My Experience With Poetry

Poetry is exposed to us all at very young ages. When I first started going to Kindergarten my mom would take me every Saturday to a place where we would sing songs and recite poems we had memorized for the week. I don't remember specific details as to what the group was called or where we went but I do remember that I always had a huge smile on my face when I would sit in my moms lap, singing and reciting nursery rhymes. Some of the significant ones that we did a lot were "The Ants Go Marching" and "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." Of course, just like every other child I didn't really look or think about what a deeper meaning could have been but really a lot of the poetry out there for children is on the surface.

The next time I was exposed to poetry more often was when we had our poetry unit in middle school. I was in Mrs. Clear's class and she LOVED poetry. Some of the poems I really liked were the ones by Edgar Allen Poe. Although they were somewhat scary wand gory I understood them and I liked how they told a story. This was really the first time I started to analyze poetry. A lot of my classmates complained about how poetry was dumb and useless but I felt the complete opposite.

When it comes to poetry I have really come to appreciate it. Not only do I enjoy reading it I also love to attempt to write poems having to do with my life. The poetry I enjoy the most are the ones that leave you satisfied and have a good meaning. I can't wait to learn even more about poetry!

Conflict in Romeo and Juliet

The main conflict in Romeo and Juliet is the fued between the two families. The Montague's and Capulet's have a great hate for one another which helps illustrate one of the themes. This family fued has to do with the love of Romeo and Juliet. The families fighting makes them both try harder to love one another and makes this play more dramatic. Romeo gave the Capulet's yet another reason to hate him when he killed Tybalt. I feel like some of the conflict that goes on in this play is because of power because although they are "both alike in dignity" they are still different. The hatred for the two families is not just between the parents but it also effects Romeo and Juliet's love for one another.

I don't relate to this conflict with a direct comparison but I have seen a lot of movies that relate to this kind of conflict. A couple will get married and the families won't like the wife or husband which in the movie is usually the climax. Who will they put first? Their parents or the one who they love? I don't know how people put people they haven't known before the family who has always and will always be there for them. I guess I'll only understand how they feel when I am older and married. This conflict is external because of the hatred between the two families but it is definitely also internal because of how the two people must feel on the inside. Knowing that the persons parents don't approve or like you. That would be pretty tough to deal with.

Modern Shakespeare

Westside Story is very similar to Romeo and Juliet. The play we're reading in class has two people coming from different households who fall in love which is the same thing that happens in Westside Story. Tony is part of the jets and he falls in love with a girl from an opposite group name Maria whose brother is the leader of the sharks. Their foresaken love and opposite groups caused them to kill themselves.