Writing:
I actually really loved this exercise. I found that when I was made to continue revising, I would focus on a small piece of the poem and would change that and then mood to the next revision. I always find that when I do my typical revision process that I get overwhelmed when I have to figure out what I want to change. Being able to actually break it apart piece by piece and rebuild it was a really cool experience that I think I am going to continue using going forward. This exercise really showed me that you never really are done with a poem, there is always something that you could change that would make the poem sound even better.
Book making:
I chose to keep the inside of my book plain and simple. I did this in order to not take away from the poem itself. I felt like if I added too many things to the inside then it might take away from the imagery that was a big part of this assignment. The front and the back panels are covered in a light sideways slant of orange and yellow lines. The lines are supposed to look like rays of sunlight, which is a large part of what the poem is about, hence the title ‘rays’. I also chose to put two ribbons on the front page that are yellow and orange, which is also what the opening line of the poem is about. I found that I really liked the simplistic design going into this poem, but I am excited to explore visual art further with poetry. I believe that if I am able to have a longer and more thought out poem, then I will be able to further illustrate and expand on the words of the poem.
rays
yellow and orange ribbons of light.
woven together to engulf the earth in a warm embrace.
brightness and serenity stretched to every corner
aiding the minds of those on their path of today.
