Faith Brocke

Name: Faith Brocke

Grade: 10th

Future College: Vanderbilt University

Talent: Poetry

WINGSPAN: When did you start writing poetry?

BROCKE: “I started writing poetry when I was seven. I’ve always been really into writing because I’m good at it and because I really like using figurative language.”

WINGSPAN: What got you into poetry?

BROCKE: “My mom’s been reading me poetry for a really long time, since I was a little kid. I think that got me into it. One of the first things I remember with it is how my mom would read me Emily Dickinson to fall asleep, so that got me into it.” 

WINGSPAN: Who is your favorite poet?

BROCKE: “Myself. I am my favorite poet if I’m being honest.”

WINGSPAN: What current projects are you working on?

BROCKE: “I actually write poetry for Wingspan when I feel like it, and I write whenever I feel like it for myself. I currently am compiling them so I can make a book one day.”

WINGSPAN: What challenges have you faced in poetry writing?

BROCKE: “I think the biggest challenge I’ve had was being ridiculed and not thinking my work is good enough. When I was in eighth grade I would write poetry, every Friday we had free-writes, and then I’d read them in front of the whole class. One of my favorite memories is when someone went before me and completely dissed flight as a superpower and the title of my poem was “Flight” and the entire thing was about flying. It was metaphorical, but that was bad.”

WINGSPAN: What are some common themes your poetry explores?

BROCKE: “Whenever I want to write something, usually the title’s a metaphor for something. I always take a noun or a feeling and turn it into something.”

WINGSPAN: How has poetry been a beneficial form of self expression for you?

BROCKE: “Whenever I feel a very strong emotion it really helps to write it out and get it down in front of me so I can analyze it. It also genuinely helps me express myself through other mediums. You know how songs are just poetry to music? Sometimes I’ll get on my piano. I’m not very good, but it helps me. It helps me process my emotions and also improve my writing, since I want to be some sort of a writer when I’m older.”

WINGSPAN: Do you ever compete in poetry competitions?

BROCKE: “No. My mom always encourages me to, tells me “you’re so good, you should do this,” but I don’t like the pressure. I think I might start though because you never know, maybe I’ll win an award one day.”

WINGSPAN: How did you know you had a talent for poetry?

BROCKE: “I remember this vividly. I’ve always been very smart, I was once considered the smartest kid in my school. This isn’t me bragging, this is something I’ve actually been told. But I remember we were reading and writing poetry just for fun, just starting to get into actual serious writing since we were in elementary school. They told us to write some poetry, use as many metaphors and similes as we could, and instead of writing three sentences, I wrote a page. I read it in front of everyone and my teacher was genuinely moved. I’m not saying she shed a tear or anything, but she was like ‘wow, that’s really profound for someone who’s eight years old.”‘

WINGSPAN: What advice do you have for aspiring poets?

BROCKE: “Don’t let anyone tell you that your writing is bad. Don’t let anyone tell you that your writing isn’t good enough, or that you are too confusing, because if it makes sense to you, if it means something to you and can be interpreted by other people and make them really feel something, or maybe your goal is to inform people behind the veil of poetry, then that’s really cool and you should continue to do it. Just write whenever you feel like it, don’t do anything you don’t want to do. Write when you want to write, how you want to write, for yourself.”