What we learned from imitation
We began last week with a chapter from Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook on learning through imitation. Think back on that chapter and on the imitation poems you wrote. Please share one thing you learned from imitating. Post your response on the class discussion page.
What I have really picked up on through these imitation poems is that the different styles of imitation allow you to express yourself freely. Although there are certain guidelines to these types of poems, it lets your imagination take off while thinking constructively about this certain topic.
ReplyDeletei learned that imitation of poets or poems are harder than is given credit for. to know something so well that you can recreate without full on copying it is almost a skill. it allows a person to diversify their own skill in whatever they chose to imitate by working on that skill without being completely clueless.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating styles and emotions from other poems can help you create your own version of the poem. Don't copy the words, copy the feeling that the poem is trying to show.
ReplyDeleteI learned how any poem can relate to you if you make it so, and that imitation is a lot harder than it seems, as it is hard to replicate the emotions in the original poem.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating is not coping a poem it is a way to learn how to write it is the style not the meaning.
ReplyDeleteI find it easier to imitate an existing work than to write your own. Perhaps it’s because I’m not normally poetic. But I find imitation helpful. It gives you a tree trunk from which you can branch out and find out what style works best for you.
ReplyDeleteYes! Thank you for putting that so poetically!
DeleteI learned that imitating can help you discover what you like to write about, and what style you want to write in. It can not only give you ideas for that imitation, but also for the future.
ReplyDeleteWhile imitating, I learned about different styles of poetry, and how to write in different ways, which I probably wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating a poem is actual not easy. You also have to have your own idea. It makes you think about what you like, so in the future it can help you with your poems.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating styles, doesn’t mean I can’t still write a unique poem personal to me. It’s also helped me figure out what I enjoy about poems I read.
ReplyDeleteGreat point! Did anyone else notice that when you had to imitate a poem, you were able to discover the types of poems or poetic devices you appreciate or admire?
DeleteThroughout learning about imitation I realized that it’s different that what I thought it was. You can creat your own version of the story by using your imagination which makes it unique. It’s also much harder than I expected.
ReplyDeleteImitation has taught me a lot about experimenting with format and mood. The mood of a poem is usually what influences the format, so trying to do it the other way around was really fun. Turning a more silly poem into something more deep was really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation isn't necessarily copying a poem, but can be used as a way to learn about poetry and improve your writing.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation in writing can actually help you develop your own style. I usually hear that imitation is an alright thing to do with the exception of a creative medium. It was interesting to see how imitation helped me develop my own style as well.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating a poem isn’t just copying the poem but using a style and adapting that to your own poem. This makes it easier to find the style that works best for you and make it your own.
ReplyDeleteGoing into imitating poems I thought it would be much easier then coming up with a poem on your own but I was proved wrong. It’s very difficult to have time right balance of using the form your imitating and making the work your own.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating is not copying a poem but a way of learning and discovering what style you like. You are still able to make it personal and add your own unique touch to it.
ReplyDeleteI learnt that there are enough writing styles for poetry that you can write a poem in pretty much any way that you want.
ReplyDeleteImitation provides limitations in writing a poem, which made it easier for me to picture how the poem was going to work.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation helps you find which poems inspire you most to get your emotions down on paper and turn it into a poem.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation kind of gives you a little bit of leverage and a base as far as writing a poem goes, and helps you understand how to write a poem well. It's kind of like guidelines.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation is hard because you might end up too stuck on trying to imitate the poem exactly. But also it can give you a structure for you poem to be built on.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation in poetry isn’t copying, but letting yourself be inspired by someone else’s poem. Also, that you can imitate the style, ideas, or formats of other poems.
ReplyDeletePrior to this I didn’t know much about imitation poems, but after last week and learning about them and attempting to write one, I realized just how hard it actually is. I also realized you really have to fully understand and grasp the poem you’re working with to give it sort of a “new name”
ReplyDeleteI realized that, just because I was imitating someone else's poem, didn't mean that what i created wouldn't be unique to me, and express my own thoughts. It was also very helpful to kind of get a structure to work with and fill that in with poetry rather than just attempting to start from scratch and getting overwhelmed, so I think that it was pretty helpful in that regard.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating a poem is not like "copying" a poem like I would've originally thought. Imitating still requires thought and creativity, and in my opinion can sometimes be more of a challenge then writing a poem from scratch.
ReplyDeleteImitating something gives you a base idea of what you want to do. It gives you a head start and some ideas with it to continue by yourself. I see imitating just something we learn how to do very early on in life and what to continue through our lives.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating a poem is very challenging because I was taking way too much time writing my poem to be similar to the example instead of writing it differently but in a similar structure.
ReplyDeleteBy imitating poems, I was able to see how the creative thinking of the poet differs from mine, which I thought was very interesting to see. I got to compare how I thought as a poet, to real professional poets.
ReplyDeleteI used the wrong email
DeleteI was able to see many different types of literary devices used in poetry and this helped me learn how to use literary devices to make my poems more descriptive. For instance, while writing an imitation poem for “Theme for English B”, I focused on imagery, and whether I wanted to use sound imagery, or visual imagery, ect. This helped me because I haven’t done creative writing in a long time, so I was able to practice how to be descriptive in my poems.
ReplyDeleteI leaned that even though it's imitating, the result can be quite different. It's also really annoying to try to have the same structure, since it's hard to keep the same feel of the poem. I find it significantly harder than being simply given rules to write by.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation can provide a baseline that I can expand upon to create unique poetry. It helps me learn about specific poetic forms while at the same time adding a more personal take.
ReplyDeleteThrough imitation, I learned about my own writing style when it comes to poems.
ReplyDeleteImitation was restrictive, but not more restrictive than, say, a sonnet- both taught me how to work with a certain form.
ReplyDeleteI learned that poetry really does have many different forms. I think having the opportunity to write in these forms gave me an opportunity to understand them.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation gives us a basis to explore ideas we may have never thought of. By having someone else think for us, it allows us to create a poem just, if not more meaningful, in half the time.
ReplyDeleteI liked that imitation provided me with a guide to then write my own poem. I learned that it's still hard to write a poem even if you're imitating someone and that imitations are still unique, and I came to understand the phrase "imitating does not equal copying" better.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating a poem is a very difficult task because there isn’t a clear line of what’s copying and what’s imitating. It’s hard to express the same emotions and feelings that a poem has without also using the same words and phrases.
ReplyDeleteI have learned that for me, some styles of poetry are much easier to write than others and imitation helped me figure out what styles of poetry are closest to what I enjoy writing.
ReplyDeleteFrom imitation I learned how to analyze poems more closely, while also learning how to attach my own ideas to a poem that is based off/taking certain parts from poems I enjoy to read.
ReplyDeleteI have learned that imitation is important for finding it more about your personal style and that some people are more talented in certain styles than others. I also observe that no writing style is truly unique.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating isn't just copying something, but it is a way of learning and making your own out of something that you enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation is how we learn, we can’t just figure everything out alone.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitating gave you a structure you could expand upon. They acting as guidlines that you could build around, not only to learn how to express yourself differently, but to see their writing in a different way too.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation is a great way to learn and spread information.
ReplyDeleteI learned how imitation is difficult because the goal is to imitate the style not copy and there is a fine line between the two
ReplyDeleteSomething important I learned through Imitation is the fact that in art you need to be able to learn and in some ways imitate the process and work others to develop something for yourself. Theres nothing wrong with being inspired and guided into your own art by the help of others.
ReplyDeleteI personally found imitating interesting but also if anything more difficult than coming up with something entirely new, as you have to remain close enough to still keep some of the original work's ideas present but you also need to be original enough that the work is yours.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have learned from imitation is that the original poem and the imitated poem could be very similar, but they could also be quite different. It really depends on who is imitating and, even more, which parts they choose to imitate. In the end, to me, imitating is still different from copying, because imitating with writing means to be inspired by others’ work, and make it your own through changes, to make their writing relate and connect to you, your life, and your experience. This way, your imitation poem may have a different audience than the original, because the original poet probably doesn’t have the exact same life and experiences as you do. With imitation, poems can reach more people! As a specific example, the original poem We So Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks seems to target a teenaged or young adult audience, while I believe grownups could probably relate more to The Golden Shovel by Terrance Hayes. The former is more careless and lighthearted (except for maybe the final line, although in my opinion that showes recklessness, and no consideration for consequences), while the latter is filled with angst, sorrow, fear, and dread, in terms of vocabulary and imagery.
ReplyDelete-Anya C.
I learned that imitation is a very powerful tool to use. I have never really written poems before and having a reference for a basic structure or idea to make my own or use directly was really useful and the difference between poems using imitation vs not using it is very clear.
ReplyDeleteI learned that imitation can help you discover new ideas and grow a lot off of another idea that wasn't originally yours
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