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Poetry is the Spirit’s Whisper
Charlene S. Noto |
| ASIN: 0996254145 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 12.95
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I would like to take the opportunity to introduce a fellow poet who may be known to many Writing.com poets, cnoto. Char, who also uses the penname Deborah Bel, hails from the State of Washington, USA, where she resides with her husband and their two dogs, Max and Molly. A freelance writer, Char is not only a talented and gifted poet, but she takes the time to teach and mentor others in the art of poetry and has written several how-to articles for writing poetry to form. She is the author of The Piper’s Call: The Journey, a book where “the tales of life, nature, spirituality, family and love unfold in the Bardic tradition of poetry.” The book may be found at http://www.lulu.com/content/182817
To those who know her, Char is valued for her gentleness, which is probably evidenced by her personal motto, “Poetry is the Spirit’s Whisper.” I first met Char when I reviewed a poem from her Writing.com portfolio. I made a comment that her rhyming was not consistent in the poem. Char responded very politely, in her quiet teacher-like manner, that she was employing assonance in place of rhyme in the poem. It was then that I began to learn from Char about poetry devices like alliteration, assonance, and consonance, which she discusses in "Invalid Item" .
In her essay "Invalid Item" , Char’s belief in the uniqueness of each poet, as both writer and human being, is stated as, We are all affected by a herd instinct. Until we learn to develop our critical thinking and gain the self-confidence to make our own decisions, regardless of opinions of others, we remain just another member of the crowd.
We humans are a collective seeking group. It is much more comfortable to be a part of the crowd. Nevertheless, we need to question whom or what is influencing our decision making process. Are our friends, family, church, media, or politicians influencing us, or are we acting on our own beliefs? Only by asking ourselves these questions will we be able to assess our behavior honestly and with reason. When we learn to develop our critical thinking and gain self-confidence to make our own decisions, we break from the herd. We, as individuals, will then ultimately determine how we wish to react and take full responsibility for our actions.
In "Invalid Item" , an article on imagery, Char further discusses the concept of uniqueness. What words come to your mind when you hear the word, cold? List each word and notice how mental pictures form while you think of them. I can't tell you what words and pictures you will have because they will be totally different from mine. When I hear the word, cold, the first word that pops into my mind is Buffalo. Was that your first word? I'm willing to bet it wasn't Buffalo, New York. It's my first word because I lived in Buffalo and associate it as the coldest winter city in my experience. Now someone in North Dakota or the arctic regions of Canada, with their frigid winters, may think of Buffalo as downright balmy. Therein lies one of our communication problems. We each experience something through sight, sound, taste, scent or touch, and then we name it---"Now that's cold."
Words like cold, warm, beautiful, ugly, nice, spiritual, sad, happy, are subjective. They each mean different things to us, as based on our unique string of memory pictures, and so we each perceive the idea differently. Yet, we have all experienced those sensations.
Think of words as messages, your poem as the envelope and the poet as the postmaster. If I write messages and wish to send them solely to myself, then I don't need to care about which words to use. All my words will sound right to me for I am choosing them based on which emotions and pictures they bring to my own mind. However, if I wish to send these messages to another reader, if I wish to craft a poem, then I must care about imagery. I must select words that will tug at their emotions, those same emotions I wish to share with them. By practicing these two things: using better imagery and writing to my reader, I hope to continue finding myself less of a Misunderstood Poet.
Following is one my personal favorites of Char’s poetry. The poem reveals her creativeness in both word and form.
Childhood's Crown
In childhood, dancing in the sun,
when summer's warmth first gives us hint
of days ahead, when school is done,
we breathe in heaven's secret scent.
With Mother Nature's eyes a glint
She welcomes us to mid-year fun.
I watched a cloud of clotted cream
and thought of childhood's special sight.
Imagine when your worlds a dream:
to form your days in heaven's light,
to charge a knight's first dragon fight,
to skip flat stones on rippling stream.
With flower stuck within my hair,
I vowed to gain back childhood's crown;
to live my life, without a care,
with smiling, shedding habit's frown.
I walked the path back into town
still basking in my self-made dare.
Though hard, at times, to keep my grin,
when daily pressures seem to hide
that laughing place, we have within,
I've found a way to turn the tide.
I rock back to that joyful ride
still dancing in sweet heaven's glen.
This poem is written in my own form of a series of iambic sestets with a line length of 8 syllables and a rhyme scheme of ababba.
cnoto
©2006
The challenge for the month of September in "Invalid Item" is the Cornish Sonnet. The Cornish Sonnet is a unique sonnet form that was introduced to me by Char in her how-to article “How to write a Cornish Sonnet.”
Here is one of Char’s Cornish Sonnets:
Distant Smoldering
Your thoughts brought lusty waves to me today;
I smoldered under their hidden touches.
My own thoughts flew to sun's setting rays,
The time before sun dips into the sea,
The edge between the night and evening's flushes,
That late afternoon when you first kissed me.
Though earthly miles are long between our feet,
Expanse of sea can't quench these endless fires.
Our thoughts entwine and have no need of streets
But touch with haste and speed of crimson blush.
I felt your pulse, your eyes and your desire,
On fire, I touched my throat your lips did brush.
That late afternoon when you first kissed me,
On fire, I touched my throat your lips did brush.
A Cornish Sonnet
cnoto
©2006
For more about the Cornish Sonnet, see Char’s article
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Some of Char’s poetry may be found on the following sites:
http://jpicforum.info/types-poetry/pushkin-sonnet-736.html
http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/welsh/cyhhir.html
http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/decastich/tritina.html
For freelance writings by Char (Charlene S. Noto), see:
"Invalid Item"
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/76632/charlene_s_noto.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/915963/cascade_community_theatre_perfor...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/869399/embroidery_tutorial_counted_cros...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/838243/imipramine_side_effects_and_effe...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1011044/going_green_with_freecycle_the_...
To find out more about the person Charlene S. Noto, visit her Writing.com blog:
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For week one in my contest "Invalid Item" , the prompt was to write about a contemporay issue - school shootings. Following are the very interesting and creative poems entered for the topic of school shootings:
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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As one of the editors for the Poetry Newsletter, I appreciate your feedback and thank each one of you who take the time to read the newsletters. I hope you find them as educational and enjoyable in reading them as I do in putting them together.
njames51 
Kansas, so ironic you picked Mary Oliver. I recently was crawling on the floor at the bookstore reading literary critiques etc....and it seemed every poet or "judgers" of great poets...singled out someone named Mary Oliver. Especially a long poem about her catching a fish, I think it was called 'The Fish". I read it, and it was incredible. But to read quotes in books from great poets saying Oliver was the best of all, was quite a surprise. Apparently she wasn't well known, and wrote quietly, never grabbing for the spotlight. yet, the poetic circle kneqw of her, and were awed by her poems. A great compliment. So glad you highlighted her this edition. She needs more fame and recognition.
Thank you Nancy, I really enjoy her poetry. She is also a wonderful teacher of poetry. It was a pleasure to feature her. She seems to be one who lives quietly.
Ronis brain tumor is gone! 
Another excellant newsletter! I have learned so much between the differences of longer poems!! Cant wait until the next isse!!
Thank you CW, I appreciate your kindness and your willingness to learn.
bookworm243
I ecspecially like this newsletter, I have always loved the poetry newsletter but never like I have this one! I have been trying to find new poem structures, and here I have one! Thank you!
Airielee - I think you were probably responding to the newsletter by Red Writing Hood <3  . She does a really good job of introducing forms and poets. I am always delighted to hear that poets are willing to learn about new forms.
papacheerio
I find Writing.com very confusing, no clear avenues, no clear map, no instructions. much unneeded items of confusion that prevents a person the abilty to perform his actions in an orderly fashion. Each instruction has many words that only more confuse then give clear answers.
papacheerio
Hello papacheerio - I'm not sure what it is that you are finding difficult. I know when one starts out at Writing.com, it can be a bit intimidating until you learn your way around. If there are any specific things I can help you with, feel free to send me an email. larryp I may not know the answers, but hopefully I can point you in the right direction.
Angel
I have just completed an Open University Course on the introduction to Humanities and it includes literature. I am heading for a literature degree, the next course being Creative Writing. I learnt about Sonnets but I have never heard of Sestinas and I now have the urge to try one. Thank you so much for this article.
I am glad you have found the newsletters and the sestina form, a very challenging poetry form. If you do create a sestina poem, feel free to post in "Invalid Item"
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Poetry: September 10, 2008 Issue [#2602]
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