Poetry Out Loud

I chose the poem "Dancers Exercising" by Amy Clampitt. I chose this poem because, for one, it made me think about its meaning when I read it, and two, I liked the word choice. It doesn't hold any particular significance for me, but I do enjoy reading complex poems and thinking about what they are meant to be saying.

I'm preparing for the competition by memorizing my poem, for start. After I have it fully memorized, I plan on recording myself for practice or maybe reciting it for my family. Even after preparing for the competition, I still like the poem. I've noticed that the line divisions in it are kind of irregular, though, which makes it a hard poem to recite.

Poems by Robert Frost

I think that the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost symbolizes a person making a difficult decision. The speaker of the poem is choosing whether to follow a crowd or to take the "less traveled" road. I believe it refers to making a decision because of the line, "I doubted if I should ever come back". The speaker isn't aware of what either path might lead to, but he is forced to choose between them anyway. He chooses the unique path, and it changes his life.

I chose this poem because I like the meaning. It encourages others to be thoughtful and make decisions wisely. It makes me think of choosing careers in particular, something I have thought about a few times. I think the poem is encouraging people to choose hobbies and interests they enjoy doing rather than based on which others have, another idea I think about a little more often.