"Writing" with Jan Dean

This poem, a free-written spout of inspiration coupled with a biting mentor's retort, shows the true path that language takes when put through the steam-press that is schooling. Jan Dean, an apparently talented poet, takes what seems to be the free-writing of a child, which details a grotesque scene of trauma and concern, and pairs it with the eloquent corrections of what the reader can assume to be the child's teacher. Through this juxtaposition of incorrect, untidied passion and curt, cold corrections, Dean takes a jab at the system of education. The poem glows with the idealism of preserving an author's voice and helping that author to better convey his or her message. It shines even more as a critical frown on teachers that read for grading and not for understanding. I hope that, when I become an educator, I remember Dean's sentiment and appreciate my young writers for what they have done correctly and not what they have done wrong.