The power of poetry is immense. It is a personal expression of thoughts, emotions and feelings which is encompassed in rhythmic, artistic packages of words and concepts. What may take volumes of prose to express may be summed up well in a verse of poetry. For example, every bookstore in America is filled with shelves of books defining and expounding on the complex subject of courage. Yet one of the most eloquent definitions of courage may be Emily Dickinson's familiar line of verse, "We never know how high we are"
Some of my favorite poetry web sites include the following:
Walt Whitman's Poetry (one of my favorite poets)
Poetic
Terms Defined
Poetic Devices Handout
Interpreting Poetry
(Warning: not all poems at these sites may be school appropriate - read with caution.)
We never know how high we are Till we are called to rise; And then, if we are true to plan, Our statures touch the skies. The heroism we recite Would be a daily thing, Did not ourselves the cubits warp For fear to be king.
by Emily Dickinson
Do we dare live up to our potential? Dickinson purports that we were meant
to "touch the skies." However, because we fear to ascend, we allow ourselves
to be diminished.
Do not fear success. Reach beyond your present state and
become your potential.
Another favorite poem