And so hold on

How does a poet take a bunch of words and craft them into a form that has extraordinary power to envelope your senses and thoughts to leave a huge imprint on your heart and mind?

 In my quest to find the answer to that question, I have been reading through several poems from Delbanco and Cheuses' Literature Craft & Voice, and have gathered new information about some basic elements of poetry.  As part of my learning outcomes for studying poetry, I have determined to learn more of the terms and genres of poetry.   Take for example meter, a sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables that form a regular pattern in lines of poetry that serves to keep time and arranges a poem's sounds.  We can measure meter by grouping two or three syllables that contain a stress with what is called a foot.  There are more new terms I have learned in my quest to understand poetry.  There is the iambic pentameter and scansion which are a part of a poem's meter and rhythm.  Then there are many genres in poetry.  I am trying to find the genre, rhythm and meter of different poems.    After taking three hours to study up on some of these terms, genres and reading the common readings, I have decided to take Dr. Burton's suggestion to memorize a poem for one of my learning outcomes for poetry.

And so hold on

The poem I would like to memorize is Rudyard Kipling's "If" that I used in my Poetry adaptation analysis.  This poem poses lofty standards to live by, and so by memorizing it, I will be able to have direct reference so I can apply it in my life. 

The title I have used is from the poem. . .
"And so hold on when there is nothing in you" lends me great inspiration.

 It takes time for me to memorize a poem, but I have found it is well worth the effort.