So far so good with the poem growing. I'm happy with the surprise and power in my 3rd poem. Of late, I've been wanting to write some more formal poems, even though the ones I select and shape for class are free form. I have some reasons for this. For example, I recently reread a number of Shakespeare's sonnets and also some of Rilke's fine sonnets from Sonnette an Orpheus. I would like to go and play more with these, maybe villanelles, sestinas, etc.

Also, I've felt distance between myself and my poems of these first few weeks. They don't so much wrangle with the particulars and problems of my daily tangible life. They are related, and sometimes very meaningful both emotionally and intellectually, but all the same more philosophical.

Perhaps for something different ahead, I will write something very contained and concrete--something like a sestina about a dog I knew or a haiku about the rain soaking my bike seat today.