Abstract:
Poetry has been around for a while now, so naturally it can be difficult to find something new to say. Stereotypes have formed: the Shakespearean sonnet, the flowery love letter voice, fantastical images and ideas-while these are indeed their own forms, they are not the be all end all of poetry. At its base, poetry is writing about the world in ways that differ from the typical journal page. However, there is another stereotype tied to the writing of poetry: sitting at a desk, separated from the world. My intention here was to write poetry that breaks the "classical" standards or at least bends them in directions perhaps not deemed as "normal." In addition, I have decided to pair up differing experiences to provide a needed sense of contrast found within typical life. While I am not and will never be universal, I have tried to make my poetry as familiar yet strange, whimsical yet stern, and approachable yet complex in my take on living experience.
