II. 9th
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”
Elizabeth Alexander
Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosyncratic. Poetry
is where we are ourselves,
(though Sterling Brown said
“Every ‘I’ is a dramatic ‘I’”)
digging in the clam flats
for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.
Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,
overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way
to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)
is not all love, love, love,
and I’m sorry the dog died.
Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,
and are we not of interest to each other?
“Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry”
Howard Nemerov
Sparrows were feeding in a freezing drizzle
That while you watched turned into pieces of snow
Riding a gradient invisible
From silver aslant to random, white, and slow.
There came a moment that you couldn’t tell.
And then they clearly flew instead of fell.
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April 20th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Mr. Porter’s model response for his students:
Who is the speaker of this poem?
Ms. Alexander’s poem is written from the perspective of a teacher who is trying to explain poetry to her students. This is evidenced in the first line where the speaker states: “I tell my students.”
Interpret the poem. What is this poem about?
According to this speaker/teacher, poetry is honest and individual — it’s where the true essence of a the poet is revealed. In particular, the speaker says, it is “where we are ourselves.”
Comment on another aspect of the poem or the performance:
While watching the video of Ms. Alexander reading her poem, it occurred to me that this poem is actually not meant to be read aloud. There are two phrases in parenthesis that describe the speaker’s voice during a performance of the poem — “(and now my voice is rising)” and “(here I hear myself the loudest)”. When she read these lines aloud, it was actually a little awkward; as a listener, I don’t need to be told that her “voice is rising” if I can hear it myself. Strangely, I didn’t think that Ms. Alexander followed her own instructions during her reading — her voice didn’t get loud at the end as described by the text of the poem. Overall, I actually prefer reading this poem silently to myself and imagining the speaker getting louder and more emotional at the end.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I enjoyed the poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”, by Elizabeth Alexander. It is about what poetry really is. “poetry is the human voice”, and the true feelings of the person. The speaker of the poem is a teacher trying to explain to his/her students what poetry really is. She also explains this differently using things such as sonic devices and onomatopoeia, such as “digging in the clam flats
for the shell that snaps”.
Ms. Alexander does a good job of reading her poem. She uses good eye contact and her speech was clear, but in the end when she says, “and now my voice is rising”, she does not raise her voice, so it seems like she isn’t following the poem.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
The poem “I Believe” in my opinion is a poem thats stands out becuse it is written well and sounds good when it is read out loud. When the author elizabeth alexander was reading the poem you could tell when one of the lines meant something because she would change her voice and tone because some of the lines had some emotion or feeling in it..
April 20th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Mr. Porter reading the poem was good. Having him explain all the rhyme schemes and such in the poem was really helpful to understand the meaning of some “slanted rhyme” and of some of the other literary devices. Plus the animation of the snow and the drizzle helped me know what was going on in the actual poem. The music really fit the poem, too.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
i think the poem belive by Elizabeth Alexander is about what poetry is about. it is saying that poetry can be about anything you want to it to be. the performer has a very clear voice and is interesting to listen to (not boring). the poet says ‘poetry is what you find in the dirt i the cornor or overhear on the bus’ this is saying it can be about anything from dirt to everyday conversation.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Mr Poter
The Sparrows were feeding in a freezing rain is my favorite line from the poem. It’s saying how the sparrows were eating while it was snowing. That while you watch turn into peices of snow. This is saying how the snow looks when it is coming from the sky. I liked how Mr. Porter made a picture to explain what the poem is about and he also explained how the poem rhymes and what type of poem it is. This poem is about how sparrows are eating their food and it was drizzling at the same time. It then turned into snow.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
The first poetry posted on this page was interesting. The metaphor for poetry was really vivid. The metapohor with the clams was clever. It was also humorous. The quote “Poetry is not all love, love, love and I’m sorry the dog died” got a few chuckles. At this part of the poem, it lightens the mood of the poem.
The speaker of this poem is obviously a teacher. The reference in the first line showed that she “told her students” about poetry.
The preformance was well done. She kept looking up to the audience so she could make eye contact. Although she didn’t raise her voice at the point she was instsructed to in the poem.
When she repeated “love” three times is an interpretation that most poems are about love. The repetion of “love” gives a tiring or tedious effect, which is the whole entire purpose of it, to show romantic poems are also tiring and overdone.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
“I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander
The author of this poem is a high school or college teacher. You can tell by the complex words the describes to her students such as idiosyncratic.The author of this poem truly wants her students to believe that poetry is not just about love. She would like her students to believe that you can find poetry antwhere. Poetry can be about anything…. from being about dirt, to a bus ride. In the poem, the author, Elizabeth Alexander, implies that poem don’t always have to be about a person,s life. You can write poetry about anything and everything.
I personally do not like this poem. The poem is not about something i can relate to. I maght have liked the poem a little more if it was about something I could relate to…. like sports.
The author could have been a little more inthusastic in the video. She did not emphasise very many of the sentences. The poem is very hard to understand because it is a peom about poetry.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
The first poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” I think is really great. I think that the poem is saying that anything can be a poem. I liked that she read the poem very clearly. Therefore I was able to hear the whole poem without any disruptions. I like the line “Poetry is where we are ourselves” because I think that means that we are what our poems say. Also we have our own opinions on what poems are and that any person can make a poem.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” Elizabeth Alexander, the lady who presented it in had a monotone voice it bothered me very much. Elizabeth is telling her class about what poetry is, she tells them how poetry can be anything, it doesn’t always have to be about love becase “Poetry is not all love, love, love, and I’m sorry the dog died.” and she is showing how peotry can be anything as long as it truly comes from the heart.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
it is very clear that the poet is trying to tell her students of what she thinks about poem. When students first learn about poem, they are always confuse of the ideas of them. Like the others, i dislike learning poem in class. I think they are boring, as like this poem said ‘poetry is not all love,love,love’ ,’poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner’. poetry is one of the smoothest way to express emotions, or a touching story. By reading poems, i learnt more about feeling the expression in poems, changed my thought of poems. As I reading this poem, i strongly agree with the denfineion of what is poem.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I really enjoyed this poem due to the interesting adjectives and odd things I imagained. I also really liked how you used your hands to discuss the words that were said. After I had listened to this poem i tried to think about what it meant and I thought it was trying to say how the sparrows were acting funny because they were still in the cold parts of the area in the winter storm. I got this idea because it said that the sparrows were feeding in a freezing drizzle. I think the speaker of this poem is a person viewing the scenery out of a window.
Stephen Vesper
April 20th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
The poem read by Elizabeth Alexander is a great poem. I like how she read it as if she wrote it herself, full of drama and meaning, not flat and boring. I think this poem means that poetry is not just a bunch of words on a page that sometimes rhyme. Poetry is all around us, even though we may not see, smell, or hear it, just like it says here: “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus, God in the details, the only way to get from here to there.” I like this poem a lot, and there was obviously a lot of effort put into it.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I like the way Ms.Alexander emphasize on the poetry it, in a way, let me know that the poem is about Poetry if i were t guess what the title is. Also she compare poetry to other ways other than love, as she have said in line 14. Instead of using words that aren’t as dull and simple she uses words like idiosyncratic to make me guess what the word means. The poem shows that she believes that a poem can be witten by anyone, weither it’s good or bad, and that it sometime shows what the person believes and feel towards things, from their point of view.
During line 13 and 16, she said what she is doing. For example, “and now my voice is rising” says that she is rising her voice. This makes things for interesting because mos poem I read doesn’t included things that tells the reader what the speaker is doing now.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
” Because You Asked about the line between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov is a beautiful poem which interprets the sparrows feeding in the snow watching them until the snow started to fall which all you could see was the white slow now flakes fall all a blur in which you couldn’t tell from anything but the sparrows arose into the sky. It was overall an excellent poem which makes you put images in your head of the poem and how you think of it because the way Mr. Porter emphasizes some lines to make it sound more imaginable. The one line he uses the most emphasis was ” That while you watched turned into pieces of snow.” That is when you can imagine the sparrows getting covered under the snow to turn into all a white blur.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Why did she define poetry as this? Alexander described poetry in many ways in this poem. Towards the beginning of the poem, she explains it as nothing. It is “strange” she says. She calls it, “the dirt in the corner,” or,” what you overhear on the bus.” She is saying that no one really cares about poetry. Once she says that she raises her voice (It says in the poem). She puts emphasis on poetry. She says its the human voice and God in detail. What this means is that poetry is not just words, its people expressing what they deeply feel. In terms of God, God does not speak in prose, all of his proverbs or lessons are spoken poetically because he is beyond us; he is not like human like we are. Poetry is way for people to express their feelings that are unable to say their feelings aloud. I liked this poem because I needed to stop afterward to rethink in my mind what Elizabeth Alexander is trying to get out to the readers of this poem. So I think this is a nice poem to read, and not just to read it once, but to be able to understand what she is trying to say.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:01 am
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander was a good poem, but not so good of a video. The poem is telling about how poems aren’t all about love or death. The speaker, a poetry teacher, is talking about how a poem can be about anything you hear. “Poetry is not all about love, love, love, and I’m sorry the dog died.” This line explains that not all poems need to be love poems, or depressing ones. They can be what you and your friends talked about in lunch.
In the video, the author didn’t do a very good job. She didn’t talk with any emotion, and she didn’t follow her directions of raising her voice at the end. She also didn’t talk with the stanzas, but with the sentences. She should have read her poem the way she wrote it.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:02 am
I watched the poem “Ars Poetica # 100: I believe” by Elizabeth Alexander. This speaker of this poem was a school teahder talking to her students. In the poem she is saying how poetry expresses yourself and you don’t have to worry about what your saying because no one will ever know it was you. Also. when she says “Poetry is what you find in dirt in the corner,” it is saying that you can find poetry anywhere anytime and it can be about anything in the world. Overall, the entire poem is trying to say to express yourself and not worry about who is going to read it and not to make it a cliche poem about love and ponys because no one will be intrested in reading it. I did not like the way the poem was interpreted by the author, Elizabeth Alexander. She was monotone during the whole performance and paused when there was no pause in the stanza. She could have listened to her orers when she said ( and now my voice is rising or here I hear myself loudest ) but she did not even change her voice. This was an overall very intresting poem and makes you comfertable writing poetry with a lot of expression and about whatever you want, but next time it is being read it should be read with more emotion.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:04 am
In the poem “I believe” the speaker is a teacher who wants to explain poetry to her students. She explains that you can make poetry out of anything and it can be different. Like when she says “poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner”.In our class Mr.Porter demonstrated this when he picked up a spring he found in the corner of the class, and said “this is poetry”. My favorite line of the poem is when she says “poetry is the human voice” which means poetry is all different, and it is everywhere.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:04 am
“Ars Poetica # 100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander is a poem about a teacher talking about how poetry is something that you find. She also says that it is idiosyncratic which means that poetry is unique. Which is true in a way because all poetry is different which means it is idiosyncratic. The way that Elizabeth Alexander read her poem was slightly strange to me. She did not follow her directions in the poem. In the last few stanzas she gives the directions to raise your voice if your the reader, but when she reads the poem she does not follow those directions and reads it in a monotone voice. When Elizabeth Alexander says that poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner. This means that poetry can be made anywhere, or found anywhere such as the dirt in the corner. This line symbolizing that poetry is idiosyncratic and unique because it can be found wherever you are.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:05 am
I liked the poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander. I liked this one better because it let me imagine what she wrote. The speaker of this poem is a poetry teacher. Alexander wrote in a lot of detail and used adjectives to describe different things. In this poem, Elizabeth Alexander talked about how poetry is unique and it can be found in unexpected places, like “in the dirt in the corner”. She says that not every poem is about love, and sorrow. It’s about anything, and it can be found anywhere. One thing I did not like about her performance was the fact that she was very monotone and did not rise her voice when it said she was going to rise her voice. In this poem, I liked the line “Poetry, I tell my students, is idiosyncratic.” I liked that line because it’s saying that each and every poem is different and unique. Not every poem is the same, they can’t be.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:06 am
I like the poem “Ars Poetica # 100: I believe” by Elizabeth Alexander. I think the poet was trying to tell you that you can find poetry anywhere you go. Also, that you can make poetry out of anything. The speaker is a poetry teacher and she’s telling you that poems aren’t always about love. One thing I didn’t like about the poem was when the poet was reading the poem she didn’t put any feeling in to the poem when she was reading it. She read it like a book not a poem and when it says “and now my voice is rising” she spoke it instead of raising her voice. I thought the poem was good but, when she did her video it was realling tiring and you wanted to fall asleep. This is a nice poem but to understand it more you need to read it more than once.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:07 am
“Ars Poetica # 100: I believe” by Elizabeth Alexander. This poem is about how poetry can be found anywhere. Also it is about how poetry is not all about love. My favorite line in this poem is “poetry is not all about love,love,love and I’m sorry the dog died”. i like this line alot because this one sentence has so much meaning, poetry does not have to be all Shakespeare about how he’s in love and can live without, or about forbidden loves. it means poetry can come from deep within, from a place that no one knows about but you. I did not really like the video. She was very monotone.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:07 am
“Ars Poetica # 100: I believe” by Elizabeth Alexander was a confusing at first. Once we reread it I understood the poem. The speaker of this poem is a teacher. The teacher is talking to her students about the definition of poetry and how she views it. The teacher says poetry can be found anywhere and with anything imaginable. Poetry is all around us. I think that Elizabeth Alexander did a poor job performing her poem. She was monotone through the whole performance. In the poem she was supposed to raise her voice but she didn’t. A line that i liked was “Poetry (and now my voice is rising) is not all love, love, love.” She is saying that all poems aren’t all about love. Poems can be about anything.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:09 am
I thought that Elizabeth Alexanders performance wasn’t that great because she didn’t follow the stanzas. When she said ‘and now my voice is rising’ her voice stayed the same. I think she could have put a little more expression into it. The speaker in this poem is the teacher. The lesson learned from this poem was that poetry is everywhere. ‘Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner’ that just shows poerty can be found anywhere. It doesn’t mean that poetry is dirt and isn’t nothing, just explains that poetry can be about anything.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:12 am
I really enjoyed Mr.Porter reading the poem by Howard Newerov. That poem has some really cool lines that I really like. The speaker is somone watching the sparrows. This poem is different by using figurative to explain the difference between prose and poetry. I found it very helpful that you explained everything. Prose Is orginised By words on a page ins sentences and paragraphs. Where as Poetry is orginized into lines and stanzas. Good Job Mr. Porter.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I think Elizabeth Alexander is trying to show that poetry is not one dimensional. Poetry can be anything a person wants it to be. Poetry is a way to express yourself and let your voice be heard. It does not always have to rhyme or be about love or something sad, poetry can be whatever you make it. Alexander is saying there is no protocol to what poetry is, “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus…” It does not have to make sense. What I get from this poem is that poetry is supposed to make a person stop and think about what the writer is saying. Alexander is showing the many different dimensions of poetry by expressing that poetry is what you make it. I believe Alexander is trying to imply that the reader has to make a conclusion on their own what poetry is and not just given a definition by someone.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:05 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander was a poem with a deeper meaning. I found myself rereading to try and understand the point Elizabeth Alexander was trying to get across. Poetyy is “where we are ourselves” and what you “overhear on the bus”. Alexander discusses how poetry is heard everyday, and asks “are we not of interest to each other?” I thought this was interesting since the author almost made the reader feel guilty if he/she was not a fan of poetry. She explains that poetry is who we are, the human voice. Those who are not poets or do not prefer poetry are contradicted in Alexander’s ending line. She tells her readers that every one is a poet, poetry is everywhere, and how could we not like poetry if we like each other?
April 21st, 2009 at 5:19 pm
I enjoyed “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander. She explained what she felt poetry should be. Se said “Poetry is not all love, love, love, and I’m sorry the dog died.” Poetry could be anything. I agree that Alexander did not perform her poem the way that she was supposed to. She didnt’ changer her voice much even though she had said that her voice was supposed to be getting louder at parts. Overall, I believe that the poem was good even though it was not performed very well.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I believe the poem, “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”, by Elizabeth Alexander, explains the depth within human life. Alexander describes poetry as the basis of all things earthly, not confined to simply the emotional highs and lows. Poetry is intrinsic to human life, as portrayed in “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”. Alexander signifies poetry as the essence of human characteristics, capable of representing all aspects associated with human nature. As exemplified in “A Plain Life”, by William Henry Davies, the simplicities of life are not bound to existent objects. For instance, “No painted scenes — since clouds can change their skies
a hundred times a day to please my eyes,” quoted by William Henry Davies (“A Plain Life). Alexander’s poem supports this theory, in that poetry can be found “in the dirt in the corner” (“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”). Poetry can be written about anything, events of great significance or inconsequential elements. The way the words are strung together helps the reader visualize the scene and sense the mood of the poem. Furthermore, in my opinion, Elizabeth Alexander depicts poetry as the origin of life, representing the elements of life itself.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Poetry often gets stereotyped, as always being about love or hate, as always describing the world around us. Elizabeth Alexander, in “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”, does a good job of disproving this stereotype. Poetry has countless definitions, but what Alexander tells her students in her poem, is that poetry is a true expression of a person’s thoughts or feelings. Poetry could really be produced any any person, about anything. It is “idiosyncratic”as Elizabeth Alexander, or peculiar to a person, and she does a good job of explaining this and disproving the common stereotype.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
“Ars Poetica #100″ by Elizabeth Alexander
When I first read this poem, I was very confused. However, after reading it aloud I understood that the speaker was a teacher telling her students that poetry is everywhere. It may not seem like it but poetry is in everything you do. Alexander describes it as “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus, God in the details, the only way to get from here to there.” I thought this was a great and descriptive way to describe that poetry is everywhere. It was a very random analogy but fit perfectly. Even though this was a great poem to read, when Alexander read it aloud, she did a poor job. In the poem it says “and now my voice is rising”. However, she did not rise her voice at all. It would have sounded much better if she had put emphasis on these parts of the poem.
April 21st, 2009 at 7:27 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander is a unique poem that raises the question of what a poem truly is. Like she said, “Poetry is not all love, love, love, and I’m sorry the dog died.” Alexander reaches out to her students, as well as other readers of her poem, to make them aware of how poetry can change the most trivial of events into a grand poem deserving praise and honor. Her passion for poetry is evident throughout the poem, as she grabs in new readers with every word. Even from the first sentence of her poem, a reader can see the creativity and unique style of writing by Alexander. Everything about this poem pulls you in and brings up the perplexing question of “What really is poetry?”.
April 21st, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Many people view poetry as a way to describe one’s problems. However, Elizabeth Alexander’s writing style differs from this normal path. In the poem, “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe,” Elizabeth Alexander combines the main aspect of poetry, feeling, as well as a lesson. Alexander is attempting to teach her students about what the true meaning of poetry is. She is trying to lead her students’ minds off the regular mindset that poems are a dreary form of talking about your problems. She wants her students to understand the fact that poetry comes from wherever you may find it. Whether it be inside of you, or that you may have to search for it in the “dirt in the corner” or anywhere else it may become known. With new ideas about poetry, students and any other aspiring poets can use unfamiliar tactics for writing to spark new thoughts and ideas in readers’ imaginations. When writing from the heart, and not the mind, one can truly depict the ideas they wish to express and force the reader to have to think and interpret the message that it sends. Alexander is an obvious advocate to this style, and the evidence is clear in her poems, where critical thinking and analysis are needed when reading to truly comprehend the message.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I really enjoyed the first poem,”Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander because it can be interperted in many ways. This poem states that poetry is not all the fluff or love everyone thinks it is. It gives insight to how poetry is evident in everyday life. “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner,overhear on the bus.” In agreement with other postings, it is evident that many people believe poetry is not single sided, rather it has multiple faces. This description fits this poem exactly. Besides describing how poetry is everywhere, this poem really engages its audience. Personally, this poem left me hanging because there were so many unanswered questions in my head, so many things to wonder about, to investigate. This is a great technique utilized by Alexander, because with an interested audience, the message just passes right to them without any stumbling blocks on the way. Overall this poem was great, and combined many desirable elements and qualities that aren’t usually grouped together. Basically, it is a life lesson summed up and shrunk down into the lines and phrases of a very meaningful poem.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:41 pm
In the poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander, she expands on what the art of poetry truly is, and expresses her sheer love for it (she does this by acknowledging the volume of her voice; her excitement). When she says ,”Poetry is the human voice, and are we not of interest to each other?”, she expounds on the idea that poetry is how we as a society can reach out to each other, and spread our own messages and emotions in a unique way that intrigues ourselves. So intriguing and unique, that “every ‘I’ is a dramatic ‘I’.” Throughout this poem, Alexander also notes that poetry is “what you find in the dirt in the corner…what you overhear on the bus.” By saying this, she lets us know that poetry is in fact everywhere, and in everything we do. It can almost be concluded from Alexander’s carefully illustrated words that poetry is, in fact, emotion in its truest form.
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
After reading the first poem (Ars Poetica #100: I Believe), I was deeply interested in the especially vivid metaphors and language. The way that Alexander presents the poem is deeply intriguing. For example, “digging in the clam flats for the shell that snaps” is especially interesting because you would never think of using a metaphor including clams to describe something as beautiful and original as poetry. The “shell that snaps” means searching for the part of the poem that sticks out at you. This could be anything, and ironically, in this poem, this is that phrase. It is interesting to see the irony that Alexander also incorporated into this poem. The second phrase that was especially eye opening was “Poetry is the human voice”. And this one, not because of its originality, but because of its truthfulness. Poetry is the human voice. It is literally anything that could come out of anyone’s’ mouth. It is human nature to say interesting combinations of words, and this is exactly what poetry is. Not only this, but it is the way that we communicate with each other in a poetic way, whether positive or negative. And this poem couldn’t have done a better job of explaining that.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Ater reading and listening to the poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander, I was reminded of the meaning of poetry as a general topic, rather than an individual poem. Alexander expounds on her meaning of poetry as an art, rather than what an individual poem means, showing her deep, intellectual understanding of poetry. I was intrigued by the metaphors she uses such as “digging in the clam flats for the shell that snaps.” To me, this describes her interpretation of poetry, for she uses something as simple as a clam to describe something as profound as poetry. However, I feel that Alexander could have continued the poem because I think it stopped abruptly, and did not keep the flow that it had.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” is a great poem by Elizabeth Alexander. She tells us her thoughts on poetry through her poem, and I agree with her. Poetry is definitely idiosyncratic; each and every poem possesses characteristics unique to poetry. In the poem, she tells us that the stereotype of poems always being about love and sadness is not true, and she proves this statement with this poem itself. Poetry is the true human voice where you can be yourself. You can express your thought and feelings easily letting others understand you. Lastly, Alexander says “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus” She is saying poetry is found everywhere, and there is no avoiding it since it is the true human voice.
When Elizabeth Alexander read her poem, I though it was a great performance. She read it clearly and loudly and pausing at the right spots. Though, there is one thing I thought she should’ve done that she didn’t, when she said “and now my voice is rising”, her voice stayed the same without rising. It seemed strange that she wasn’t following the poem while reading it. “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” is an excellent work.
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
In my thought before reading this piece of literature, I thought a poem is a literary composition that is worded in “hidden messages” by using literary techniques such as symbolism, metaphors, similes, and irony. Trying to give an exact definition of the type of literature, poem, is complicating. However, “Ars Poetica #100″ by Elizabeth Alexander describes the meaning of all variations of poems. Alexander is saying how poetry is strange and bizarre because a poem can be about millions of topics that originally come from the poet’s past experiences, emotions, and ideas. Also, Elizabeth Alexander mentioned how poetry is the most powerful voice a human can use to communicate, no matter how insignificant the person speaking may seem. In addition, poetry allows people to express their ideas creatively. For example, instead of stating, “I’m happy,” it is a lot more interesting to say, “I’m bursting with energy and my smile is glowing.” In my opinion, this poem by Elizabeth Alexander says it all.
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
After reading the poem (Ars Poetica #100: I Believe), I was forced to contemplate on what a poem really is. Elizabeth Alexander used great example to try and explain poetry, a feat that is hard because we all have different views on poetry. I also like her examples of poetry when she says that poetry is dirt in the corner, and something that you overhear on the bus. I also believe this is true. Poetry is not very clear, you have to grasp the context to really find out what it truly means. You would also have to look pretty hard to see the dirt in the corner, or listen hard to hear the conversation on the bus. I think Elizabeth Alexander did a great job on telling people how hard you have to look to find the true meaning of poetry.
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Upon watching the Youtube video of Elizabeth Alexander reading her poem ““Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”, I found her presentation quite perplexing. I did not enjoy the frequent, and in my opinion, misplaced pauses in her speech, while I also found that the demeanor of her voice did not fit with the words that she was saying.
After a short break, I re approached my computer, and instead of watching the video again, I read the poem to myself and added pauses and my own tone to the words. I read it several times in my head and then I read it aloud. It took me a total of 5 times to completely understand the poem, and once I had, I was moved. I now understood what Alexander was trying to convey to thousands of other readers and I: that poetry can be found anywhere and that poetry is like nothing else in the world.
Poetry can be found anywhere. This theme that Alexander attempts to convey is shown when she explains that “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus”. Elizabeth Alexander shows how common poetry is. She wants readers to know that poetry is not as complex as some may think and that people should not fear it.
Alexander uses the word idiosyncratic. In simple terms, it means “weird”. Here, she wants readers to know that poetry is different. She wants readers to understand that there is no other form of art, of literature that can compare to poetry. Poetry combines rhythm, emotion and words to pass on a theme or idea. Poetry is like nothing else in the world because in order to understand poetry, all one needs is the will to learn and the ability to read.
All in all, I felt that “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander is a poem which can be read in one’s head easily, but read aloud with difficulty. The poem shows how ideas which Alexander believed about poetry (hence ‘I Believe’ in the title) can be portrayed in real life. Poetry is not as complex as some may think and that people should not fear it are to morals in the piece, yet I think that there are more. I can agree with my peers who posted above that poetry, does indeed “have many faces” and that poetry is a method of how “We as a society can reach out to each other”.
In “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”, Elizabeth Alexander ultimately proves how so much can be taught and done with so little words.
April 22nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe,” written by Elizabeth Alexander, defines poetry as “the human voice,” and common events found in everyday life. Poetry is present in our everyday lives although we may not realize it. Alexander’s explanation of poetry is captivating. Poetry is real and filled with emotions, written by people of all different backgrounds who have each experienced something different and phenomenal. As Alexander explained, “Poetry (and now my voice is rising) is not all love, love, love, and I’m sorry the dog died,” poetry is neither trivial facts nor deep proverbial expressions, but humans’ thoughts, feelings, emotions, and experiences.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Reading “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe,” gives one the impression of a person trying to express themselves as clearly as possible through an art form they love. Alexander is describing poetry, but feels so strongly about it that I felt as if I could see a part of her when reading it. Instead of just stating things, she expresses her thoughts in ways that the everyday person who may not like poetry can understand, like when she compares it to “what you find in the corner,” or “what you overhear on the bus.” With these words, she is also saying that inspiration can be found anywhere and everywhere, if you are observant enough to notice it.
The ending of the poem also stuck out to me, Because Alexander wants the reader to understand the excitement and importance of it, she breaks from the usual text of it by adding dynamics as one might to a peice of music. This gives the reader a way to envision a performance of it even if they have not watched the video.
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:06 pm
In the poem,”Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by the poet Elizabeth Alexander, she begins telling the reader of the individuality required to write poetry. In the poem, she says “Poetry . . . is where we are ourselves,” which refers to the poet who is required to pour their heart and soul into their poetry in order for it to be their best. As she begins to list the different metaphorical ways that a poet searches for the perfect subject matter or tone to base their poem around, she shows the desperation that a poet goes through to write their finest works. The dirt in the corners line can be interpreted to be referring to the amount of digging and perseverance used by those who take on the job of a poet. According to Ms. Alexander, a poet is required to listen intently to the quieted voices speaking at every moment of their day for clues on what to write, the little pieces that will concrete the piece of literature and fill it to its fullest with meaning.
The way for a poet to do their job correctly, and write poems that are earnest and worth reading, is for them to not conform and become the stereotypical writer. The stereotypical writer, as talked about by Ms. Alexander in her sincere poem, writes about the traditional love scene that is covered in petals and feels no pain or the angst-ridden poem that is torn by predictable tragedy. The side-notes that are listed in the parenthesis speaks lengthy novels for us as the reader, these show Ms. Alexander’s impassioned voice through her textual recordings of her thoughts. The way she tells of the rising decibels of her voice throughout the most significant portion of the poem seems like the rising action, the suspense, before the climax. Her voice, as told in the parenthetical notation, grew loudest as she told her most noble acclamation of the entire poem. Poetry, in short, is the ability to freely express oneself, to let out built up emotions in a form of literature that allows the poet to give it special style and a rhythm of its own. As the writer Ms. Alexander wrote, which is undeniably true and could be the consensus of all true poets, poetry comes from the hardships experienced by the writer, to be shared to all the world because, as the poet said best,”are we not interested in each other?”
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:11 pm
The poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” touches me specifically because I understand where Elizabeth Alexander is coming from especially because I’m an aspiring poet and writer myself. The first line captivated me because I have always viewed poetry as something idiosyncratic: every writer not only has their own style, but they put their beliefs, morals, and experiences in each and every piece of writing whether they do it consciously or not. The line that says “Every ‘I’ is a dramatic ‘I’” suggests that that idiosyncrasy makes the poem “dramatic” because the poet understands his/her true feelings, even if they never thought about writing that way. Therefore everything we write is a part of ourselves; and our true selves rather than the mask we might wear in public. Some people don’t know their true self because they have hidden in a mask for so long that they’ve lost their identity and allowed people to mold them into a socially acceptable mold rather than your real shape.
By “emptying the proverbial pocketbook” I believe that Alexander is referring to the fact that when writers write, they look for the standard morals to put in their writing because it is “socially acceptable”, however, by the way that she writes it in her poem, I can tell that she looks down upon using standard morals. I agree with her because this is another way to mask your true self, and that is not how poets become famous. They become famous when they are open to writing a very different style that differentiates them from all the other poets out there who don’t put their full heart and soul into their writing. I also agree with the line “is not all love, love, love” because although love poems are very romantic and beautiful sometimes, the best poems are on an even deeper level than love because love can only be exploited so much. People can argue and say that there is nothing deeper than love, and although there is truth in that, the depth of love is limited by poetry because love is emotional and physical and poetry is a mostly an emotional type of writing. All in all, I believe that Elizabeth Alexander was spot on when she wrote this poem, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:45 pm
“I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander was a different but powerful poem. Also ironic in the sense that it was a poem about the art of poetry. I feel that the whole message of the poem was that there is no clear definition of poetry, and that poetry is all about how the reader and writer interpret it. Alexander emphasizes that poetry is unique, and doesn’t just have to deal with issues such as love and hate. She was trying to express her view that poetry is “the human voice” by putting her own voice and her own style into her poem. Shifali commented that she felt the ending of the poem was abrupt and didn’t keep the flow that it had, but “I Believe” that this just underlined Alexander’s view that poetry doesn’t have to flow or rhyme all the time.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe”, written by poet Elizabeth Alexander, delineates and attempts to sculpt a definition for the art of expression known as “poetry”; ironically using this exact same abstraction she tries to delineate as the teacher of the poem. However, this ironic fact works to an advantage: it tries to force the reader to comprehension by trying to understand how poetry works by finding the rhythm and diction behind the poem. Personally, when I had first encountered this poem in January, after numerous reads, I made little sense out of the poem. Then it dawned on me- I was to separate the poem with emphasis and pauses to create independent little thoughts; creating a rhytmhical flow; each little thought lying in my mind, at a pace, one by one being taken in. After that, I put the poem together and inquired what it meant; now being able to see what she was talking about.
Perhaps the singlehandedly most crucial word that struck me in Alexander’s poem was “idiosyncratic”. Rohan noticeably phrases it as “weird”, but I found “weird” as rather weak and lacking in strength and not as distinct as it should be; and for that reason, I was quick to embrace the Merriam-Webster definition: “characteristic peculariarity” or an “individualizing trait or quality”. Though this one single word was not enough to define every single aspect of poetry, it did reach one thing out to me: the face of poetry is a shape that is unique, a shape that knows no bounds or definition when put to comparison; and at this point, I cheered myself on at my own discovery: I had found it- a backbone to the entire poem and understanding poetry. I had realized that the shape of poetry was comparable to the shape of water: a distinct ebb, a flow, and moves flexibly to the shape of container yet there is no true defined shape, much like Howard Nemerov’s “Because You Asked about the Difference Between Prose and Poetry Suggests”.
Poetry had immeadiately became colloquial to me at that point: it was speak in controlled bits at a time, to each intake bits and portions during the rhythmical pauses into my mind to consume, and from digesting it all into my head, I would imagine, I would interpret, I would question, and so forth. I later experimented with numerous poems to test if I had found the concrete “Why?” to answer for the purpose of rhythm and pausing; and I proved myself right: whether it be the pauses to envision between Taylor Mali’s rhetorical questionings in “Totally like Whatever, You Know?”, the imagery to envision behind Alexander and Nemerov’s metaphorical writing, and more. I then realized what Alexander meant when she talked about the proverbial pocketbook emptying when every shell snapping while digging deep in the clam flats: it was this thought process through each and every pause that was reached.
And from there on, Alexander talks much about the omnipresence of poetry and the extents of how far it can go in shape. And then snapping it all into a nutshell, I had realized that poetry is indeed bottled up human thoughts waiting to be drank in sips, to savor and bask in at each and every point; and each bottle can vary in flavor and shape. When I first saw the video of Alexander, each word didn’t quite sink in quite right; perhaps she tried to mimic normal speech rather than go for quite the same deep pauses I had envisioned between thoughts. Also, she apparently doesn’t stick with the volume changes she talks about in the poem. Either way, “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” truly shows how much can be put into a poem: whether thoughts, feelings, or emotions.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander serves as a window through which an outsider can view both the minute and earth-shattering successes of human life-such as: a smile returned between friends, a flower in full bloom, or the population of New Orleans being evacuated during Hurricane Katrina. It took me time to explore the possibilities- to figure out what Alexander was attempting to make clear to me. However, once I unraveled “Ars Poetica”, I thoroughly enjoyed brainstorming further!
I agree with Alexander’s interpretation: “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus, God in the details…” This led me to think that poetry is the music that plays in the background-it describes the emotions and thoughts that constantly course through the mind and spark our behavior. Poetry is the libretto of the opera of human existence. Oprah Winfrey once described something as being “the soundtrack to our lives”-that is, I believe, is the ideal characterization of Elizabeth Alexander’s “Ars Poetica# 100: I Believe”.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:57 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander shows a more different side of poetry. Instead of writing a typical poem, Alexander takes a risk and discusses the controversial question of what poetry really is. She explains that poetry is a form of our human voice and does not only have to be about “all love, love, love” or “I’m sorry the dog died.” I enjoyed this poem because it proves that poetry can be about any topic imaginable. It is what we find in our inner most feelings and how we express them. Even more, this poem is unique and stands out from all the rest, as she is not only correct about the definition of poetry, but how the reader can relate to her point is remarkable. As she writes that “poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner”, she explains that even if emotion or expression come from unusual places, it still can inspire and even affect the lives of other people. Finally, the ending of this poem ties everything together as she concludes that poetry is our voice and asks “are we not in interest of each other?” Alexander leaves us with a whole new understanding of poetry as readers are speechless with her convincing argument.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Once I read over and thought about the poem, “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe,” by Elizabeth Alexander, I was able to get a steady interpretation of what poetry truly is. The poem itself expresses how poetry is the expression of a personal peculiarity of mind and the overall release of emotions, thoughts, and impacting factors of life. What may seem meaningless to one may be significant to another. By using the various examples from everyday life such as “emptying the proverbial pocketbook” the message that is presented is that poetry is created from an individual who finds meaning in some passion or minor factor of life. But no matter where the inspiration comes from, poetry has no boundaries or rules that one must follow. It can be understood from each individual’s meaning and can connect to anyone by examining the message. “Every ‘I’ is a dramatic ‘I’” explains that the writer feels a strong bond with his/her poem and can clearly show opinion and dedication to using there own self as a subject to get through to readers. Alexander almost defines poetry as idiotic or meaningless to illustrate how many people may not understand or envision the true meanings behind the phrases. Poetry is truly an expression, good or bad, that pushes aside limits and clearly exhibits dramatic messages uncovered from the smallest of encouragement.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm
In this poem, “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe,” by Elizabeth Alexander, the author’s perspective and interpretation of poetry can be viewed. For instance, she immediately begins her poem stating, “Poetry, I tell my students, is idiosyncratic.” In other words, she is saying that poetry is peculiar. It seems as though she feels that poetry is unique in this sense, and cannot be defined by a few words. This appears to be the theme for her poem which should be constantly referred back to after reading each line. Alexander goes on to say, “Poetry is where we are ourselves, digging in the clam flats for the shell that snaps, emptying the proverbial pocketbook,” as if we are, as individuals, looking for our own interpretation of poetry and the world for the one definition which stands out or, “snaps.” We examine the proverbs of others to see what we can find within each of our lives to explain what it truely means to be a poet, but there are too many answers to provide a mutual explanation. Furthermore, poetry can be anything, as Alexander depicts by saying, “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus, God in the details, the only way to get from here to there.” It can be determined through one’s senses, one’s faith, or their ability to move on and continue to dream of where they are going in thier lives. Along with this, Alexander mentions that, “Poetry is not all love, love, love, and I’m sorry the dog died.” This can sum up the entire poem as she is saying that poetry is not only the stereotypical genre of love poems and mourning or pain, but rather it is however one interprets it to be, and therefore has no definition.
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:41 pm
After reading “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander, I agree with Matt Carbone that the most significant line is “digging in the clam flats / for the shell that snaps.” What is particularly intriguing about this phrase for me is that it clarifies Alexander’s later observation that poetry is everywhere: “Poetry is what you find / in the dirt in the corner, / overhear on the bus, God / in the details, the only way / to get from here to there.” When these two excerpts are combined, one comes to the conclusion that even though inspiration for poetry is all around us, in everything that is part of our beautiful and sometimes not-so-beautiful world, we all still have to search for the “Ah-Ha!” of life. Since we are all different people, with different experiences, memories, and thoughts, we will not all have the same reaction to a particular poem, or any aspect of the world, for that matter. Nonetheless, it is OUR DUTY as human beings who want to become BETTER, more COMPLETE individuals to search for what will make the lightbulb go off over our heads. Then, when we find the “shell that snaps,” we will be able to look at the world from a different perspective, and enjoy the luscious meat inside for the rest of our lives.
April 23rd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I believe that “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander is a poem full of symbolism and hidden meanings. Although reading it for the first time, I was slightly confused and lost in the symbolism and metaphors. However, after reading it through a few times more, it all began to come together for me. The symbolism and the way that Alexander does not just outright say what she is trying to get across really adds yet another dimension to the poem. I think that if the author had just went out and directly said what she wanted to, the poem would not have the same impact that it does using all of the symbolism and metaphors.
I definitely agree with Alexander’s view of poetry. It is not the most common form of literature that people think of. And therefore, it can often be found in the dirt in the corner or overheard on the bus. Or even in the warm high spirited classroom on a cold April day. Poetry can be found anywhere. It may not be what you would expect and it will certainly surprise you. But just remember poetry is poetry and it can be wild and out there or it can be calm and serene or however the author wants it to be.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:34 pm
after i watched these videos, i began to think about what poetry really is. It was mentioned that “peotry is not here nor there, love, or the dog died”. It is the small things in life such as “the dirt in the corner” that drive the true idea of poetry. Poetry is whatever we make of it, and it gives us an outlet to express ourselves in a way that best suits each human. It is free, and we can make whatever we want of it.
Watching the second video, i had trouble picturing it the first time. I had to replay it several times to fully get the point. Prose is very orderly and straight foward, while poetry is free and open. It can be interpreted any way that the reader desires. The imagery of this poem drives the ideas that are being conveyed
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
The poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander had a very signifcant effect on my view of poetry. In the past, I thought of poerty was only something that was read and written in Language class and for that use only. However, as I began to think deeper into the meaning, I realized poerty was a very effective way to depict what someone or something was feeling. After reading this poem it helped me understand that poetry is everywhere. When Elizabeth Alexander says “Poetry is what you find in the dirt in the corner, overhear on the bus, God in the details, the only way to get from here to there,” is the realization that poetry surrounds us everyday whether you can notice it or not. I can relate to this comparison because when i take the bus everyday and hear people taking, they are sharing secrets and feelings just like poerty does with underlying messages and themes. She also says poerty is “the human voice.” I also can relate to this because poems are an excellent way to communicate your emotions and inner feelings. Sometimes when you have a thought or picture in your mind, poetry can help you express those ideas with colorful and imagative adjectives.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I believe that “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander is a poem that brings out feelings and thoughts that we all have inside. It makes the reader think about the strength of the phrases by saying(and now my voice is rising) and (here I hear myself loudest) and giving direction. Its main point is the loudest, poetry is the human inner voice crying out.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:29 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander touches on one of mankind’s greatest achievements- poetry. She describes it as “the only way to get from here to there”, and justly so. Poetry is the embodiment of feeling, and it can carry us through our lives. In that way, it is connected to what we “overhear on the bus”, which, even though we are not a part of the conversation, we feel a connection to the speakers. The same is true for this poem, where we are not the poets, but the readers. We are not creating, but admiring. “God in the details”, in a way, is all about appreciating the poetry all around us, be it in nature , or even ourselves. Our duty is not always to understand, but to simply enjoy. And if we can understand as well, then we have truly fulfilled the author’s wishes.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander is a poem with a very different style than the typical poem, which typically is on the subject of affection or hatred. Alexander used many unusual examples, such as “the dirt in the corner,” to convey her message that poetry is universal and is not simply restricted to the feelings one may express to others, but all other ideas in one’s life, even something as simple as dirt. This is almost wholly identical to another poem written by Alexander, “Ars Poetica #1,002: Rally,” which depicts the word “poetry” also as a very significant point, that is a living thing and has the power to do accomplish great goals. The usage of the different language by Alexander gives a certain meaning to the poem, which makes the reader involved and ponder the dif-ferent ideas that poetry can express. An interesting aspect that made this poem and others by Alexander unique from others was the usage of parentheses with different cues. These cues were able to communicate a great amount of feeling of how Alexander feels and shows her opinion. Simply writing this poem about poetry was able to articulate her main theme about creating poetry regarding virtually everything.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
“Ars Poetics #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander opened my eyes to the true nature of poetry. It describes the deep thought put into a poem and the “human voice” that screams off the page desperate to be heard. Poetry isn’t just what you read. It requires thought to almost decode the visible words into its meaning. I enjoyed this poem because it made people realize just that.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:50 am
The poem “Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov was quite confusing at first, as I could not interpret the point he was trying to get across to the reader. However, after re-reading this poem a few more times, I realized the genius metaophor that Nemerov used to explain the contrasting characteristics between prose and poetry. Although the poem was a bit short, it still was successful in carrying its message from poet to reader. Furthermore, I enjoyed the line “There came a moment that you couldn’t tell” and “they then clearly flew instead of fell” because it expressed the extremely fine line between actual prose and poetry. Interestingly, I finally learned and understood the difference between these two forms of expression, just from this six-line poem. As Nemerov explains, poetry is much more random like free, floating snow, while prose is organized and orderly like falling, freezing rain. Finally, with this comparison, I will, at last, fully comprehend and remember the difference between poems and prose.
April 26th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
“Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov is a poem that uses the metaphor of drizzle and snow to show the difference between prose and poetry. Like Nicole Silva, I was a bit confused at first about the comparison he was trying to make. However, after rereading the poem a few times and then watching the video I was better able to understand Nemerov’s point. I really enjoyed the way he used such an ordinary example to explain the difference. Although this example made the difference between prose and poetry seem mystifying at first, it really illustrated the difference between the two rather than just explained it. Like Nemerov’s poem expressed, poetry gives the writer more freedom to make choices like this that illustrate and show instead of just telling or explaining since poetry does not have to be as structured as prose. By using the weather metaphor Nemerov was able to communicate this perfectly, and the way the first stanza is a quatrain while the second is a couplet also emphasizes this. I feel that the line “From silver aslant to random, white, and slow” is what defined the difference between the two and helped really make the connection between prose and poetry and drizzle and snow.
April 27th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
“Because You Asked about the difference between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov was confusing at first. I wasn’t understanding the point Nemerov was trying to make. After looking at it a few more times, I realized what he was trying to say. Besides the obvious answer of teaching the difference between prose and poetry, I think that he was also trying to show it from another point of view. I think that it is much easier to say to someone, “Prose is orderly and poetry is not” than to explain in the form of a poem, but Nemerov succeeded in teaching his lesson. He used the weather to help explain his purpose and expand on that point. As the reader pictures the orderly drizzle, they can visualize the way that each drop lines up with the next. The reader can also see how the rain turns into snow (poetry) that is random and free and has no pattern.
I thought it was clever how the author said, “And there came a moment that you couldn’t tell.” He is saying that the prose had shifted to a poem without anyone noticing. This is true, since many people are unable to see the difference between prose and poetry. However, the way the author puts it, he is telling his readers that, in his poem, his work turned from prose to poetry in the last two lines. After rereading and watching the video a few more times, I finally realized that the one line was a transition from prose to poetry. Combining that line with the meaning of the poem, the author gives the reader many opportunities to interpret and recognize the difference between prose and poetry.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
The poem entitled “Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry”, by
Howard Nemerov, is a poem that incorporates both poetic elements and poetic description. Poetry is used as a form of writing to demonstrate the aesthetic qualities that can be portrayed through a passage of words. Poetry can integrate the use of artistic elements, such as rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, personification, etc. Poetry is the “free” form of writing, and can be composed through a diverse range of poetic description, including the use of separation, such as stanzas. However, poetry does not have to exclude the use of other types of writing, which is the basis of this poem. Prose is the straightforward, orderly method of writing, as in “everyday” speech, written for the most part in paragraphs. Poetry and prose, the two major types of writing, are both represented in Nemerov’s poem. The first section of the poem is written in the format of prose, containing four lines. The second section is exhibited through poetry, using the technique of a stanza. Though the two are different types of writing forming one piece of writing, the sections resemble each other in the use of poetic elements.
In the first section of “Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry”, Nemerov depicts a subject that supports the definition of prose. Rain is the element that is used to supply the poem with adjectives such as “aslant” to establish the meaning of the clear cut formation of prose. In the next section, snow is the topic involved to demonstrate the composition of poetry. “Random” is the key adjective in this portrayal, signifying poetry as an indefinite form of writing. As Nicole Silva stated, the poem was a comparison of characteristics between poetry and prose, and I agree with this response. In addition, I also agree that the poem lacked in length, but easily proclaimed the main message of the poem through a short passage. Furthermore, Howard Nemerov describes the difference between two writing forms through the description of the poem, “Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry”.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
The poem “Because You Asked about the Line Between Poetry and Prose” by Howard Nemerov is written in a short and simple fashion. This gives it a “statement of fact” kind of feel, because he believes that the message he is trying to convey is, in itself, simple. He wants the reader to understand that prose and poetry are very closely related; so closely related, that they become one. This is represented when Nemerov writes “There came a moment that you couldn’t tell.” The two things are so closely related that they become one, making a work of art that cannot be taken apart and must be appreciated as a whole.
Another way of looking at this poem is that prose can tend to be somewhat like the drizzle; once it solidifies and is edited, a beautiful poem is the end result. The end result is represented in the poem by the snow that clearly flies instead of falls.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
The poem “Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemevro was a short, yet descriptive six lined poem. It provided readers with a vivid image of the sparrows and snow. As the poem continues, the two blend together and it is difficult to envision the birds from the similar colored snow. This is a simile to deciphering the difference between prose and poetry.
Nemevro uses his format and style to give examples of both prose and poetry. The poem has all of the crucial elements of traditional poetry, like rhythm, repetition, assonance, consonance, and imagery. Imagery is especially present when describing the sparrows and snow. Prose is seen in the short, to-the-point wording and format. It is easy to understand and comprehendible. Prose is mostly seen in the beginning stanza where the words are straightforward and exact.
In the end of the poem, the last line says “There came a moment that you couldn’t tell. And then they clearly flew instead of fell.” This is a relation to how you cannot tell the difference between Prose and Poetry, but after understanding the message, it is clearly known. It would seem obvious to see that the sparrows were those that rose instead of falling like the snow, like that of prose and poetry. Nemevro did an excellent job at demonstrating his message and creating the fine line between prose and poetry.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
In the poem, “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov, the author takes a great concise snapshot of the actual difference between these two forms of writing. After reading this poem over many times, I discovered that Nemerov’s first paragraph/stanza is aligned more to the characteristics of prose, and the second paragraph to poetry. For example, in the first paragraph, Nemerov describes rain solidifying into snow. This is representing the solidity and simple aura of prose. Prose is often thought of (when compared to poetry) as just words on a page. This prose is what keeps the birds from flying.
However, in the second paragraph, Nemerov tells the audience of “a moment that you couldn’t tell. This is to say, the moment where you cannot tell where in the poem, prose transitions into poetry. This coincides with Jillian Mauro’s point of prose and poetry being very similar. After this, Nemerov mentions the flying of the birds. Previously, Elizabeth Alexander made the point of poetry being emotion. Here, her idea goes hand in hand with Nemerov’s. Being able to fly and exhibit emotion, the sparrows allow the second paragraph demonstrate the idea of poetry. Nemerov did an excellent job of illustrating his own “line between prose and poetry.”
April 28th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
The poem “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov, was a very short, but meaningful poem. At first, by just reading the poem, it was very hard to understand. However, after closely examining the words of the poem, it became more clear. In addition, I never really understood the difference between poetry and prose. Now it is much more clear. From Nemerov’s metaphor, I understand that prose is more orderly with a pattern while poetry is much more free and random. I liked how Nemerov compared the two to rain and snow. This really helped me imagine the difference between them. However, prose and poetry are also very alike. With Nemerov’s example, rain and snow are both made of water so they could be confused. This is what usually happens to me because sometimes it is hard to identify whether a piece of text is prose or poetry. Nemerov did a great job showing his version of the similarities and differences between prose and poetry.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Immediately after reading (and re-reading) “Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemevro, I was extremely confused. While I appreciate that all poetry requires analysis and that no theme is just going to directly “jump off the page,” this poem took that concept to a new extreme. In fact, had I not watched Mr. Porter’s explanation, I would have had no clue what Nemevro was implying. Therefore, I must respectfully disagree with Alyssa Braver that the weather analogy was used “perfectly.” Quite to the contrary, I feel it truly jeapordized the poem entirely; there is too much of a risk of some readers not understanding the theme.
In my mind, this raises interesting questions about to what extent any writer should use compositional risk. When does the risk become overpowering? Is it better to use a truly powerful technique that will have a huge effect on some readers while utterly baffling others, or to use a more modest technique that is guaranteed to have a moderate effect on ALL readers? (Personally, I feel the latter is the best strategy. After all, the goal of any writer is to touch the lives of as many people as possible.)
April 28th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
The poem, “Becuase You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry,” by Howard Nemerov, was a very detailed and “simply” elaborate. While this poem was very short and to the point it still delivered the same affect as a longer poem or story. As I read this poem aloud I was able to visualize the the setting and feel of the “Sparrows feeding in a freezing drizzel.” This picture in my mind was helpful when the poem mentioned the rain turning into snow becuase it helped me put into perspective the difference between Prose and Poerty. Since Prose is everyday lanague and talk, it can be dull and non intresting at times. However, poerty has a tone, rhythm, and sound that adds to the overall affet of the authors ideas.
I also agree with Kevin Wilson’s thought that Elizabeth Alexander connected poerty to being an emotion. When she mentions that poetry is the “human voice” she shows that the emoton shown by humans in everyday talk is connected with the idea of poerty in “Becuase You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry.” As a whoole this poem was a very good visual of the difference between Prose and Poetry.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
The poem, “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov was very simple and reflective. This six-lined poem communicates a profound message, that a longer poem could easily do as well. As I listened to the poem, I get an understanding of the poet’s aesthetic senses with his discription of slow-falling snow and birds gracefully taking off for flight.
I share Mike Pavlo’s viewpoint on how the poet creates a picture in your head with the descriptions provided. I believe that this poem is trying to compare two graceful activites such as snow falling and birds taking off, and showing how the two complement eachother. The protrayal that the poet gives is a scenic and calm view of birds flying on a snowy day.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
“Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov, delineates the differences between prose and poetry. However, it is quite confusing in doing so. The first stanza of this piece is an obvious form of prose. The author depicts a lifeless scene of birds simply “feeding in a freezing drizzle.” Poetry is normally thought of as being filled with life and meaning. However, this first stanza mainly incorporates the feelings of boredom and sadness.
As the piece continues, it takes a quick turn towards becoming poetry. With the line, “And then they clearly flew instead of fell,” the author is shooting life into this poem. Without “life,” poetry is simply words that do not have a deep meaning. But, when life is incorporated into the words, they begin to take on a shape that seems to be bigger then life itself. The words take on a valuable meaning that can touch the readers’ hearts, or simply benefit them in some way, shape, or form.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov, was a very confusing poem, and in my opinion unnecessarily confusing. Without the title, not even the poetry experts could have been able to decipher this poem. Without Mr. Porter’s explanation of the poem, I dont think I would have ever understood it.
Although this poem was confusing it conveyed a strong message of poetry and prose. There is a fine line between the two, and though in an enigmatic fashion, Nemerov distinguishes the two. Not many people know the difference. Prose is a more organized writing, while poetry is more creative and “free.” There are places where both are very alike, and then they “clearly fly instead of fall.”
April 28th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
After first reading “Becuase You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry,” by Howard Nemerov, I was extremely confused. However, after reading it through a few more times, it became clear to me what this poem is talking about. Although the poem was short and “sweet”, it was still able to create a vivid picture in mine as well as many others’ minds. The vivid details and other descriptions clearly add to the picture that I created in my mind.
I also think that the hint of rhyming in the poem only adds to the effect created. The way that the separate stanzas rhyme make the poem just that much better. One may think that a short poem is not the most meaningful thing. However, this poem definetly broke that stereotype and was very powerful and moving.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
The poem, “Because you asked about the line between prose and poetry,” by Howard Nemerov is very unique. Personally, as I read this poem I noticed that the time seemed to change. It is almost as if this poem was written from an observant point similar to people who live their lives behind a video camera. “There came a moment where you couldn’t tell. And then they clearly flew instead of fell.” This quote demonstrates how time gradually passes by.
Besides the general observation I noticed I was very confused about actually deciphering the difference between prose and poetry. I agree with many others about how poetry is like an “open door” while prose has its limits but I had trouble telling the difference between the two in the short stanzas of this poem. However, I soon realized the difference. The poetry was found when dealing with the snow because it “flew” and had endless possibilities. Prose on the other hand had a more distinct action which was to “fall” because the only place it could go was down. This brings back the dissimilarities between these two concepts, orderly/strict and free. Though confusing, I really enjoyed it after realizing the connections and meaning.
Finally, I noticed Nemerov’s different uses of techniques. for starters, he used classics such as alliteration and rhyming. Many people think that both of these concepts are what define a poem, but they do not realize they are just add-ons to increase the level of complexity of the poem. Lastly, he used great comparisons to nature and subtle compositional risks. Troughout this all, I also learned a lesson. To never judge a poem by its length. This poem is incredibly short but its depth, complexity, and meaning is equal to that of a four page long poem. Overall, I was shocked, but definitely in a good way.
April 29th, 2009 at 12:17 am
After reading “Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry”
Howard Nemerov, I was extremely confused at first like Steve and many others. The title was about prose and poetry while the content in the poem was discussing the weather. I even had trouble identifying what the pronoun “they” in the last line “and then they clearly flew instead of fell” was referring to. Only after Mr. Porter’s explanation, I was able to completely understand the poem. The line between prose and poetry is very thin, and this poem by Nemerov explains it well.
I think that the length of poems don’t necessarily determine how good one is. Although this poem is short, I think that is was extremely well written with the “perfect” analogy. But, I also agree with Daniel that the weather analogy was a huge risk that could jeopardize the whole poem. Personally, I think the risk is too great and would’ve expressed the idea more directly than the weather analogy. I believe that for those who don’t see the analogy, the poem would make no sense whatsoever, but for those who do, it would seem like a masterpiece.
April 29th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov is a great peom. Nemerov uses the weather as a metaphor for poetry and prose. Words are represented by the snow. When Nemerov says “There came a moment that you couldn’t tell. And then they clearly flew instead of fell.” By this, he means that there is a thin line between poetry and prose. Sometimes it is difficult to tell when prose crosses the line and becomes poetry. “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” is a very well-written metaphor for the contrast between poetry and prose.
April 29th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov, was confusing to me at first. I had to read it a couple of times to understand the poem. My view on the poem is that Nemerov was trying to show that you don’t usually use such detail and rhyming words when you use everyday speech. He was showing the differenece between prose and poetry which is very big. Peopel don’t generally speak in stanzas and rhymes like a poem. He is showing how prose forms into poetry, and does not want the two to be mistaken. Like Elizabeth Alexander was tryiing to explain as well as Nemerov poetry is anything, it does not have to be in an order, it can be however a person makes it. Whereas prose is generally concise and to the point. I think he is tryign to show that you can do a lot more with poetry and be more creative than you can when using prose. Poetry does not have to be in a certain pattern one line can rhyme and the next doesn’t have to like in prose.
April 29th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
The poem, “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry,” by Howard Nemerov is very hard to decipher at first. Even after reading the poem twice, it is very difficult to relate the text of the poem to the title of the poem. Like many others, I would not have understood the purpose of the poem without Mr. Porter’s explanation. Although the poem was short and difficult to grasp at first, its six lines give readers a clear picture of the difference between poetry and prose with a meaningful metaphor. Poetry and prose are very much alike, just like rain and snow, but distinct characteristics that cause them to be different. They are both written with words, just as rain and snow are made of water. Poetry is written in stanzas and has a “free” form, whereas prose is written in paragraphs and is more organized. They both can be used to convey the same message.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
At first, I was not exactly sure what Howard Nemerov was trying to say about the difference between poetry and prose, but after reading the poem again and watching the video, I was able to draw conclusions about his interpretation.
Howard Nemerov’s “Because You Asked about the Line Between Prose and Poetry” made me think of pushing the limits– of how far “out of line” an event or object could be before being classified as a something completely different, or even the opposite. Limits, or boundaries, ensure the authenticity of something – they are the basic properties (such as color, shape or form) that make an apple an apple, or a diamond a diamond.
Snow and freezing drizzle, or sleet, are very similar. Both are precipitation, but are two slightly different forms. The presence of the snow’s frozen property is the “boundary” that separates it from being sleet, which is also water, but falls in a runny, watery “gradient invisible”. When Nemerov says, “There came a moment where you couldn’t tell/And then they clearly flew instead of fell.” he is talking about how the reader/observer was finally able to recognize the “boundaries”, or discern between the sleet and snow. This realization/concept can also be applied to prose and poetry. Both are shared forms of literature, yet appear in different forms–forms that make them different from each other.
April 29th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov gives readers a very vague way to understand the difference between prose and poems. Poetry, which was the snow, was more unorganized and free. That is what a poem really is. It is a piece of literature or style of writing that allows someone to express their opinions and feelings. although Howard Nemerov decides to talk about the weather instead of actual poem or prose, he is basically just explaining his point that poetry does not have to make sense. A poem only needs to have a sense of spirit, and a way for someone to fully captivate what the writer is talking about. I only concluded this after reading this poem several times and watching Mr. Porter’s explanation. A poem can be free without structure. It can rhyme, or simply have only a few words in them, unlike prose. Prose are organized, and although beautiful, also need a sense of structure. So that is what I think Nemerov was trying to explain to us in his poem, “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry.”
April 29th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov
This poem was actually the selected poem by my father the previous week. He pointed out how a prose and poetry are similar to a photo and video. Poems can be interpreted multiple ways and so can a picture when writing a picture prompt in class just as the expression, “a picture tells a thousand words.”
In my opinion, there was one line that struck me the most when reading the poem, which was, “Riding a gradient invisible.” This line made me think of how prose and poems, rain and snow, all lead to something new and different. Gradual changes are made everyday and we just do not notice it. Also, I think the line shows how the changes of both living and nonliving things all lead to one final end which is to die, vanish, or disappear.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov does exactly what the title suggests. Nemerov’s purpose of the poem was to to show readers the distinct difference between prose and poetry. He wanted to show readers that poetry can make readers form pictures and ideas, in ways that prose could not.
For instance, In the video, Mr.Porter mentions that Nemerov’s order of the words give the poem “musical quality”. This “quality” is impossible to incorporate in prose, for prose can be drab and weak. When I say drab and weak, I do not mean that prose cannot inspire someone or strike them, I mean that prose, can not hold the emotional value that poetry can.
I completely agree with Nicole Ivan’s comment: “Never judge a poem by its length.” If one was to compare an epic and a 10- line poem, there would be indubitable diffrences, but when looked at the overall meanings and themes, one can find similarities. As the legendary Roman philosopher, Seneca, once said: “It is the quality rather than the quantity that matters.”
April 29th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov gives you an alternative way of looking at basic definitions and understanding the true meaning of them. Poetry generally contains words that are organzied into lines and stanzas, while prose is defined as text containing words that are organized into sentences and paragraphs. But, as shown by Nemerov, it is much more than just the visual image of the passage that makes one a poem and one a prose. A prose is very orderly and straightforward at times. A poem is more free-spirited and indirect. The comparison of the drizzle and the snow is a wonderful example that expresses the true difference between prose and poetry.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
In the poem, “Because You Asked about the Line Between Prose and Poetry,” by Howard Nemerov, the author has used a very interesting style to outline the differences between prose and poetry, as defined in the title. Nemerov was able to incorporate and also intertwine both to allow his point to reach the readers in a very distinctive way. Although I agree with Sam that poetry is normally associated with life and meaning, I believe that theses elements are still included within the first stanza that most people have described as using prose. Individually, each line con-tains the elements of prose, which is very direct and orderly, each containing its own message, such as in the fourth line where the straightforward prose had turned into open and free poem. But the first stanza as a whole has a very poetic sense, with a flowing rhythm, and each individual “prose” contributing to the inclusive message. This blend-ing of both is the principal message that Nemerov describes in his fifth line, “There came a moment that you couldn’t tell.”
Another element of Nemerov’s style that interested me was the length of his poem, which was only a meager six lines. In my opinion, I believe that this was an appropriate length for the poem as it left a great amount of room for interpretation and it also slightly captured the essence of mystery, since his “explanation” was vague. The aura of mystery made the poem more mystifying throughout all of my thoughts about it. Nemerov’s style accurately encapsulates many of the elements of both prose and poetry.
April 30th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
After reading “Because You Asked About the Line Bewteen Prose and Poetry”, I was honestly very confused. I saw the poetic value of the writing, but not the message. It took me a few minutes to realize that the author was not trying to draw the line between poetry and prose, but erase it. He was showing how prose and poetry are intertwined, and that one cannot exist without the other. Like Leon said, there really was a point you couldn’t tell where poetry began and prose ended. I think that Nemerov was, in a way, trying to show how poetry really forms. When he writes “from silver aslant to random, white, and slow”, I interpret that as the writing process for him. It starts as a random idea, or inspiration in his head, then becomes poetry on a white sheet of paper. It then slowly becomes prose as we begin to understand the meaning of the writing. So, even when they seem separate, prose and poetry are really linked whether we realize it or not.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Howard Nemerov’s poem “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” does as the titular phrase explains: it answers about the boundary between prose and poetry.
The tell-tale crux of the poem lies behind one word: “Asked”. What does it necessarily mean to “ask”? To ask is to question, and question is to conjure and search for a reason, to find the truth to be explained that provides the “why” or “what” for everything; synthesis. We already know that Nemerov is the one to answer- implying he’s more than likely a teacher aiding someone who cannot see the answer, however, in how the poem is interepretted can be viewed from two perspectives based on one factor: is he in the process of explaining to someone who knows the definition of the two terms “prose” and “poetry” but cannot see answer in how they work or is he speaking to someone with no knowledge in it whatsoever?
Nemerov more than likely seems to be talking to the initial of the two options; as it’s clearly not delineated the identity of which one is which, which needs to be to the reader’s interpretation, and from what they interpret is what they already know. To begin, one must know what both prose and poetry; prose being the form of writting to resemble human speech which works as a one-voiced conversation to the reader and poetry being the form of writing to use an artificial form of human speech which relies on diction and pauses to allow messages to sink in, like Elizabeth Alexander suggested in “Ars Poetic #100: I Believe”. Nemerov clearly illustrates vividly and richly a symbolic representation of both prose and poetry’s stylistic elements. Prose, on one hand, relies on this “invisible” gradient of a pattern; a distinct path it moves down until the very end, dripping down from beginning to end pouring its story to make a point; and poetry relies on its free movement in having a unique, undefined shape. A lot of other symbolism is made evident; that Mr. Porter many others pointed out.
However, what if they hadn’t known? What it seems Nemerov does is that he blurs this line and rather suggests they are one the same; stating they are both made of words and ideas, having similar concepts; and that all ideas begin as a self-conversation like prose until they reach the distinct form that is poetry, as Leon and Steven suggested.
Ultimately, Nemerov’s poem is a truly fascinating dual-wielded blade which truly captivates the spirit of both prose and poetry.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Similarly to Steve K in the poem “Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov, a picture was also planted in my mind. The scene portrayed by Nemerov is very delicate with extremely subtle changes from freezing rain to snow. For something such as this to occur, it is only a matter of degrees as to whether or not it will rain or snow, representing the fragile situation. Therefore, this seems to represent the “thin” and delicate line between prose and poetry. Furthermore, as Michael Ma said, the poem does not have to be lengthy to be well written. I also feel that, had this poem been longer and more beefed up with descriptions and such, it would be far less effective for the particular subject. Being that there is a thin line, there is no need for more detail which would contradict the idea that the change from freezing rain to snow would be simple. Nemerov uses just the right amount of detail to convey his point to its fullest ability.