Contemplative Journal Assignment #7 the Going Slow Poem

English 222

Contemplative Journal Assignment #7
The Going Slow Poem

Locate a poem in our text which you find difficult, strange, annoying, bad, or inexplicable. Make this a short-to-medium-length piece—no more, say, than half a page long or so.
Find a quiet, undisturbed place where you can be alone. It’s important that you be alone.
With poem in hand, sit in a comfortable, preferably straight-backed or otherwise simple chair. Sit up and comfortably straighten your spine. This shouldn’t be strained or military-straight; just comfortable-straight. Relax your shoulders, jaw, and hands. Let your feet rest flat on the floor.
Be completely at ease. Rest in open awareness. Let your mind go: Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
Follow your breath as you’ve done before, this time for about 1-2 minutes.
Now read through the poem you selected very slowly once. Take your time. Don’t think much, don’t pass judgment. Just read, listening to the poem in your mind. If you start to follow your thoughts somewhere else, just notice that you’ve done so and come back to the poem.
When finished, pause for about 30 seconds, just relaxing.
Read the poem again. This time read it really, really slowly. Seriously. Really do this :)As you read, let yourself linger over any wordor phrase that seems to nudge or hold your attention for any reason. You might look at the word as though you’ve never seen it before, or listen to it in your mind as though you’ve never heard it. Don’t strain to make sense out of anything.
Pause again for about 30 seconds. If you feel impatient or annoyed or worried or distracted, just relax, notice the feeling (say to yourself, “Oh. Look at that. I’m feeling impatient [or annoyed, or worried, or distracted]),” and continue resting.
Now read the poem ALOUD. Slowly. Just give it a try. (What’s there to be embarrassed about? You’re alone, dummy!) Read slowly enough that you are mindful of each and every word in your mouth. Read just to read, or read to simply enjoy the fun or strangeness of words.
Now read the poem one more time to yourself. Slowly.
Relax and follow your breath again for 1-2 minutes. If you want to go longer, of course, feel free.
Complete this exercise 3 times in the course of the week. Use the same poem for each session.
Record dates, places, and times in your journal. Also respond to these questions in at least a good paragraph:
What poem did you select, and why?
What was this exercise like for you? Was it difficult, easy, strange, boring, fascinating? How else would you describe it?
Did your understanding of the poem change at all by the end of each sitting and/or by the end of the week? It’s ok to be honest.
Did your physical and/or emotional experience of the poemchange at all? Again, be honest.
Any additional observations or questions?