Response to Students' Poems

      I read Emilia's and Garrett's "I Have Seen" poems. First I read Emilia's, which I think was about caring. I think it was about that abstract noun because of the language she used. For example, she said "but I know my silent tears will never dry/ with all those quiet friends who watch/ who often come to me for help. To me, that seemed like the subject was a very gentle, helpful being. Emilia used many elements of poetry in her poem. In the first verse, she used alliteration, saying "seen sweet sunsets" and "slowly seeping". She used assonance in her third verse, in the line "It shines so brightly, that it has a right to be proud". The long "i" sound was used several times there. She used imagery as well in the lines "The red colors slowly seeping away/ revealing the night sky". When I read that, I pictured a very bright, beautiful sunset. Also, she used repetition, sometimes saying the same words only a few lines a part to help convey their importance and highlight their place in the poem. 
     
     Second, I read Garrett's poem. His poem was much darker and definitely related to a less joyful abstract noun. If I had to guess what he was talking about, I would say power. I say that because the language he used gave the idea of confidence and control, as if everyone else was below whatever noun he is. The main poetic element he used is alliteration; there was some in almost every verse. He said things such as "ironic immortality" and "simple as supple survival". Also, the general language he used was very unusual and descriptive. Where he could have said pointlessness, he said pettiness; where he could have said weird, he said eerie. Furthermore, he had phrases that were imagery, but in general his language was the main creator of it. He had a simile about his noun as well, saying "Like ambrosia for the Gods". Both Garrett and Emilia wrote amazing poems.