learning journal 03.02: found poetry

This is going to be an unconventional post, but I wanted to experiment around a bit. You see, I feel like (as I've mentioned, and as Alexander Smith first said) an essayist is to be the world's amanuensis, or scribe, to find the beauty in the everyday and the quotidian--to discern the "infinite suggestiveness of common things." I recently discovered what is called "found poetry," which is a type of poetry in which the writer finds poetic language in places where poetry wasn't originally intended: travel guides, book reviews, handman's guides, or other unexpected places, and arranges it to make it look like a poem. The reason I wanted to experiment with this is because I wanted to practice finding beauty in unexpected places. I have really enjoyed "finding" poetry, because it has helped me to see that there is poetry and beauty everywhere, even on water bottles. 

In the field, I want to be able to see the world in a different light, to see beauty in unexpected places. I feel like the classical British essayists were experts in this, and I need the practice. Which is what I will be doing in the field!

Here are some of my experiments. Enjoy:

Smart Water bottle

Vapor 

distilled water

and electrolytes 

      for taste

Isaiah 4:5

And the Lord will 

      create

upon every dwelling-place 

                   of mount Zion

a cloud and smoke 

     by day

and the shining of a flaming fire

     by night: 

for upon all the glory

    shall be a 

                   defense. 

How to Capture Genius

Wow.

What to say about this dense tome

of creativity?

This is an amazing collection

(from ancient Sumer

to modern Borges)    of human thought.

 It explores the development,

experimentations,

broadenings,

explorations,

of the essay

                   over time,

(and even though it clocks in at almost 700 pages)

 it leaves you wanting to read

much more.

You know,

this is just a taste of mankind's genius

and, like a child discovering gourmet cooking

realize

that there is a whole world of unknown feasts awaiting.

Praise

 praise

  praise.

- Thomas Fortenberry,

a pleased customer reviewing John D’Agata’s The Lost Origins of the Essay