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I was a very precocious kid; I liked to learn. I can remember my whole schooling career, up to college where I'm in my second year and they allow you to gain your own understanding, being frustrated with my teachers telling me what an author meant. I would sarcastically think, "What, did you know {said author} and they told you what meaning they were trying to give their readers?"
I loved to write from a young age and I would think that when I wrote poems especially, I barely thought about what meaning I was putting into my poems. Poetry is about expression and I don't know anyone who didn't care about what they were writing, sitting down and trying to pack meaning they didn't care about into their writing.
All of my teacher analyzed everything to death too. Every word meant something; every comma or new stanza or paragraph was done purposefully. What if they were just trying to make things look better?! What if they just wanted things to flow more easily?
I always just wanted to read a poem or story first and feel it. Just feel the tone and then go back and see what it was all about. I know a lot of authors, like Poe for example, went back and edited his writing to make sure every action in the story fit the plot and was helping to makes it apparent to his readers what the feeling or though behind the piece was about.
But not all authors or not all of their stories or poems need to be analyzed the way curriculum is set up. I know they're getting us ready to write papers in later grades and college and give us some insight, but that's why a lot of kids lose interest. They push it too far and leave no room for individuality and creativity.
I was a very precocious kid; I liked to learn. I can remember my whole schooling career, up to college where I'm in my second year and they allow you to gain your own understanding, being frustrated with my teachers telling me what an author meant. I would sarcastically think, "What, did you know {said author} and they told you what meaning they were trying to give their readers?"
I loved to write from a young age and I would think that when I wrote poems especially, I barely thought about what meaning I was putting into my poems. Poetry is about expression and I don't know anyone who didn't care about what they were writing, sitting down and trying to pack meaning they didn't care about into their writing.
All of my teacher analyzed everything to death too. Every word meant something; every comma or new stanza or paragraph was done purposefully. What if they were just trying to make things look better?! What if they just wanted things to flow more easily?
I always just wanted to read a poem or story first and feel it. Just feel the tone and then go back and see what it was all about. I know a lot of authors, like Poe for example, went back and edited his writing to make sure every action in the story fit the plot and was helping to makes it apparent to his readers what the feeling or though behind the piece was about.
But not all authors or not all of their stories or poems need to be analyzed the way curriculum is set up. I know they're getting us ready to write papers in later grades and college and give us some insight, but that's why a lot of kids lose interest. They push it too far and leave no room for individuality and creativity.
I totally agree. Too much analyzing zaps the joy right out. I remember peeps doing that with Harry Potter and all the inner meanings and I just thought, "Really? It's Harry Potter." lol :)
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