After class last night I spent a fair amount of time considering why I was enrolled in this class to begin with. This isn't to say that I wont't enjoy the class. That's not the case. I suppose the primary reason why I enrolled in this class was to have a better understanding of poetry from the inside out. For years, I've studied semiotics and various other theories and I feel quite comfortable analyzing poetry. That's one of the things I enjoy, the picking, dissecting, teasing out the tiny little fibers. I thrive on the analysis, the creativity inherent in crafting a piece of work with an argument capable of standing on its own
I've never placed much of an emphasis on my own creative writing in my undergraduate studies, save for the occasional CW class. This isn't because I doubt my own creativity, but I think because it seemed a little daunting stepping up after having read the poets that I have. I'm not claiming, or even hoping to be the next Frost or Whitman. I don't suppose any of us are that pretentious. I will say that the idea of rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty does appeal to me despite everything else.
I think you have a potential for your critical preface, here. This notion of "learning poetry from the inside out" is quite fascinating. I could even imagine your taking this further. That is, to what extent might a creative writing class help students to understand poetry in a way that would ultimately aid them in their critical analyses?
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