe to study and to travel. I expected to return from Europe feeling very fed-up with America and Americans, but quite the opposite occurred. While I found much of the social and political awareness and atmosphere in Europe refreshing and far better than what I often see at home, I missed many, many things about American culture and people. And I don't think it's because I was feeling extra foreign; I visited countries where I can speak the native language fairly well. I found, upon my return, that I was actually happier than ever to be an American, and maybe even a little bit proud of being an American. This is a foreign feeling to me, but I feel it nonetheless.

That being said, other cultures are doing A LOT of things right, and we should take note. I am an active advocate for all sorts of change in The States, and I think that's the mark of a real patriot anyway. A real patriot wants to change his nation and people for the better. I would, however, never say our culture is shitty. Anyway, I'd love for you to expand on that, and maybe we can talk about it more.

I feel like my literary idol shifts from year-to-year. Kurt Vonnegut will always be at the top of my list for inspiring 14-year-old-me to pursue a career in literature and education. After I read Slaughterhouse Five, I devoured the rest of his work.

I recently read Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, and I thought it was incredible. It launched me into reading a whole series of eastern texts. His description of the river, the stone, and the interconnectedness of life made me pause, put the book down, think, and read it several more times.

I've also been reading a collection of Wallace Stevens, and I'm regularly shocked at the novelty and difficulty of the images he describes. I wish I could write so imaginatively!

   I'd like to be whoever I damn well please.
   The world around me does not prevent this, but the demons dwelling inside.

   I want to feel compassion. I want to feel kind.
   I want the courage to leave jealousy and hatred behind.

   When I think of the people who have changed my life,
   I wonder why I'm not more like them.

   Sincerity, support, and genuine, smiling eyes.
   What makes me lesser in character?
   Why do I lack that love toward mankind?

   A mindfulness of this, I hope, will change me in time.
   I'll mold my character and be the light we all hope to find.

  My mother told me I'm so much more serious 
  Than I used to be. She said it's some kind of sad. 

  Waking up takes longer than it used to before 
  My body betrayed itself.
  Now my mornings settle in slowly, my bruised bones 
  Waiting for their cells to to get used to the poison,
  My black and bitter coffee cup warming too-smooth knuckles
  That are never quite hot enough, no 
  Matter how burnt my angry, red tongue. 

  My new-found gravity, I wonder, did it come naturally
  With seeing and feeling too much around me too deeply:
  A product of growing?
  Or did it come more darkly, borne in my blood
  A piece of my chronic disease, unwanted, settling 
  Deep between my toes, above my knees?

  Or was it both? If it's time that my own system did steal,
  It quickly accounts for the new rending that I feel.
  My breakfasts are topped off with too-ripe tears,
  My baseball mitt neglected, catching only frozen fears-
  My wheels rolled twenty to sixty too Goddamn fast,
  And the thick souls of my shoes assure me that it'll last.

I'm going to school to be a high school teacher. I always worry about whether or not I will contribute to society. I was going to get my degree in business, but I hated the thought of it. It feels important to me that I do something worth while to humanity, and I'm hoping I can do that in my career, but I fear that my talents, aptitudes, and passions will steer me in another direction. Right now I offer the world very little. I leech off of my parents, and work in a grocery store to support my spending habits.

I really like this post! I've often struggled with friends and acquaintances who pick fights about the nature of my non-religious belief for the reason you mentioned. They associate it with a certainty about the nature of being and the universe that I never pretended to have. It's always been difficult in the moment to articulate what you articulate here about prioritizing the needs of humanity, and thinking in more positive terms and negative terms.

Aha yes. I didn't realize until after I'd made my account that almost nobody on here has numbers in their names! Now I feel a little silly. See, 16 was my "student number" in elementary school for several years in a row, and I got attached to it. So I've been using in in usernames and whatnot for my entire online existence.

Luckily for me, the bulk of the reading is not difficult, but pretty easy. Ten of the novels are for a class on literature for adolescents, which is a requirement for my pre-education-focused degree. The idea, I think, is that I'm going to be using these books in my classroom in a few years, so I have to know them well. The books on that syllabus are: The Perks of being a Wallflower, Speak, Looking for Alaska, Eleanor and Park, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Where Things Come Back, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Graceling, Maus, and Brown Girl Dreaming.

I'm also taking a special topics course centered on empire, ethnicity, and sexuality in U.S. ethnic lit. These reads are tougher: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, So Far From God by Ana Castillo, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, A Gesture of Life by Chang-rae Lee, Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir by Deborah Miranda, and good ol' Beloved by Toni Morrison (I've already read this one twice).

I've finished my minor in German, but I am also minoring in professional writing, and am taking a course on how to teach writing. The reading (mostly articles taken from journals) is heavy and pretty dense, and also includes The Bedford Writing Guide for Tutors.

Phew, that was an italicizing frenzy! The main problem is that, especially for an English major, I'm a slow reader! I'm not terribly worried; I am confident that I can manage the workload, but it sure is making my eyes tired.

Big congrats on your acceptance!

Also, kids: don't fall in love before you're 32 or so. It's just not convenient.

Tea with milk and honey? Can I order that here? Anyway I'm home today because I'm sick, and I figured I could afford to skip one day of a one-credit-hour swimming class that I'm just taking for funzies anyway. In fact, my entire household, all five of my roommates plus myself, seem to be experiencing the same cold! Really, it's a lot more fun to be sick when everyone else is too.

I've been reading and reading and reading all day every day to get head start in my classes this semester. It's not the difficulty of the classes I'm worries about, it's the sheer workload. 18 novels, 2 instructional text books, loads of secondary texts, and a part-time job have me stressing out, which I'm overly good at. I'd better go meditate or I might not do it today. I haven't missed a day in a few weeks, and I don't want to start now!

A responsible citizen doesn't impose his will and desires on fellow citizens.

this gets really hairy though, doesn't it? Any dedicated reformer is trying to "impose his will and desires on his fellow citizens" even if one defines that as trying improve lives and general well-being. Are those who who fight, for example, for racial equality in racially-divided and racist communities irresponsible citizens? I have trouble with that idea. It kind of sounds similar to the old "If you don't like it then you can get out" mantra, which I think is narrow-minded and counterproductive to progress.

I might even go as far as to say that a responsible citizen has an obligation to try to improve his community and surroundings as he sees fit. Your city doesn't have any sustainable urban gardens and few local grocers? Start an urban garden, educate your peers, and support the local grocers, even if all the Walmart employees and big-business fans in the area don't like it. Does your city have air that's dangerous to breathe because of smog? Fight for stricter emissions laws in your state. Is that imposing will and being irresponsible?

So then these books ought to have quite a bit of character by the time they've finished their circuits! I'm excited to see other readers' notes. I'll leave some of my own, but my handwriting is awful and I'm afraid of marring pages with it to be honest.

I keep one! It's for just about everything. Sporadic journaling, to-do lists, the occasional poem or doodle, etc.

I keep one for class too, but I picked this one to share.

1. I began working as a private tutor and have been extremely successful with my students and their parents. I'm going to school to be a teacher, and this is a good stepping stone, resume builder, and key source of income for me. It's also reaffirmed for my that educating others is what I want to do

2. I've gotten the opportunity starting in late 2014 to work with my favorite professor, whom I idolize, to design curriculum and conduct primary research for decent pay. I'm so excited at the opportunity and the hard work that paid off.

3. The third best thing is tied to the worst part of 2014. The intense and often problematic drug that I'm taking to fight my arthritis is getting along well with my body. I feel great and have experienced no side effects. Given the difficulty of dealing with my diagnosis (going from healthy, young life-long athlete to someone who has to monitor everything he does/eats, live with constant restraints, and adapt to the new reality that is chronic illness), I'm grateful for this part going smoothly.

This is a rough question, you know? But intriguing.

Compared to most people, I've had an easy life, lived in a great environment, and had a healthy upbringing. Nonetheless, pain is relative, right? No matter the background, everyone has baggage. I know what many of my hangups and personal issues are, but I can't say that I know where most- if any of them- stem from. May as well dive into it.

I am an exceptionally hard-working and driven person. This is a large part of my personal identity, and a trait to which I can attribute most of my successes. However, I have found that no matter how deserving I am of something (someone's attention, approval, an award, a job, a leadership role, etc) I have a gnawing feeling of guilt and inadequacy. I rarely feel that I am genuinely deserving of anything or anyone, and I think that causes some problems. However, I think it also keeps me constantly motivated to improve myself and become more deserving and qualified in every aspect of my life.

I also find that I have A LOT of trouble dealing with the past. I dwell and dwell and dwell. I get mild anxiety attacks and have nightmares regarding latent fears and insecurities that stem from minor events or discomforts from my past or the past of my S.O. I recognize the absurdity of this, and how important it is to let go and ignore things that are no longer relevant. But acknowledging that sort of thing on a cognitive level, and feeling it on an emotional level are very different things.

The third main thing that comes to mind is my constant desire to prove myself. I'm short. I'm not super short, but I'm a bit below average, and for most of my childhood and adolescence, I was more significantly undersized compared to my peers. This lead to my fair share of being bullied and and all the fun things that come along with that. Luckily, being a very successful middle school and high school wrestler helped me to boost my confidence and be less bothered by this. Still, I often find myself feeling as though my masculinity, toughness, competence, adulthood, etc, are being challenged, when, in reality, nobody is challenging anything. So I spend a lot of emotional and mental energy worrying about how others perceive me in those ways, even though I know that's a ridiculous thing on on which to expend any energy at all.

Aha you're right. That's a terribly unsatisfying description. I won't pretend to be an expert on language poetry, but here's what I remember learning in class:

Language poetry has two big defining characteristics that stick out to me distinctly. First, it does indeed place huge emphasis on the reader. In practice, this means that the author gives the reader very little to work with. Usually this means poems with no context, a lack of coherence, language and sentences that don't seem to make any sense, etc. The idea is that the reader does all the work in giving the poem meaning. There is nothing, or little, that can be deciphered in these poems. Instead the focus is heavy on creating something unique between the text and each reader. The idea is that the poem will spark something different or special for everyone. The author, in fact the idea that any person is behind the poem and dictating it is as removed as possible in order to facilitate this.

The second primary characteristic is that a lot of language poets like the idea that poetry should not be slaved over, meticulously crafted, or even deliberately written. They do things like create poems by literally copying a newspaper article word for word, and inserting line breaks and new punctuation to give it new meaning. A great example is the poet Jackson Mac Low, who created a poem called "Is That Wool Hat My Hat?" According to an interview we read for class, Mac Low was at a show where he overheard one person ask another the question, "Is that wool hat my hat?" The phrase stuck out to him. He assigned each word a number between 1 and 6, and rolled a die a lot of times to determine in which order the words should fall. Each line of the poem is the same six words in a randomized order. He wrote it as a performance poem for four people to present together, each one chanting his/her own unique set of lines of the same six randomized words simultaneously for a few minutes. I found a video here! It is kind of madness, but that is indeed how it was written to be performed. I have a copy of pages form Mac Low's own book with the very instructions, which I can post when I get home in about a month. So anyway, the point is that the phrase itself holds almost no meaning, and took a few minutes of dice rolling to create, but meaning is created in the moment that people perform it together.

Because language poetry is often non-compositional, like jumbled up newspaper articles or phrases thrown together by rolling a die, many academics and poets regard it with disdain. They view it as anti-art, and not as poetry at all. It is a controversial subject. The professor who taught this class, however, thinks language poetry is very fun, and is a big fan of how it works. She is currently compiling an anthology of poetry for undergrads studying the English. She has actually included a lot of song lyrics, including "Kid A." She said that the song lyrics and the language poetry is where she has encountered the most resistance with her publisher. I believe the book is to be released this month. Personally, I find language poetry frustrating. I really like the idea behind it, but I always find myself annoyed and as though I haven't come up with much. Maybe I should keep trying, or maybe it just isn't for me.

I think this makes the Wikipedia article a little bit clearer. The style emphasizes disjunction because there is an intentional disconnect between reader and author, between sentence structure and how we usually speak, between the idea that poetry is crafted and what the poet is giving you, and indeed between each word and line of the poem. It is all very disjointed and feels unnatural or unintuitive. These poems focus on materiality and the physical world in that they distort everyday things like questions about hats and newspaper articles. I'm not so sure about the rest though.

I hope this gave you a little bit of a better handle on language poetry. When I get back home (I'm studying abroad right now) I will be able to get into my folder from the class and provide you with more examples if you'd like! But right now I'm having trouble finding/remembering the poems and poets.

I like this idea a lot! Here's mine:

    I have perceiv'd that to be with those I like is enough,
    To stop in the company with the rest at evening is enough,
    To be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing
    flesh is enough,
    To pass among them or touch any one, or rest my arm 
    ever so lightly round his neck or her neck for a 
    moment, what is it this then?
    I do not ask any more delight, I swim in it as in a sea.

I didn't much enjoy it either. Particularly equating a title like "Pure Heroine" with "innocence." I can't see it.