Journal Entry #2

September 17, 2007

Dear Dwayne,

I finally forced myself to put down my clarinet and read some poetry. As resentful as I am about doing this project at times, I truly appreciate how I am forced to read and think about poetry for an hour each day. It's relaxing and temporarily takes my mind off of other events buzzing around my head. I do find it difficult to concentrate, however. My father is watching televison downstairs constantly and my brother listens to music and playing video games (rather loudly, I might add). I wish I had my own QUIET space to think and write. But no. Maybe in college...

Anyway, I'm reading more of Donnie's poetry and taking mental notes of other poets I want to research. I wish Michael was around. I'll be sure to research Longfellow and try to appreciate his poetry as Michael does. But back to Donnie...

Mr. Johnston always tells us to take out any unnecessary words in order to make our sentences the best they can be. I read in a book on writing poetry that poetry is the best words in their best order. Having that knowledge, I think that Donnie could cut out some of the lesser words, mainly articles and adjectives. I get the feeling that he's trying too hard to add words to create clever word play when the poems could do without. I realize that I'm quick to criticize, but I know that I can't write anything close to what Donnie writes, though I do enjoy giving him constructive criticism.

Dwayne, I've realized what I don't particularily like about Donnie's alliteration. He uses it too frequently and tries to be too clever at times, and it sounds forced when the alliteration includes an adjective and a noun. Example: "satanic souls singing" as opposed to "doves drowning."

What does this rambling have to do with my project, you ask? It's opening my eyes to new, wonderful poetry and allowing me to understand what I do and don't like. Hopefully, I'll remember this when I start to write poetry. I have't written since that obnoxious poem for Abel's bar mitzvah.

Note to self: write down what I want to write about (poetry wise) so I can take it to school. Maybe I'll actually write something at school or on the bus. Wouldn't that be amazing?

Also, the project proposal took an hour and ten minutes to finish.

Time spent reading and writing: 50 minutes