My Experience With Poetry

I've been writing and learning how to write poetry every year sense my first going to school. From Shel Silverstein to Robert Frost I've heard all kinds of poems on all different skill levels. One positive experience I've had with poetry was in 4th grade when my teacher had us have a poetry reading party. I read Spaghetti by Shel Silverstein. 

Spaghetti, spaghetti, all over the place,

Up to my elbows—up to my face,

Over the carpet and under the chairs,

Into the hammock and wound round the stairs,

Filling the bathtub and covering the desk,

Making the sofa a mad mushy mess.

The party is ruined, I’m terribly worried,

The guests have all left (unless they’re all buried).

I told them, “Bring presents.” I said, “Throw confetti.”

I guess they heard wrong

‘Cause they all threw spaghetti!

I think I chose this poem because at the time my favorite food in the world was spaghetti. At the party each student chose a poem out of a book to memorize and recite to the class. I remember being so nervous, but after I had said mine perfectly I was overjoyed. 

This was a really good introduction of poetry to me because I learned that poetry can be serious from other students but also that it can be really silly. After I memorized my poem I remember wanting to read more because I liked it so much, so I checked out Shel Silverstein's whole book of poetry so that I could read them all!

When I hear the word poetry I think of fun and easy. Unfortunately my experience with Poetry Out Loud put a damper on my love for it, but hopefully I will be able to get over it. I'm really excited to begin studying poetry in the next few weeks of English!