You don't need to follow them, not anymore anyway, but you'd often be wise to. If you start using a rhyming pattern, stick to it and make it flow. If you decide against one, then don't have moments where you drop it in for fun. Like anything, understanding is half the battle. My favorite poet is Bukowski, (while also loving Gray and Sassoon), and despite there appearing to be a lack of rhythm, he does actually have one, and it's quite strong. He had a voice, and you can tell he had the rhythm going on naturally in his mind as he wrote, so could just smash out poems when drunk which worked. But with most poets who attempt it it doesn't. It's easy to spot a poem where the author didn't give much thought to the beat of the sentence, or the structure as a whole, when they easily could have. They go for a classical structure and then make a hatchet job of it. You can tell they just jotted down their thoughts trying to sound poetic and that was the end of it.
There's state and national galleries here in Aus that have displays of iconic and conceptual fashion, furniture and accessories that are commercially available but still considered art because of their impact on the industry they came from.
I have to agree, there possibly needs to be an art thread somewhere for people to debate on - there seems to be an audience. I admit, the type of art @Selbbin mentioned is what I am crazy mad about. hehe Not this thread though... Only art in the form of poetry, so seriously...if anyone wants to write poetry about their love of iconic furniture or architecture, I would love to read. lol I've a special love for mid-century 'stuff'. ;-)
Here's a tip. Always read poetry out loud. Poetry started as a form of telling stories or news because the flow and the beat made it easy to remember. So read it out. Find the stumbling points. No matter what the style it should still flow easily.
Dammit, I was hoping I wasn't that obvious! I will practice more, when I can be bothered. For now it is fun to play and a great destresser. Now, if you (and I am hoping @Wayjor Frippery or anyone else for that matter ) could be so kind as to consider my suggestion of reviewing a poet and one of their famed poems on this site, it would wonderful. *hopeful* Worst case, I will give everyone the Anti-Poet version and it will be a mess...
Review famous poems / poets and post the review on this site, or review poems by a member of this site?
As highlighted in red. Because I really am interested in the opinion of the Poets on this site and I think it will enrich this forum in a good way. It'll be educational for many and unlike some random Net and published critique, this forum allows for discussion. I'm enthused about reading how different people interpret and what they get out of famous poetry. Back to the whole eliciting emotion business... Why are people so drawn to a collection of words, what does it mean to them. I want to know. I was reading Sylvia Plath's poem, Ariel... It was written before she committed suicide. It was compelling to me even though I didn't understand it on first read. It's distinctly different from her Cinderella and Mirror poems. At least to me. I'm curious what other people would have to say about her style of 'confessional' poetry on this forum. I'm looking for stuff like that.
Hopefully other people can help but sadly I won't be able to. It's both time consuming and rather difficult to express academically the emotional reasoning behind the impact of a poet or poem. Not anytime soon, anyway.
Sometimes to music... Scroobius Pip [he's a poet not/and a rapper] is also available without the tunes...
You can do whatever you want, really. But different types of poetry come with different rules. There are so many forms of poetry. Whether you write in iambic pentameter or go completely off the map is totally up to you. Personally, I like to write to form when it comes to poetry. When done well the form seems to almost disappear. I think some people are intimidated when it comes to certain forms or feel like following a form is too constrictive. Honestly, form can be your friend. I find having a built-in structure very freeing in a way. It takes the guesswork out of how many lines a poem will be or when and where to rhyme and even how many syllables go in a given line. Doing these things will better prepare you for breaking the rules and/or following the rules. No one needs to study poetry and form, but good poets are aware of these things. I don't know how much your husband knows about poetry, but it's nice to have a reader. I'm not saying to take his advice, but you should be open to suggestions. I don't think poetry usually comes out fully formed and perfect. Revision is a big part of poetry. I spend far more time revising a poem than it originally took me to write the first draft. Instead of reading your poetry to your husband maybe try having him read your work back to you. That way you can hear when something sounds off. Developing an ear for poetry takes a little time to develop. Reading good poetry and writing madly will help develop it quicker.
Another reading... a bit classical for my taste (diction vs emotion – the reading not the poem), but it's hard to argue with Mr Burton. They chopped it about in the movie Interstellar, made it mean something else/more, which goes to show how much is down to the reader.
Um, it pretty much means the same thing. It's about living strongly and resisting death, and was written for his dying grandfather. Whihc is pretty much the meaning in the movie, just applied to the human race.
@Wayjor Frippery - Thanks for putting that poem up! I did like the human race spin to it and I enjoyed how the same words can be applied to a completely different situation and still have powerful meaning. Here's also the Interstellar version, too. I'm a visual person and I like the words set against the mood.
And also, I finally watched that Scroobius Pip guy... But somehow that had me googling "Spoken Word" which lead me to "Poetry Slam", and then I was quite taken by this man's performance... Doc Luben - "14 Lines from Love Letters or Suicide Notes"
Yeah, pretty much, broad strokes. But not exactly, hmm? The words are the readers' once the poet is finished... it works in Interstellar because of its applicability (and they didn't use all of it, just the applicable bits). I always imagined Dylan Thomas was talking about himself in these lines (when I've got my analysis hat on). When I read the poem, they apply to me (because I'm too vain to think of myself as a good man or a grave man and not vain enough to be a wise man). It's a great poem because of its applicability [to each individual and individual circumstance]. But does it mean the same thing to each of those individuals? Other than in the broadest sense, no, I don't think it does. We don't feel the same things, Oscar, when we read these lines because we are two different people. We may both be moved, and if we are then maybe it's a great poem, but our experience of the words is ours and ours alone.
What speaks most to me in this poem is ... Rage, rage against the dying of the light. I love reading that, I love hearing those words read. I love the word 'rage'. hehe Because honestly, I am a rager and I am combative against things I feel isn't right. I will cling on with tenacity to a cause until I know there is absolutely no hope in hell that I can change an inevitable outcome. But I'll rage to the very end... Which brings me to my next rant. Because of this thread, I previously mentioned I am trying to join a poetry forum. I tried again this morning and has me ragey because it still won't work. But I am noticing they keep getting new members, so why not me?!?! I went to check out that poet lady I wish to fan stalk and thankfully, she has a gmail account... Fingers crossed I get somewhere with her or I will cry.
@Wayjor Frippery - I just re-read my post... I must have been tired out of my brains because it was full of typos. I'm surprised you understood me and dammit, you even quoted my typo!
@Wayjor Frippery - Awww, thanks - you are still firmly in the category "Best" and yes, you can go all didatic on me anytime. New word learnt! I've been meaning to respond to this. Hopefully, I didn't come across too pushy. I just saw a gap I wished to be filled. I feel we're more hesitant when it comes to poetry, because unlike a novel, a piece is completely open to interpretation. And I know for myself, sometimes (often) reading a poem and not understanding what the excitement is all about or connecting to it, makes me feel inadequate. If I do connect to it, then I have to wonder if am I reading about a beautiful rose when it is really a carrying on about the how annoying the weeds are. I understand where you are coming from because it's is a big ask to expect people to draw on their personal and emotional experiences to explain. Thinking about poetry can suck a lot of energy, I am tired as I write this. Thank you for responding. @deadrats - I also wanted to respond to you but was exhausted at the time... Everything you said here makes sense. Although, I can't help thinking that it is equally valid to start learning from a place of not being so worried about rules. That learning poetry is like learning anything in life where people learn differently. My husband likes to know the rules of engagement on outset. I am the opposite. I like to encounter, adjust, tweak and explore - all done with an end goal in mind. I'm not someone who enjoys following rules or instructions. I've yet been able to follow a recipe from start to end so no meal ever tastes the same when I'm the cook, but I don't mind. ;-) I am always taking hubby's advice on board... to the point I am beginning to worry he is corrupting me! I was having a moment of rebellion because I am tired of rhyming to a simple beat. I saw going off beat as symbolic of getting off track with the hope I will stop rhyming... hehe I do like your idea of getting him to read it back. Thank you.
Okay...I'm home sick and thought to write some poetry again. Now, I struggled in that I ended rhyming in some stanzas and others I did not. It wasn't deliberate but then I felt schizophrenic. In a moment of insecurity I googled for advice. I found this article about the debate over rhyming or not and the reference of the word-thing which I found funny. Just wanted to share... I suppose it is a good term to use because I wasn't sure what I wrote was a poem originally. It really did start of as a free form word-thing... I think I'll be using this term for certain pieces. lol http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/97489 Edit!!! Omg...hopefully no one clicked on my original link that went to some Donald Trump thing! No idea what I did.
Well, one could argue that the real reason most poetry nowadays doesn't conform to any kind of traditional formatting is that people are just too lazy to craft anything, because writing a mediocre poem is incredibly easy, and people like easy. I'm a poet, Because, I just used the enter key randomly, to make new lines, that help break up the pace artistically and creatively, like a woodcutter, looking for rabbits in the grass, alone, while whispering threats to his lover.
If people really liked easy, I wouldn't be single anymore. I sit under the poet tree Shade far as the eye can see Shade being thrown at me Shades on my eyes, cant see Shade thrown at my shades, from the shade of the poet tree You and me, we all share this tree, Bite on some bark with me Sit with the birds and bee's Here in the shade The shade of the poet tree
