Journal Two: Morgan DeWitt

Part one:

Hi, my name is Morgan DeWitt and I'm an English major here at OSU Marion. I live in Marysville, Ohio which is 45 minutes Northwest of Columbus.When I first came to OSU I was an Environmental Policy major. It didn't take long for me to realize that wasn't where I belonged and after taking my first year writing  class with Dr. Lohre here I changed my major to English. As an English major I feel like I can combine all of my loves (writing, reading, the environment, traveling, music, people, politics, life) and make something out of them.
My goal in this class is to grow more as a writer and learn from other writers. I love writing and work shopping. Classes where I've been able to share my writing and get constructive criticism from others have been what have helped my writings the most so I'm excited to try that with a focus on poetry.
 My fun fact was that I've had a lot of weird  jobs: zoo train driver, oldies D.J., and media on presidential campaigns.


Part two:
I'm enjoying Mary Oliver's poetry handbook so far. My favorite quote so far is, "Poetry is like a river; many voices travel in it; poem after poem moves along in the exciting crests and falls of river waves" (9). This metaphor really stood out to me because poems really aren't just some words on some paper, a poem takes on a voice and a body and becomes something more than what it is.

Part three: My First Poem

For my first poem, I took on the voice of a man I saw in New Orleans when I was visiting there over the summer. I loved New Orleans, it left a huge mark on me. The energy there is so great, the Mississippi is so beautiful, and the people are so diverse and welcoming. When I was sitting on a bench looking out at the Mississippi watching the sunset I noticed a group of guys sitting nearby tossing around a bottle of bourbon. They looked so happy and at peace with the day, I don't think I'll ever forget them.

It only took me about 30 minutes to write my first poem, probably because it was a topic that's been circulating in my head for quite sometime. I like the poem, but I definitely think it could use some work later on.

        

My mom and I just recently traveled to D.C. I got to see both the Inauguration and the women's march so it was a really cool experience! We travel a lot together.