My Poem

Curricular Competency Reflection

I chose to focus on the poem “The Fish” by Marianne Moore for a few reasons. The first was the fact that it was over the 25-line minimum outlined in the assignment criteria. The second being, that the contents of the poem intrigued me. I was fascinated by the sense of whimsy the words inspired in me. Not being able to recognize the message upon the initial read, made me curious as to what context lay beneath the words of the poem. The third reason this poem appealed to me was because it seemed easy to memorize, due to the shorter lines and prominent imagery. The class activity that helped me most to memorize and collect the nuance within, was listening to the poem being read by others and tone mapping. By thoroughly going through each line of the poem and analyzing it, it was easier to commit to memory. Although my poem was not fully memorized at the time of my presentation, I did have a greater understanding of its meaning and how it should be delivered. Outside of class, to attempt to memorize the poem, I had a recording of it that I listened to while getting ready in the morning, as an attempt to embed it into my subconscious mind for easier recitation. Completing the paragraph write also helped as it put focus into analyzing the nuances and poetic devices used in the poems, and allowed for a greater understanding of the material.

Core Competency Reflection

I respectfully advocate for my needs by… asking to change poems when I was feeling overwhelmed. I was greatly overworked mentally and physically, so I asked for permission to change my poem to a much more manageable one.

Examples of where I communicate clearly and purposefully can be seen in… When I communicated how I couldn’t find the criteria for this assignment. I sent an email explaining my confusion and was able to resolve it because I asked for help.

When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I… Take a breath and think through my feelings. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed, I take a step back, figure out the root of my unease and come up with a plan to remedy it.