5. Thoughts on Workshop

Our poetry workshop in class was definitely a learning experience for me. I have participated in workshops before, so I kind of knew what to expect. I was a little intimidated when I found out that my poem was the very first one to be workshopped, but at the same time I was a little relieved that my anticipation wouldn't have to build up any longer. 

I found it very helpful that to kick off the workshop session, we had to read our own poems out loud. I found that my poem sounded differently read aloud than when I read it in my head, and this exercise alone made me more conscious of the flow and rhythm of my poem. It was then very beneficial to hear everyone's comments, both good and not-so-good, regarding my poem. The poem that I workshopped in particular was a story poem, so I was very focused on seeing that my story was conveyed artistically to the reader.

That being said, I think that the poem that the author chooses to workshop is so crucial. I really took to heart what Professor Groner said when she advised us not to choose a poem that was overly personal to us. Because I chose a poem that was not super personal to me, I was able to take any negative feedback that I got and view it constructively. I think that if I had workshopped one of my heart-on-sleeve poems instead, I might have not been able to be as receptive to the feedback. However, this makes me wonder about how my personal pieces would be able to grow. If I am unwilling to share them with the class out of fear of putting myself out there and taking criticism, how can those poems ever be positively revised? Perhaps those poems are more like my diary entries. I am not worried about meter or rhyme or enjambment when I write my most personal poems; I am only thinking about extracting me from myself and spreading my heart across the page.