My Myth Experience

I have to admit, I was pretty excited when we started the myth unit. I have been fascinated with mythology my entire life. I loved learning about myths in school and on my own, usually from the Greek or Roman tradition. I still have a few collections of famous Greek myths concerning heroes, gods and goddesses and mortals alike. Although I love classic Greek myths, I was happy to be learning new stories from other, non-Western cultures. I really liked all of the group presentations; by making the class teach a chapter, it was a new way to learn the material instead of just reading the book all the way through. I thought it was great how the authors categorized myths into some basic categories: creation, trickster, the female divine, the male divine, and sacred places. I felt like the categories helped me see the many similarities amongst myths, yet they all deviate in their own unique way.

Learning about myth first obviously prepared us to write our own myth. But now that I had all of these ideas swimming around in my head, I felt like it was hard to get started. I felt pressured to come up with something original, although many myths share similar elements. I was stuck for a while, but when I took the time to actually start writing my myth, the ideas and words just flowed. I still feel like it is awfully derivative, but then again, I can always say I am just paying my respects to the traditions that came before. =]

I remember learning about some myths at home (my dad has always been big on the Greek hero stories), but we also studied some in school. I think myths hold up over the years because they always end up dealing with universal issues or questions. I would definitely use a myth or two as a lesson in the classroom. I really like the idea of having the students write their own myth; after all, getting the students interested in the lesson is the biggest challenge, and what better than to get their creative juices flowing? I would also consider Robin’s great project and have the students create a group myth using the animals-on-a-stick.

Wow, I Wrote a Lot.

When we started the poetry unit, I felt confident in my ability to analyze poetry and knew I would be able to incorporate what I’ve learned in my English classes up until this point. I wasn’t really fazed by the poetry analysis essay; I ended up enjoying the Edgar Allan Poe poem I picked. However, when we had to write our own poetry, I was definitely intimidated. I don’t consider myself that poetic or creative necessarily, so I didn’t know if I could create interesting or thoughtful poems. In the end though, I liked how almost all of the poems turned out, especially the two collaborative ones.

In writing about poetry, I like the idea of trying to find the meaning in someone else’s established text, coming up with different interpretations of sounds, metaphors and images. What does the text say to you, and so forth. But I think different elements are at work in writing your own poetry. Of course you might want to include a rhyme scheme, or a simile, or alliteration, but it’s different when you are the one constructing the text and making meaning out of it at the same time. When you get down to it, it’s up to you to choose the right words and metaphors to express what you want to express. For example, after I picked my topics for the three stages of the Wrecking the First Person poem, I found it difficult to get started. I was concerned with properly and coherently incorporating some of the elements of poetry---what words should I use, and do I need a rhyme here? That day in class, I wasn’t too pleased with my original Wrecking the First Person draft. When we had to post it to WebCT, however, I made sure to take the time to revise it and really think about what I was creating. In the end, it all worked out, and I had a poem I thought flowed. For me at least, I had to “get into the zone,” and understand what I wanted to get across; when I was at that point, the words just came to me naturally.

As for the teaching aspect, I think it would be a great idea to incorporate some of these assignments into the classroom. After reading so many poems, some students would probably want to try writing their own, and this would be the perfect opportunity. However, as I’ve learned from a few friends, it’s important to give the students guidelines or a template for the poem; that way they can be creative but not entirely without boundaries, so they don’t turn in something completely inappropriate or off-base. I remember writing some poems in middle and high school, and there was always a format to follow. I would definitely do any of these poems with my students.