 Poetry: December 04, 2013 Issue [#6035] |
  Poetry
This week: Does Poetry Matter? Edited by: Crys-not really here  
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| Hello! My name is Crys-not really here and I am passionate about poetry! It is the first genre that I took seriously, and even went to school for. But sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to question if poetry still matters, and where it fits in my life. |
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Poetry was my first love. I wrote it from the time I was a little girl. My favorite class every year of junior high was always English, but especially in eighth grade, when I had a teacher who really fostered our creativity. She would often let us chose between a number of projects to complete for each novel we read. I would always chose the ones that allowed me to write a poem and illustrate it in some way, usually through collage. In high school, that kind of creativity wasn't encouraged except by the school literary magazine, which I submitted to. But in college, I took my first poetry workshop, joined the staff of the literary magazine, and found my niche as a poet. I felt free to express my emotions and inner thoughts in way that would not be judged. After all, I was told, poets write from many points of view, so who is going to know if you are telling the truth or making up lies?
I loved poetry so much, in fact, that I even pursued my MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in the genre. While it was great to be around a number of others who shared my passion for poetry, most students (and faculty) in the program felt that poetry needed to "read" a certain way to be "publishable" and therefore "acceptable." This was the first time I ever felted defeated by my old friend Poetry, because my style just didn't mesh with what was expected of me.
Now that it has been five years since I completed that program, I find myself writing poetry less and less. I have pursued another degree, taken a different career path from the one I had intended when I was 22, and I have had a variety of jobs, most of which weren't even related to writing. I have bills to pay, student loans to pay off, rent due, and jobs to apply for. I used to write poetry for fun, to relax, and to express myself, but lately I feel really detached from it. Part of this reason is because I have started writing short fiction and novels, which I always found more challenging than poetry. The other part is because life just keeps getting in the way. At the end of a long day at work, my brain can't seem to make sense out of writing a poem that makes any sense to both me and a potential reader.
I once considered poetry a major part of my life, but now sometimes I can't help but to wonder, does poetry matter? Sometimes I even refer to myself as a "former" poet, which makes those who know me well look at me strangely. But every once in awhile, I slip into a frame of mind where I find myself "thinking like a poet." It's something that I am consciously aware of. When I see some pretty flowers along the sidewalk and they remind me of dancing women in big, poofy red skirts, or when I have that rare instance while writing a novel when I come up with the perfect metaphor for something, I remember that I am a poet at heart.
I am currently trying to find that balance between being a successful adult who takes care of her responsibilities, and being the daydreamer who composes poetry in her brain the way I did when I was 18. I have found that the more active I am, the more adventures I go on, the more people I meet and the more things I see, the easier it is for me to compose poetry. But I also feel like I am waiting around for something fantastic to happen just so I can write about it. Sometimes that comes from a special date with my boyfriend, but usually those fantastic things don't happen at all. I need to break the habit of only writing poetry when I feel something is special enough to write about. After all, it was those every day moments, and the poetry that is accessible to all, that drew me into poetry in the first place. |
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Thanks to everyone who wrote in about my last Poetry Newsletter: "Poetry Newsletter (August 14, 2013)"
Very encouraging newsletter. My attempts at poetry were usually with the SLAM, which stopped several years ago. Sigh. That challenged me, and made me write poetry whether I could or couldn't. My best pieces were all from that contest.
But you're absolutely right. Meters have always beyond me, too. I can count syllables, but worrying about whether there's a down beat somewhere . . . Yick, no time for that.
Thanks,
shaara
Thanks for an interesting and encouraging newsletter, and for pointing out that meter and form are often two of the most intimidating factors for authors who are new to writing poetry. I've been crafting poems for about twenty years, and I've never let meter or a particular style confuse me or get in the way of the points I want to convey when writing. Sometimes it's best just to let the ideas and words take care of themselves...and more often than not, it sounds a lot more natural than trying to fit abstract ideas into archaic formulas, structures and tempos. -Fivesixer 
You point out one of my biggest fears I had in writing... breaking rules. I majored in Science in HS and College and there are MANY rules to Scientific Writing. It has taken me a couple of months to be able to break through my boundaries! -PandaPaws Licensed VetTech
Today I ask:
What do you do to keep yourself inspired when writing poetry? Do you wait around for something to happen, or do you dive in head first?
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