Meaghan was sharing two poems of spring in the front.
Oumaima was sharing a poem in Arabic. Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Experiencer
By Oumaima Laachoubi
I had the honor to attend a spring poetry reading event organized by Hangzhoufeel on April 9. As I've only been in China for 2 months, I was really excited to participate in this activity and to meet new people interested in poetry and culture.
We were welcomed very warmly by everyone involved and guided to a spacious room where a big screen stood, projected on which were the beautiful poems picked by Ms. Meaghan Murphy, a renowned English teacher from the US who specializes in comparative literature. The poems Meaghan chose for us were written by William Wordsworth and E. E. Cummings. Intriguing and detailed, the poems touched upon different aspects that I wasn't aware of but was pleased to learn. I also enjoyed her calm way of going through the lines.
After that, a group of readers read poems in their mother tongues, which I would say was my favorite part. It showed us how we didn't need to speak a language to sense the emotions conveyed in the lines or words. It was amazing to learn about so many foreign poets.
The hostess Xing Weiwei is an associate professor from Hangzhou Gongshang University and also an English literature researcher. She made every poetry reader feel heard and paid attention to when they read their lines. Xing also expressed her appreciations for poems read by the readers in different languages. It's very endearing of her to make shy readers brave enough to speak in the front and share beautiful words about spring to a room of knowledgeable people with the same interest.
Ms. Lu Wenli, a well-known Hangzhou writer went up stage as the last reader. She touched my heart deeply by a poem she wrote in English. Everyone there understood her feelings for the season and shared the sympathy. I found her reading style very appealing and her personality calm and charming, just like spring.
Another creative activity I enjoyed was the poetry we got to write on ourselves. Meaghan was very considerate to use the blackout method as most of the attendees had never written any poems before and some were beginners. She was very encouraging and sweet.
It was such a fun experience for me as a foreigner and especially a new comer to China. And I would like to greatly thank Hangzhoufeel for this opportunity I get to cherish dearly.