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Andrea Gutierrez

Mr.Kapp

H English

Sep. 21 2018

What makes Poetry?

Maya Angelou, “I know why the caged bird sings”, Langston Hughes “Mother to Son” ,

Paul Laurence Dunbar “We Wear the Mask” , and many more. All poems have similarities such

as stanzas that are required to be in a poem to make a poem an actual poem. Stanzas can make it

easier for people to memorize and to recite. Poems usually have up to seven lines in a stanza. In

each stanza there are at least two words that rhyme with each other. The social significance is

plenty, poetry was and is used to this day as a way to express what we feel by communicating

our feelings into a poem.

On the other hand poems are meant to rhyme. Some rhyme schemes are ABAB. Poems

can be as smooth as a flowing river. Poems can be sung. There are different ways poems can be

formatted in. Poems can be in a ode which is meant to be sung, an epic is a poem that is lengthy

narrative of an event significant to a certain culture or nation, a sonnet which has to be formatted

in a specific way. Poetry rhyme schemes usually alternate to make it an actual rhyme schemes. I

,however, am sure poetry is such a great way to express your feelings.

The most famous poets were William Shakespeare from 1564-1616, his most famous

play was Romeo and Juliet. Maya Angelou 1928-2014 ,however, she contributed to other

activities such as her book “ I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Langston Hughes 1901-1967,

my favorite from his is “Mother to Son” it tells a story that explains how your parents work very
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hard for you and that you shouldn’t take it for granted. As well “Mother to Son” explains that we

shouldn’t give up because if are parent worked hard we can to and it doesn’t matter what anyone

else says. Another favorite poem of mine is “We Wear the Mask” as it relates to people who

don’t show what their really feeling. I believe that no one should hide behind something they are

not. I think that people should just be who they really are and others to accept them.

Poems can be written about anything that your heart desires. Poems can be about any

topic that happens to be at the poet's mind. The topics can be about anything such as romance,

comedy, a place, summer, history, culture, ethnicity, pets, and much more. The poems that I

enjoy are mostly poems that are eighth-grade english teacher taught us. My favorite poem about

place and fall is “The Road Not Taken” “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I

could not travel both” I think it relates to our lives right now and how we might take one road

that might be better instead of the other. We will just find out what the future holds for us. Poetry

has no limit to what you can write about. Poems have no limitations.

Overall poetry is a very beautiful way to show your emotions. Poetry can be a very

relaxing to listen to. Poems need to be recited with the right tone to make it pleasing to hear.

Poems can be built and organized in many ways. According to what Ms.Guthrie told us that’s all

a poem needs.
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Citations

-Linda Guthrie,Thomas Starr King Middle School,April 19 2018