Writing this poem was a very creative and reflective process for me. For my poem, I wanted to
capture the essence of a typical morning in the city, where the world seems to happen all at
once, but there’s still a feeling of being disconnected from the rush. The use of imagery to
describe the harsh air and the busy city around the main character allowed me to highlight both
the big picture of urban life through small details. While writing, I focused on how these little
moments can hold so much emotion, depending on how they are experienced.
The process of reviewing and critiquing others’ poems was informative and similar to the
process of writing my own. As I read through their work, I noticed how they used structure and
language to create emotion. Some poems used minimal words and rhyming schemes to capture
feelings, while others used vivid imagery to put the reader into their experience. My peers also
provided extremely helpful critiques and looked at my poetry in a completely new lens than I
intended. This made me more aware of the significance words can have through small changes
in phrasing. Reviewing others’ work helped narrow my understanding of poetry as a tool for
expression. The most important lesson I learned was the freedom that poetry allows. While I originally
thought you had to adhere to strict rules of writing, I’ve realized it’s more about exploring
language and conveying your feelings. For instance, writing in free verse allowed me to not be
restricted by rhyming schemes or syllable rules. This made me more comfortable with
expressing myself creatively and embracing the writing process. Before writing poetry, I wasn’t
as open to exploring other forms of creative writing due to the fear of rules, but this process has
made me more open-minded and willing to try new writing styles.