Writing From Memory Assignment
In this chapter Ted Kooser is informing us on how to write poetry from memory and
imagination. In the text Kooser states that “Memory is memory, and imagination is in part
the reassembly of things we remember”. What he is saying is that our memories go hand in
hand with imagination, the way we remember our memories may be different than how
they actually occurred, but our imagination allows us to be able to put pieces together in
our own way making our memories compete. When writing poetry using your memories, it
is not a bad thing to get every detail, major or minor, into the first draft. This allows you to
go back through your poem and making changes, as well as take memories or details out to
complete and mold your poem into how you want it to be. Another thing Kooser talks
about, is that not all poems tell stories. A handful of poems are narratives, meaning they
follow sequences of events over periods of times. This is called anecdotal poems. The
anecdotal poem tactic allows readers to be able to follow along easier and paint a clearer
picture in their heads while reading. Readers and writing are already accustomed to writing
and listening to anecdotes. They are the most common, Kooser states in the book that in
literary magazines that ninety percent of the poems could be classified as personal
anecdotes. Writing from memory can be tough, but if done right can be very successful.