This semester, to fulfill my writing requirement, I decided to take an Intro to Poetry class. It wasn't the first time I would be writing poetry. I had my fair share of poetry writing in high school. I wrote poetry since freshman year and continued until I graduated. However, I never had the chance to continue since I began college. I continued to write for myself and began writing for the Odyssey, but I could not find the time to write poetry.

Poetry takes a different kind of writing process. Finding a topic is deciding on the message you want to leave the audience with as they read the final sentence. Every word chosen carries a meaning that pushes the poem forward. The choice to pick a rigid structure such as a haiku or a sonnet instead of free verse can drastically alter the tone of a poem.

I felt that I did not have the time dedicate to such a task. What was I going to write a poem about? I had plenty of material that I could write about, but oddly enough, I did not want to keep it to myself. In high school, I performed spoken word poetry, therefore I was accustomed to sharing my work with other people. I enjoyed performing, as a result, writing poetry that I would not share made it difficult to even begin to write.

Enrolling in Intro to Poetry granted me the creative outlet I needed. Having to write a poem every week forced me to write the poems that only lived in my head. Additionally, workshop, a time where we analyzed and critiqued each other's poetry allowed me to receive feedback on my poetry and edit it. Although I did not get to read my poetry aloud, I was still able to share my poetry without it feeling awkward. Finding a person to read your work is hard enough since you are not sure if they would want to or how to ask. Being in a classroom setting creates a safe space where your work can be heard, analyzed, and critiqued without searching for the people to do it.

Taking a structured poetry class also required that I follow certain guidelines. I prefer to write free verse, but some weeks we have to write a specific type of poem. This challenges me to venture outside my comfort zone of writing. I learn what types of literary devices I struggle to use and which ones I tend to incorporate in my writing. If I was writing only for myself, I probably would not push myself to try as many new styles. Moreover, hearing feedback from multiple people allows me to understand what other people obtain from my writing. Do I convey the overall message clearly? Which parts were confusing?

Taking a class is an incentive for me to write poetry outside of class and commit time to improving my craft as well. Despite taking a year long break, I am glad my return to poetry writing was in the form of a four-credit course.