Week 1

Over the past week I have learned my things about myself, my writing, and the poetry I read. Along with the things I learned, I faced challenges and was met with many surprises.  I first learned about how I organize myself. I learned I must subconsciously enjoy making my own life more difficult by my atrocious organizational skills. My lack of organizational finesse (making sure things are placed neatly in folders and without wrinkles) is something I can build upon and learn from. I have learned that my writing had grown and matured. I used to think little about what I put on paper and what I considered my best. Now, I erase line after line of work knowing I can always do better, think deeper, and write smarter with formalism, anaphora, and consonance. I have not only utilized different places around Andover, but have tried out different social settings and gathering places similar to a more abstract version of a journalist or reporter. I have also learned from the poetry of others, building off of their work. I have learned the blank verse metrically traditional writing of Robert Frost, the short yet ever so compact work of Emily Dickinson, the perfect iambic pentameter of Shakespeare, etc.   The hardest challenges I faced this week was juggling my other school work with my senior project. At times it felt like I was even spending more time thinking of the horrid history assignments in the weeks to come. Hopefully I can take from this, better manage my time...do it all. I look forward to the next upcoming weeks, finalizing work, making a book, enjoy the remaining time in high school...