Emma's EN-114 Blog

Dear Carl Sandburg , I really enjoy reading your poetry because it is easier for me to understand than many other poems. Your words are simple but still very powerful. I like how you write about real people and everyday life. Your poems make reading poetry more fun for me. Thank you for writing poetry that readers like me can enjoy. Sincerely, Emma

Dear Gertrude Stein , I’m a high school student reading your work, and I honestly don’t understand why you write the way you do. When I read lines like “a rose is a rose is a rose,” I feel like I’m missing something important, like there’s a secret meaning everyone else gets except me. Your sentences sometimes feel repetitive and confusing, and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to focus on the sound, the rhythm, or the actual meaning of the words. Did you want readers to slow down and think differently, or were you trying to break the normal rules of writing on purpose? I really want to understand your style better, but right now it just makes my brain feel scrambled and curious at the same time.

Poem:  “Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” -Whitman  I stayed up late texting, laughing about every moment that mattered, even the tiny atom of our shared secrets that nobody else is belonging only to,  us and me,  trying not to overthink, as I scroll through old memes, feeling good even when life feels chaotic, belongs to the friendships we've made, to this small bubble we’ve made. You. Reflection:  The word that surprised me most was “atom” because  it allowed me to think about tiny, ordinary moments that actually feel memorable. The constraint pushed me to string together normal, every-day experiences ( texts, laughs, homework) in a way that feels sentimental. Whitman’s line became a way to show my  connection to the smallest, most everyday details I experience in my life.

Dear Jane, I feel really sad reading your story because it’s clear no one ever truly listened to you. Being trapped in that room and told your feelings didn’t matter must have been terrifying and lonely. As a highschool girl, it made me angry to see how your husband and the others acted like they knew better than you about your own mind.You didn’t deserve to be ignored or controlled, and your story helped me understand why speaking up for yourself is so important.

Dear Desiree,  I’m really sorry for everything you had to go through, because none of it was your fault and you didn’t deserve that kind of pain. You loved honestly and trusted people who should’ve protected you instead of turning away. It makes me sad how quickly you were judged for something you couldn’t control, especially when all you ever wanted was to belong. You were strong even when the world was unfair to you, and that matters. I just wish you had been shown the kindness and love you always gave to others.

Mr Whitman,  I am a senior in highschool and I read your poem Song of Myself, and it feels like you're telling me my ordinary life is actually worth making attention to. When you say "contain multitudes", it makes me think about all the different versions of myself I'm trying to figure out, as I am growing and entering adulthood. I like how you write about people in streets and fields, because it makes school and home feel like they matter too. Sometimes your confidence sounds huge, and I wonder how you learned to be so proud of just being yourself. I hope as I grow into the person I am becoming that I can take some of the traits you have, and carry it with me.