My Thoughts on the Literary Contest

In the end, I enjoyed my time writing for the literary contest. Through it, I was able to finally understand what poetry really is. You see, I have never really liked poetry in general. Never really was my thing. I always thought that poetry as just writing about things in a pretty way. Well actually, that is what poetry is. It’s not just that though. That would be a massive understatement. I found out that poetry lets you find a way to express yourself in a way no other art form can. Through rhymes and metaphors, you can come closer to being able to describe a feeling. Someone can write to you saying, “I am sad.” But, poetry can show the reader the depth of the writer’s sadness. That is the power of this art form. I really enjoyed the process of finding out what poetry really is. Let me show you what led up to this epiphany.
At first, I dreaded entering the Literary Contest. I found it boring and not worth my time. I had to do it though, so I might as well learn to love it. First thing I did was go to google and typed, “What is Poetry?”. It gave me this,” literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.”.  Though it told me outright what poetry is, it still was not enough. I wanted to find out firsthand what poetry was all about. I decided to search up famous poems. I found the poem, Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelly. The poem described a vast open desert and in it, a pedestal and the remains of a statue. I loved it. My favorite part of the poem was the word of the pedestal which said,” My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” Then the poems proceeds to show what was left of his mighty kingdom, a broken statue and the vast open desert. This poem tells us in the end, no matter how powerful you are, we all bow down to the power of time. You and everything you build will, in the end, return to dust. I found this to be a powerful message. Though I easily summarized it, my short description will never give you the true meaning behind it. Through the poem’s imagery, I was able to feel my insignificance and my mortality.
In the end, as much as I dreaded it at first, I loved being able to participate in this contest. Through it I have a newfound respect for poetry. I realized how vastly unappreciated poetry is. Reading poetry inspired me to really put my heart and soul into my poem. I implore you reader, to read poetry. Through reading it, you will be able to peer deeply into the thoughts and feelings of other people. In the process, you might be able to find out more about yourself.