Final Letter

May 13, 2008

Dear Gary,
This semester has been tremendously helpful. I'd stopped writing for pleasure and hadn't tried particularly hard for many of my classes for the last few semesters. I'd also stopped reading, something I haven't done since I first learned to read. Through the exercises and discussions, I have found my love for writing and reading and, surprisingly, I have also found that I enjoy writing poetry.
One particularly helpful assignment was the psychic distance exercise. At first I did not understand how to illustrate psychic distance, although I'd read the instructions and examples multiple times. After submitting the assignment and reading your comments I was able to do the work again, this time properly.
Another assignment that was important for me was the Music and Metaphor journal. This exercise helped me realize that there were no good excuses for not writing because there is inspiration everywhere. By simply observing life and objects around my own home I was able to draw inspiration for poems and stories.
I think the most surprising realization for me was that I like writing poetry. I love the way that you can choose where to break your lines and choose to end a line with a particularly meaningful word. You can shape poems in whatever way you want to. I also love the simplicity of the language of most poems. Simple words conveying strong emotion is a wonderful art.
I appreciate your direction and support during this semester.

Carol