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Re: FYS, my friend, gotta admit I didn't realize you're also an FYT...
Ash---absolutely. If a writer limits him/herself to simply catharsis, he or she is not exploring the artform that is poetry, but writing the same thing over and over and over again as a means of therapy. This has its place, of course, and I don't fault anyone for doing it. Some beautiful things come out of it.
But I've noticed a pattern. A poet signs onto Blogit and writes a series of some very moving poetry, often about a deeply personal topic. They sometimes write often, one after another; then there's a dip. The poems come less frequently, or they become very repititous--writing about the same subject, over and over and over again. The writer gets stuck and stops growing in the artform, when there is potential for great things from the writer.
This is what prompted me to post this little lesson. Too many writers here get "stuck". This lesson will hopefully give those writers that want to continue writing poetry a little push out of their comfort zone into unfamiliar subject matter.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 3:32 PM
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Re: absolutely
fluidbeauty--making a difference is exactly what a "great poem" does, so you DO want to write great poems. Question for you: what was it about the first verse that you liked better? Was it the fluidity of the words? opinion of word choice does not make one poem better than another. What does the first poem say as compared to the second?
The first says, I got dumped by my boyfriend, and I feel so bad about it that I can even see it in my face when I look in the mirror. What does the second poem say? It has something to say about more than just the writer of the poem. That is what makes a difference.
As far as writing in rhyme schemes and meter, if you'd read my post to the end, you'll see that I suggest you do exactly that. Good luck with those great poems!
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 3:21 PM
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FYS, my friend, gotta admit I didn't realize you're also an FYT...
I have a couple of comments..there is actually an infinite variety of the two distinct forms that you correctly state that a writer can weave in his / her work..an obvious one is when the lesson learnt from some incidents in life has a common theme / value / purpose / insight that the writer can share by combining the two forms, eg, somehwere I read your own apt comment "the trick is to not lose yourself over one's love"..I said to myself, this is a great insight..for that is the differenc ebetween being self-less vs selfish or worse self-centered..So, anyway, my friend, don't restrict the expression of thoughts / emotions to boxes (I'd think that's what the engineering / medico types would do :) ) ! - Ash
posted by
ash_pradhan
on April 10, 2008 at 3:11 PM
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absolutely
I liked the first verse better. Does that mean I'm not a sophisticated poet? I do agree that poetry can be great when it's more than simply venting emotions. I love to work with different rhyme shcemes and syllobol patterns. But sometimes sharing our raw emotions is more moving and expressive. I don't want to simply write great poems. I want them to really make a difference.
posted by
fluidbeauty
on April 10, 2008 at 2:21 PM
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Re: thank you fineyoungsinger, this really takes poetry
whirlwind--thanks for reading! It absolutely does. I hope it works for the people that try it!
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 5:47 AM
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Re: I agree with sam !
afzal, thanks for reading!
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 5:46 AM
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Re:
sam---it really does. When you work in rhyme, for example, you have to think about sentence structure differently in order to keep the lines from sounding forced. It becomes the art of words, rather than a pretty way of saying something.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 5:46 AM
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Re: Ah, now we're Fine Young Teacher!
strat---this is very true---I think with prose it's harder for me.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 5:45 AM
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Re: Excellent advice...
cheugon---thanks for reading!
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 5:44 AM
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Re:
hi CRShelley!
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on April 10, 2008 at 5:44 AM
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thank you fineyoungsinger, this really takes poetry
writing to the next level.
posted by
whirlwindaffair
on April 10, 2008 at 4:57 AM
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I agree with sam !
posted by
afzal50
on April 10, 2008 at 3:01 AM
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I like this! I like what strat said, it is a carryover. I think working with other forms of poetry strengthens one's art. sam
posted by
sam444
on April 9, 2008 at 7:40 PM
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Ah, now we're Fine Young Teacher!
Good stuff here; I'm no poet but it's appropos to about any form of writing.
posted by
strat
on April 9, 2008 at 7:26 PM
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Excellent advice...
...and I will take it to heart.
posted by
metalrat
on April 9, 2008 at 5:49 PM
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posted by
CRShelley
on April 9, 2008 at 5:21 PM
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