January 25th | Response

If I'm able I'm able to be moved by the words in a poem, then I pass it off as good. Words can create understanding or inspire, I think at its core a poem should achieve one of these. Some may create a revelation on a topic that before was not understood. Or one may simply elicit a feeling of joy through a smile after finishing reading. Perhaps understanding and emotion fall in the same category of empathy. But that's such a broad subject which has a vast range of how to quantify it. Landing along that spectrum should justify that your poem has been successful.

Symbolism was a challenge to connect emotion to tangible images. It was difficult to take such an abstract notion and solidify it so it could be understood. Once I chose imagery, crafting a connection of actions along with it was the next hurdle. I guess relatability was overthought and I was under the impression it was more complicated than it truly was. I think simplicity would allow an eas starting point to expand off of. Also allowing an easier read for people to interpret the notion I'm symbolizing in the end.

Surprisingly people were quite responsive after reading my poem. I hadn't thought about the effect it could create. Yet there was a pleasant response of people stating the flow was enjoyable to read. I suppose I could count this as a success. In regards to what a poem is good for I would state it create a subtle emotion. Nothing over the top and full of awe, but an instance that a reader could feel.