English: Thoughts or Not?

     So, in English, we are studying poetry. I used to be able to, in school, write poetry about anything, all my thoughts. Now, the class follows strict subjects like Summer or an animal inside me. When I asked the teacher if we would be writing a poem on a topic we would choose, she shook her head, no. So, my question today is: why spend all of class writing answers to open-response questions and following strict guidelines instead of letting the class' imagination run wild like a herd of horses, instead of letting emotion flow like a river from deep inside their souls?

     If there was at least one free-topic poem or story, I would be satisfied. I raised this point to the substitute who stood in for the teacher(who, by the way, delivered a fine baby boy recently) and, she told me that she has lesson plans to follow, but that she might, just maybe, be able to squeeze one in.

     I am a writer who, when given guidelines, can follow, but when allowed to run wild, paints a vivid, detailed picture instead of the  pencil sketch of a guided writing assignment. This is part of the reason I decided to begin blogging. I have notebooks filled with stories(not many with endings, though) and a folder of tales on my computer. I would have an awesome grade in English, if only I could put my own feelings in.

So, English: Thoughts, or Not?