The art of survival is a story that never ends.

The Art of Survival is a Story That Never Ends.

Aimara Rodriguez

Ms. Jacobson

Spring 2014

I would have to specifically dedicate this poetry collection to my mother & father, who have seen me grow & have allowed me to use my own paintbrush to paint my artwork I call my "life". Survival is a beautiful struggle and my parents have both comprehended the necessary sacrifice within that, and have pushed forward to provide a quality of life for me and my siblings that I hope to never take for granted. Through this collection, I hope both of my parents can see how much my mind has expanded because of them.

Poem 1: Acrostic
Poem 2: Diamond Poem (Diamante)
Poem 3: Alphabet Poem
Poem 4: I Am Poem
Poem 5: Concrete Poem 1: One Word
Poem 6: Concrete Poem 2: Complex Concrete
Poem 7: Alliteration Poem
Poem 8: List Poem
Poems 9, 10, & 11: Haiku Poems
Poem 12: Relative Clause Poem
Poem 13: Preposition Poem
Poem 14: Verb Poem
Poem 15: Onomatopoeia Poem
Poem 16: Recipe Poem
Poem 17: Simile Poem
Poem 18: Letter Poem
Poem 19: Apology Poem (This Is Just To Say)
Poem 20: Free Verse

Foreword

Title: The art of survival is a story that never ends.

Explanation of Title: I chose this title because I heard this line from a film I watched not too long ago, called American Hustle. This line resonated with me on a simple fact that it held much power & truth. Us, as human beings, are all trying to keep our heads above water, in a metaphoric sense, to continue to push forward and not drown in the consummation of our lives. Those that survive, get ahead. My poetry collection, in a broad spectrum, focuses on life and the act of survival that comes with it. Passion, dreams, trials, struggle, wins, I made it a goal to cover it all through my collection because life is quite important to me. Not just the act of existing, but truly living. I hope that the reader can take away a true sense of who I am and search within themselves to define who they are, and see the bigger picture that though life may be sad sometimes, it is still always beautiful.

Pay special attention to poems 16 (Recipe Poem) & Poem 19 (Apology Poem).

*All photos used are personal photos of my project, The Dream Showcase. It was my very own taste of the art of survival, therefore, I feel it would be appropriate to use them in my collection to establish a personal connection.

Definitions Of Poetry

Poetry definition: 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.

Poetry Quotes:

"Who can tell the dancer from the dance?"
-William Butler Yeats

"If Galileo had said in verse that the world moves, the inquisition might have let him alone."
-Thomas Hardy

"The weird thing about houses is that they almost always look like nothing is happening inside of them, even though they contain most of our lives. I wondered if that was sort of the point of architecture. "
-John Green

Personal definition: a soulful expression of words tied together by feeling, whether negative or positive, to coincide together & have an effect on the reader.

-I chose the 3 quotes because I felt I could personally tie them together into what poetry means for me. The first one, by William Butler Yeats, I feel explains how can you separate the poet from the poetry? The feeling instilled in the words the poet writes binds them together, & their heart is their words. The second quote, by Thomas Hardy, explains that poetry is not biased. It is strictly up to the poet what they choose to express themselves about, and though certain people would rather censor & control what is written just for the sake of being minimal, that's not the purpose of expression. Lastly, the third quote is from a book that I just recently finished called 'A Fault In Our Stars' by John Green. Though the quote touches on the topic of architecture, I sensed an underlying meaning that can bind with the purpose of poetry. Words are just words. They are used every day, and we sometimes forget the power that come with them. Words dictate our lives. They contain our thoughts, emotions, and determine who we are. And the power of feeling is enhanced with the writing of words, hence poetry. That's kinda the point.