1. Discuss your story by reading and writing about poetry. What do you know or think about poetry and how to read and write about it? What have you liked about poetry in the past? What did you find most challenging? For as long as I can remember I have always loved reading poetry even when I despised reading. I liked reading poems because sometimes they were simple and easy to read and understand. The first poem I remember is "The rose is red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you." I remember writing and reading poetry in elementary and middle school, it was the only time I couldn't wait to start English class. Once in high school I even wrote a poem to enter for a scholarship award. I didn't win, but I was offered to publish it in a book of poems, but I rejected the offer. We wrote Haiku, ballads, images, sonnets, limericks and free verse. When I was writing these poems, after the initial difficulty of starting the poem, I felt it was a direct link to how I felt. An easy outlet seemed to flow from my mind painting a picture to unknown places and emotions.2. Of the three poems we read this week, which one evoked the strongest response in you, and which one did you find most surprising? Describe the response and explain what details in the poem contributed to that response. In the fifth grade autobiography he talks about a person, I think a girl, who looks at a photo, describes it, and remembers the good old days when his grandfather was still alive and smelled like lemons. In Mid-term Break is about the eldest son who goes off to college only to be called home six weeks later for his little brother's funeral. At first this was the poem that I understood and that I felt the most emotions pulling...... middle of paper ......uTube and I watched one where the teacher told the children to tear Mr. Pritchard's thoughts on how to analyze poems. He told the children that Mr Pritchard's views were wrong and his way of proving this was to tear up the pages containing his views. When I heard the teacher tell the students to tear out the pages I couldn't help but think that I couldn't agree with what he said to do because I wouldn't want to pay the school for the book. I understand that Mr. Pritchard's opinions were wrong, but I guess I don't understand his reasoning for such dramas. Although it was a lot of fun to watch, especially when the other kid barged in and demanded to know what the kids were doing and then realized the principal was in there telling him to tear out the pages. Overall, I feel like the movie and book tell us to keep an open mind about what the meaning of the poem is.