This semester, I have been fortunate enough to be in not one, but two poetry courses at Holy Cross. Naturally, as an English major, I was drawn to both classes as they fit perfectly within my interests. The first course is about the form and structure of poetry, and the second is a creative writing workshop where students produce new poems each week. Although it may bear a reputation for being difficult to read, absurdly abstract, and just plain confusing, I’ve found that poetry can actually be an incredible outlet for me as I continue along my Freshman year.
The real beauty of poetry is that it truly can be anything as there are no rules. While that freedom may feel daunting at the beginning, it actually provides a unique opportunity for the stressed, overwhelmed, lonely, frustrated, sad, bored, mad, confused, or lost college student. It gives a private, non-judgmental, and uncensored space to get emotion out of the mind and down onto paper. Externalizing intense feelings can relieve stress and anxiety and give room for endorphins and positive emotions. Personally, I have found that the combination of learning different techniques of poetry and then having the opportunity to write some of my own has provided me with some relief during these hectic first few months and allowed me to experience and then let go of my emotions in a beneficial way.