If I compose a paragraph of a given length, and then divide it into lines, each consisting of five feet, it can be said I have employed the literary device known as pentameter. But does this make it a poem, technically?
I dont know what a pentameter is but I like the way you wrote this piece I find sticking to poetry rules restricting.
It was just a silly thought and pretty much rhetorical as I'm not truly wondering if it constitutes poetry. Pentameter definition
There's a good forum called writeoutloud - they're all poets - you'd like them - and also 'Poetry' magazine - who, in my opinion this month they went totally bonkers. One poem consisted of a smudge, a grolly, and the word eternity written in period blood [according to his extensive notes]. Read something simple like Larkin to see all that pentameter, it's pretty. But, why don't you say you've now passed pentameter 1 and write some poems for your/my pleasure?
While we had a very extensive conversation about this sort of thing over in the how do I write a poem thread, I'll put my thoughts here as well. Poetry is very subjective. The word has almost evolved to mean writing without rules. Heck, if I were a popular poet I could do something utterly ridiculous like Matwoolf suggested above and it would be considered a poem! It's much like the modern art world, which I personally am not too fond of. Now, if enough people call it poetry, I suppose it is in the eyes of the majority. I wouldn't consider what Matwoolf said above to be a poem, but the people who run that magazine seemed to think it was. Personally I enjoy poems with well defined structure, good imagery, character, etc. (what some would consider "rules"), but others may disagree. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if enough people call it poetry, then I suppose it is. I personally don't like the modern poetry (or art) scene, but that doesn't stop it from happening or others from enjoying it. Edit: Ah shoot, just saw this: My bad
Yes, but these editors are bombarded with 10 000 submissions a month for a magazine running for 100 years- so, for example, they see patterns where we do not. [you see them yourself in creative writing] These are early days with my 'Poetry' subscription. Last month it was a lot of poems about being transgender/women & power/Chicago...it wasn't really my 'cup of tea,' but it's a magazine..with...kind of a heartbeat...or themes/political/social/ethnic...and not just a 'best in school' iambic pentameter quarterly. Maybe it was once? Then the editor shot himself. So this month there's poems - which I flick past - to read later - and then these smudges and amateur-art type pull-outs - which get all the attention - even discussed with a colleague - 'hey man, I've got this crummy magazine, ehmm...' 'Pictures?' 'Most certainly.' 'Nice one, heh heh heh.'
Yes, and the art critics who praise Pollocks' work went to school for a long time, it doesn't mean I'll enjoy the piece any more if someone else claims it's "artsy" or "intuitive" or whatever their opinion is ETA: I would just like to clarify that this was not supposed to be sarcastic or anything, I'm just expressing that other peoples' opinions on a piece don't always sway mine ETA2: Man, for some reason everything seems like it could be taken in a snarky or rude way when I type it out! I didn't mean to suggest that you let other peoples' opinions sway you in what I said above, so please don't take it that way.
poetry is personal it is not about what others tell you to do it is about how you want it to be writing poetry is simply a transformation of words into a new movements of thoughts other would relate with and never assault.
Sure. Why not? If you spray-paint two lines on the pavement in front of your house, perpendicular to the curb, do you create a parking space?
Oooooh, meta. I like it. Though, there's an error - there are 11 syllables on line 4. You could do "be said I have used the literary".
I didn't know you could pronounce it that way, but look: There are actually four valid pronunciations due to both of the inner syllables being optional. lit-e-re-ry lit-e-ry lit-re-ry and, presumably lit-ry, though I would find it very odd if somebody pronounced it that way. tl;dr: the line you wrote does have five feet if you pronounce 'literary' with three syllables
Poetry is like any other art, it is there to invoke an emotional response. Some might may have a good response i.e. positive or a bad response i.e negative. It is still a response The dictionary definition for poetry is: noun: poetry; plural noun: poetries literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.
Well that's nothing more than a coincidence (or some subconscious force at work) because when you called me on it and I realised my mistake I was with you. Lit-e-re-ry (4 syllables). I assumed it was just down to laziness on my part that I'd been pronouncing it 'lit-e-ry'.
Well then I’m happy to have confirmed you were right all along... after making you think you were wrong
