Just like the vast majority of the class, as soon as I heard we were starting a poetry unit I let out a sign of resignation. Ever since we started learning about poetry in middle school, I’ve concluded that it’s not for me. I prefer concrete words and ideas, not nonsensical phrases jumbled together in an incomplete sounding mess. When asked to compose a poem in class, I was inspired to author this: I hate poetry. It’s careless words Splattered on the page Like paint on canvas Some call it angry Others joyful The authors just say “yes”. However, over the course of this unit I’ve been forced to confront a lot of my prejudices against the art of poetry and I’ve come to the decision… It’s really not that bad. The largest reason for why I have always been averse to poetry is that it’s often ridiculously confusing. We are used to literature giving us all the answers or at least being entertaining, yet the type of poetry that often comes to mind when we think of “traditional poetry” offers us...