Sam Hammil Response:

Sam Hammil makes an important statement and it goes as follows, “We think poetry is about emotions. We are dead wrong. Poetry is not about. Take the rhyme out of it, and there is still poetry; take even the words themselves away, and poetry remains.” I believe the statement to be very true. Poetry does indeed have the tendency to reveal itself. I am not much of a poet but I feel as though in every poem I have ever wrote the message has been revealed through the circumstance I, the author, was communicating. The same concept remains with poems I have read from various authors.

 Hammil talks about how the battered woman learns that violence is one of the forms love takes, about how the battered child learns that one can remain the victim, or one can seize power and become the executioner. In the following examples it is pointed out that there is no real positive outlook when you are the victim. You are always taught that what you are facing is acceptable because the person doing the harm makes it seem as though it is. In a sense you are sheltered to the truth, or maybe even you haven’t had the opportunity to learn better because you have been taught a certain belief or way of life for so long. Through poetry this is often conveyed. It can be hard for a victim to find the strength to share their personal experiences. Poetry makes this much easier, or so it seems. Poetry in a sense shields the author from criticisms or judgment. I believe this is why Poetry of witness is able to make such a strong impact on the reader in so many words. It is an indirect way of sharing many heart wrenching experiences. These poems are a way that the author is able to speak with saying little to nothing at all and never completely revealing the exact circumstances with which they are dealt.

This is what I believe makes poetry so special. Hammil also states that we are unable to bear very much reality. In poetry we oftentimes don’t realize the reality of the story behind the lines of rhyme or reason. In poetry we accept responsibility for our own words and feelings. We suddenly become okay with the hardships life has dealt us because we know somewhere out there, in this vast world, there is an individual who is going through a worst time then we are, and they are able to read our poem and gain a sense of understanding, a form of strength, and maybe even hope that one day they will be the sender on the other end gaining satisfaction from helping another individual.

Like I said previously, I am not much of a poet, nor do I have many experiences where I feel like I am able to really convey a message to a reader that is beyond the words I write; but I do have a respect for poetry. Like Hammil stated so well, poetry is about. It will reveal itself, and the message will be conveyed if the reader chooses to dig and receive it. It is not based on emotions, but in most cases reality. I love poetry, and hope to one day be able to write much like many poets. It is a difficult thing to understand and even more difficult to distribute. Good poetry is unlike anything else written. It takes a special person to produce a good poem. 

I have inserted a link http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-victims/ of a poem by Sharon Olds. She is a poet Hammil mentioned in this article. This poem is entitled "The Victims" and it is a good example of a poem of witness. Enjoy!