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Throughout history, cultures have written and or recited poetry to express ideas, feelings, thoughts, and beauty. Homer created the //Odyssey//, an epic poem about the Greek hero Odysseus' adventures after the Trojan War, before the written word was even invented! Shakespeare wrote witty and whimsical sonnets that students study in English classrooms even today. The British Romantic poets, such as Keats, Byron, and Shelley, successfully captured the beauty of nature in words. 20th century American Confessional poetry expressed the inner turmoil of a confused and troubled generation.

You might be asking yourself why people have cared so much about poetry and why you should care about poetry. Here are reasons why people (including me) care about poetry so much:


 * **Poetry mirrors life**: Poems reflect their creators' thoughts, which come from human experiences. When poets write poetry, they don't slap random words together; they consciously and subconsciously create a work of art that captures what it means to be human and how they perceive the world around them.


 * **Poetry is creative**: Poets, especially experienced poets, know how to use diction, syntax, rhyme, allusions, and handfuls of other literary devices to create a true masterpiece. They hide fancy details or put them on display, showing off how much they know about words and ideas. Think about a sport or activity that you enjoy watching; how excited do you get when you see a wide receiver make an impossible reception or when a guitarist plays a solo that probably took him years to learn? That's how fans of poetry view tested and proven poets!


 * **Poetry is challenging**: Writing poetry, at least respectable poetry, is not easy. Poets think for hours, if not days and weeks, about what they want to express through poetry. When poets do get their thoughts on paper, they edit and rewrite until they've produced something they want to keep or share.

You can write and enjoy poetry too! After listening to the performances below (poets that aren't much older than you!), feel free to explore the rest of the site. Don't forget to complete the assignments listed and described in the "Assignments" page!

"Louder Than a Bomb: High School Training Ground" by Malcolm London, age 18, from Chicago, IL. media type="custom" key="11569412" width="185" height="185"

"Lover Letter" by Sarah Kay, age 21, from New York, NY. media type="youtube" key="BIAQENsqcuM" height="187" width="408"