Topic question: What is all the fuss about poetry?

Poetry is such as broad yet unique topic that has been worked on for centuries by poets such as Shakespeare who spill on their dreams, ambitions and feelings in just a few lines, with such exquisite detail. Poetry allows people to have a voice, often people use poetry to express how they feel, when they are misunderstood. Poetry allows you to put yourself into the poet’s shoes, and have a sense of understanding and sympathy towards them. Poetry is expressive; their intention is to express emotion that is usually hidden within them, often never told and unknown. Poets write believing that they can confide in people by recounting experiences they have overcome throughout their lives. Poetry uses a variety of techniques to make their poetry unique and different from all others, this is done by using metaphors, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia and many more. So many topics are emphasized within poetry, this could vary from nature, to beauty, and even love is explored. Throughout history, poetry was used to depict how life was lived back then. In our studies we explore poetry to understand concepts of the past and compare them to our generation where society is changing dramatically, unlike generations ago. Poetry has been a significant part of history, such as the First World War, where troopers themselves, describe in such detail, about the gruesome and horrific times they faced. Now that I have explored Poetry as the deep and profound writing that it is, I am able to understand what all the fuss about poetry is, it’s simply a matter of paragraphs that convey a message, that the poet is unable to do verbally.They express what they feel in words that allow us, to understand the message they are trying to convey. Poetry is such a lovely thing to read and I highly recommend  it to anyone needing uplifting and enlightenment because poetry definitely holds those traits to it's advantage.

My Favorite Poem

How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

This sonnet has a beautiful meaning behind it, love. Elizabeth expresses the many way's she can explain the love she feels towards someone. She finds many ways to love, through passion, freedom, purity, depth and everything nice.I really like this poem because of it's descriptive words, that I can easily relate too.

Poetry can make you laugh, scream or cry

'The Raven' by  Edgar Allan Poe, is a fairly complicated poem that is written about a man who is at home alone, grieving over the loss of his lover, Lenore. Edgar's poem is quite complex and seem's to drag on forever, but the Simpson's version makes it much more entertaining and has a humor to it which I enjoyed.But this poem is not the best I have come across during this assignment therefore I have to rate it a 2/10.

'Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf' by Ronald Dahl, is a humorous rhyme that depicts the story of a vulnerable young girl in a red cape, being tricked by a evil wolf who eats grandma who is awaiting for arrival at her granny flat. Little Red riding hood manages to take out a gun and shoot the wolf, to its death. I really like the way Ronald uses rhyme to make his own version of a classic tale. I rate this poem a 7/10 purely because it's humorous and rhymes.

'The child wife" by Kath Walker, was the first form of poetry published by an aboriginal women.The poem is based on her experience of loving an older man, in which she had no feelings for. She uses a whole lot of emotion that make's you feel a sense of sympathy for Kath. I rate this poem 7/10 because it has a good use of emotion and flows really well.

Poetry Goes to War

'American Idiot' by Green Day
This is a really good song that has a powerful meaning behind it. America is so heavily influenced by media, whereby people believe propaganda and things that are not true. They are easily brainwashed by media, politicians who constantly tell them what they need to do, buy and say. But what Green day is trying to say is that there not falling for it, there not a bunch of "American idiots" and they didn't want others to be gullible and fall for the unjust society. Green day states that people should be given the right to love who they love, believe in who they believe, and do what’s best for themselves.Overall, I rate this poem a 8/10 because I love the message green day are trying to emphasis in their lyrics.

Red Gum, "I was only 19"
This is a very good poem in that it gives us a clear perspective on the hardship's this Red Gum faced when he was 19 and sent to fight during the Vietnam war.He clearly explains all the worries and struggles he faced during this period of time.Red Gum's Poem uses Imagery particularly well, because as a reader I am able to picture myself in his shoes. I rate this poem a 6/10 because of its vivid description of the Vietnam War.

'Dulce et Decorum est' Wilfred Owen
This Poem depicts the sacrifice soldiers made during the war; we often take for granted what these people have sacrificed in order to make Australia a free country. Wilfred uses such good sound and Imagery, using words that are so deep and emotional. I rate this poem an 8/10 because of the use of such good language, sound and Imagery.

Poetry Falls in Love

Analyse"shall I compare thee to a summers day" by Shakespeare.

Sonnet 18, also known as the famous poem " Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" written by Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the best and most well-known poem of all time. The poem begins with a meaningful metaphor, comparing this special someone to a summer's day. Know, I wonder why he used this to emphasis this person's beauty or flaws,but many things pop into my mind. Summer is a time of happiness, beautiful weather and freedom therefore to prove his point. Shakespeare also mentions " thou out more lovely and more temperate", which adds more description using words such as "lovely" and "temperate", whereby Shakespeare is saying that she is so much better than just a plain old season, she is much more than just that. I really love this poem because Shakespeare is an expert when it comes to poetry, he knows how to use the right words to create the perfect meaning in which we can all understand.I rate this poem 8/10, because of the fact that it's descriptive, well written and very romantic.

Analyse 'I Carry Your Heart With Me' by E.E.Cummings

E.E Cummings poem 'I carry your heart with me" is a poem about love, although I may be a huge romantic this poem did not appeal to me very much, I though it was very bland and required the use of more sound and Imagery to make it more interesting, overall the structure of the poem is well set out, and by the looks of it , Cummings is showing his affection towards someone by carrying her heart wherever he goes.Therefore, I will rate this poem a 3/10 purely because of its good structure, good use of words and significant meaning behind the poem.

Analyse 'Funeral Blues by W.H Auden

W.H Auden's Poem 'funeral blues' is in a perspective of Auden himself after mourning over the sudden loss of his lover. In this poem you can evidently see that he is grieving over the loss, and seems to believe that his world is coming to an end because he cannot manage a future without his lover. Auden strongly believes that without the existence or the presence of this person , he cannot move on and live the life he lived before hand.Overall, I rate this poem 7/10 because it's quite relatable, because when you think of losing someone or worse losing that person that is so significant in your life, you imagine how it's possible to recover from such as loss and it's difficult but you get through it eventually.

Analysis On 'Pretty Hurts' Beyonce

“Pretty hurts” by Beyoncé depicts the pressure girls face in society, whereby young girls are heavily influenced in being people they not. Beyoncé also states that girls are judged on their external look and not what truly in the inside. Beyoncé is trying to send a clear message that there is beauty in imperfection and that society is ruined not you, society is the one that’s misleading girls into being perfect, in which is absolutely insane, because believe it or not, no one’s perfect.” Perfection is a disease of a nation” is in the leading chorus, referring to ‘perfection’ as a disease, which is powerful in that diseases often come incurable, affecting people’s lives and possibly contagious, which all in some way shape or form are relevant to the message of society influencing girls to be perfect. Now, the techniques Beyoncé used in her lyrics were endless but let’s briefly explain a few noted.

Onomatopoeia was shown when she says “shattered mirrors “whereby you can visualize mirrors shattering to represent girls no longer looking in the mirror habitually, to find imperfections, instead they should be showing off their flaws and being themselves. Also, Beyoncé uses the metaphor perfection is a disease of a nation”, “TV says Bigger is better” and “You left a shattered mirror and the shards of a beautiful girl” to emphasis the pressure girls face in society in nowadays. The powerful use of personification was also used, this includes: “Reflection stares right into you” and “Plastic smiles”. Last but not least Imagery was used carefully to create a more vivid picture on what she is trying to convey for example, “blonder hair, flat chest” which gives us a clear picture on what society thinks girls should perceived by.

Poetry through Songs 'Pretty Hurts' Beyonce

Mama said, you're a pretty girl
What's in your head it doesn't matter
Brush your hair, fix your teeth
What you wear is all that matters

Just another stage
Pageant the pain away
This time I'm gonna take the crown
Without falling down, down

Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Perfection is the disease of a nation
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Tryna fix something
But you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery

Blonder hair, flat chest
TV says bigger is better
South beach, sugar free
Vogue says

Just another stage
Pageant the pain away
This time I'm gonna take the crown
Without falling down, down, down

Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Perfection is the disease of a nation
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Tryna fix something
But you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery Ain't no doctor or therapeutic that can take the pain away
The pain's inside
And nobody frees you from your body
It's the soul that needs surgery
It's my soul that needs surgery
Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far

And you break when the paper signs you in the dark
You left a shattered mirror
And the shards of a beautiful girl
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Perfection is the disease of a nation
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Tryna fix something
But you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery

When you're alone all by yourself
And you're lying in your bed
Reflection stares right into you
Are you happy with yourself
It's just a way to masquerade
The illusion has been shed
Are you happy with yourself
Are you happy with yourself

Yes