My Poem

The First day in class that we started browsing poems a while ago, I felt extremely overwhelmed with all the different and interesting choices. I was having a hard time feeling a poem that felt said "Molly." I wanted a poem that I could somehow connect with on a mental level. A day or two later, I looked through some on the list but couldn’t find the right one, so I went upstairs to find my little sister at the TV frustrated because she didn’t know how to start the movie she wanted to watch. To my wonderful surprise I saw she wanted to watch Alice in Wonderland. The very worn VCR case was clutched in her hand. Later, when I went back to sitting and staring at a bunch of poems in the list again, I clicked on one labeled "A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky." After reading through it once I knew my poem had been found.

"A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky" was written by Lewis Carroll! This is the same genius who wrote Alice in wonderland. It tells of three children on a sunny summer day listening to the tales of Alice. This relates to my life in a big way because I am the oldest of two other siblings, Adam is 12 and Lucy is 7. As I read through line by line into this poem it made me think of lazy summer days lying in the grass and guessing what the clouds looked like. This often ended with the bossy older sister saying only her ideas were right (yet that can be told in another story). I feel like this poem was written just for me, so in other words it says "Molly."

When I recite the poem I will try to put as muc life into it as posible to convey to the listeners the images I see in my head when I say it. My expression will be used to bring them back with me to those sunny summer days where being lazy is the work to be done, and imaginary animals can be seen when you close your eyes while listening to a story. I will also try to send a nostalgic feel, as if looking back makes them feel really happy and longing for those days. My gestures and facial expression will be limited but through them I will try to embellish the emotion I am trying to create even more.

Part one: website cruising.
1. Memory As a Hearing Aid by Tony Hoagland
2. To Fashion by Elizabeth Moody
3. Weighing In by Rhina P. Espaillat 
4. The Obligation to be Happy by Linda Pastan, A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky by Lewis Carrol

Part Two: What do you think?
Of these poems I enjoyed The Obligation to be Happy and A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky most because of the message portrayed through the "storytelling" like description. The tone was also quite upbeat and cheerful. The poem I did not like as much was Weighing In because the subject was depressing in tone and had a sad underlying story. I would be most excited about memorizing A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky because of the whimsical feel and the personal connection to me.  The poem makes me think of of summer, which is my favorite season, and I have 2 siblings just as it mentions in the poem. I also have always been a fan of the tales of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol who is also the author of this poem.

Part 3: Scoring Criteria.
For me I believe I will score highest in the voice and articulation and dramatic appropriateness category because I have been told I am awfully dramatic myself and I will be able to easily convey that to others. I will need to focus however in the evidence of understanding area because I often have difficulty understanding poem's messages and I do not fully understand every line in the poem.

Part Four: Videos.
Madison NiermeyerI Am Waiting
by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
This poem was successful because of the way she was very enthusiastic and told a story through her phrasing and hand gestures. Though it was a lengthy poem that repeated itself it never got to a dull moment throughout the repetitions.
William FarleyDanse Russe
by William Carlos Williams
This poem was well executed well even though there was a solemn tone. The speaker brought life to a poem that could be read quite dully. He also showed a good understanding of this confusing meaning that was portrayed fully in his performance.

Part Five: Summary
I think I have been introduced to some very great poems in using this site of poetryoutloud.  The website at first was rather overwhelming but after browsing for awhile it proved informative. The website made me feel quite excited for the in class competition and I look forward to hearing other students reciting their poems as well as performing mine. I think I will use A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky because it makes me remember my younger childhood and leaves me with a sense of happiness.