Peer review in portfolio assessment

¶ … Poetry has often been an innocuous demand of social and political change, as it can be quickly developed and then easily smuggled out of any situation in the coat pocket of the writer, or even written years later in memory of an event or situation, where life and/or liberty has been lost. The images that poetry conveys are as strong as any written in journalistic prose. Poetry lends itself to politics almost more than any other form of literature, as it can convey a quip of shocking images and materials that can be approached by the reader as "real" or if not real at least possible and make the reader question his or her authority and knowledge of the world, frequently insular and protected. Two poems in particular bring this to mind more than most. They are in and of themselves a recounting of events, where humanity is degraded, yet both are examples of the point-of-view of the survivor, the silent witness to events that change them and change the world around them.

Draft 2

Poetry can be quickly developed and then easily smuggled out of any situation in the coat pocket of the writer or even written years later in memory of an event where life and/or liberty has been lost. The author or others can then read it later as a reminder of a demand for social and political change. The images that poetry conveys are as strong as any written in journalistic prose. Poetry lends itself to politics almost more than any other form of literature, as it can convey a quip of shocking images and materials that the reader can approach as "real" or if not real at least possible and make the reader question his or her authority and knowledge of the world, frequently insular and protected. Two poems in particular bring this to mind more than most, "Punishment" by Irish Poet Seamus Heaney and "The Colonel" by American poet Carolyn Forche. Both of these works are in and of themselves a recounting of events, where humanity is degraded, yet both are examples of the point-of-view of the survivor, the silent witness to events that change them and change the world around them. The most important structural changes in this second draft are the removal of passive voice and the creation of a complete these, so the paragraph stands alone, as an introduction.

Draft 3

Poetry can be quickly developed and then easily smuggled out of any situation in the coat pocket of the writer or even written years later in memory of an event where life and/or liberty had been lost. This power is left the poet; to recount atrocity and build ideas associated with awareness for social change. The reader can then respond emotionally or even actively, by envisioning and challenging the ideas in the work or by taking action to change them in the future. It can remind the reader of a needed demand for social and political change and an expression of the debasement of individual rights, that can be applied to other situations. The images that poetry conveys are as strong as any written in journalistic prose. Poetry lends itself to politics almost more than any other form of literature, as it can convey a quip of shocking images and materials that the reader can approach as "real" or if not real at least possible and make the reader question his or her authority and knowledge of the world, a knowledge that is frequently insular and protected. Two poems in particular bring this to mind more than most, "Punishment" by Irish Poet Seamus Heaney and "The Colonel" by American poet Carolyn Forche. These two works are in and of themselves a recounting of events, where humanity is degraded, and both are examples of the point-of-view of the survivor, the silent witness to events that changes their view of the world around them, leading the reader through the events and the changes. This draft helps define the role of the writer and the reader of poetry, as political partners in change, and further expands on the idea of poetry as a foundational literary endeavor to help develop change.