Where does one go with a poem, once they have an idea? Most of my poetry is triggered by nostalgia, nostalgia that in turn can be triggered by a smell or something I see on TV. My desire then is to try and capture that feeling in words, and hopefully evoke similar feelings in others. But at the same time I want to keep it simple. I don't want to say anything deep with my poetry, or force people to find the 'hidden meaning', I just want to conjure up a feeling as simply as I can. Watching a favourite TV show of mine the other day, one such feeling was triggered, and that feeling was/is the joy of summer, or to be more specific, summer evenings. The scene in question was shot on a country lane, over-looking a field of yellow rapeseed. I estimated the time of day to be approx 19:45. Dusk was threatening, the air was still and clearly very warm, and it immediately evoked memories of lazy summer days, where night arrives slowly and leisurely, instead of instantly as it does in winter. Memories of falling asleep in the garden at gone 10pm because it's still too warm to go back inside. Silence and the sweet scent of blossom. Obviously I'm not asking anyone to write the poem for me - that would be pointless - but I would be interested to hear how others would go about it. Or even if it's something they'd choose to write about. 2:16
@OurJud Sweet Memory: all and only by Jud, dr1 Watching a favourite TV show feeling was triggered, and feeling was the joy of summer, summer evenings a country lane, over-looking a field of yellow rapeseed. the time of day 1945. Dusk threatening, the air still and warm, evoked memories of lazy summer days night arrives slowly leisurely, instead of instantly as it does in winter. Memories of falling asleep in the garden at gone 10pm too warm to go inside. Silence and the sweet scent of blossom.
I think my post was really just a desire to get a few chosen phrases out there, coupled with a frustration of not knowing how to turn them into a poem.
Gosh, that's a good question, @OurJud. I'm afraid I don't have a clue, which is probably why I'm not a poet. But good poets can do this. If you figure out the method, I'd love to know what it is. It must go beyond mere description, which anybody can do. Maybe the key is discovering the most universal single image, or tying a couple of images together in a clever way that evokes nostalgia in the reader, too. And maybe makes them think beyond it. Damn. Maybe you can play around with this. Pick, say, two separate, but very specific images that conjure up the kind of summer you remember, and see what happens when you put them together.
And the best of the the type of poem I refer to seem to capture these moments so effortlessly. I wonder if prose poetry is the way to go? Worry not about making it a ‘poem’ and just let it be poetic instead.
When I find out, I'll tell you. For me, it's like snapping a picture of a moving target, fumbling for the pen and paper as I would for a camera or phone, hoping that I'll have everything set up by the time that last opportunity to capture the shot slips by and is lost forever. Sometimes the picture happens, and sometimes it doesn't. If there's a core of good stuff there, I can sometimes work with it enough to flesh it out into something more substantial. I've read a book on songwriting that suggests that you put two images together at random and see what sparks fly off, as jannert suggests. That method really doesn't work for me; the effort seems forced. But it works for others, so I can't knock it.
I'm not sure I got my point across too well, and now the moment's gone and I've forgotten what I was trying to say anyway. Of course everyone would like to know the secret to good poetry, but my point wasn't that simple.
I like to start by making a list. I like to try to put in a few alliterations - I'm a sucker for these. and then comparisons (smilies and metaphors) enjambment I don't think you have to have all of these or other poetry "tricks/rules" etc you could just have one or two. I too enjoy having a simple clean poem. here is my WIP (work in progress, this is not complete) I remember golden hour fields of rapseed reflecting the summer evening sun holding her sweaty hands walking down our favorite dirt road…
I wish there was an easy button for the interpersonal fluency to know what words will evoke what experience to readers. I'm still searching for and refining that quality. Many of my poems start out from a phrase or wanting to explore a certain feeling or a personal situation at the time. In 2017, having worked two jobs with no days off over the course of two years, I explored subjects like time oppression, and eternal recurrence. Now, I wouldn't be able to grasp a simple, nostalgic summer as you describe without forcing it. Because of my current situation, a summer in my eyes is one that is sparse, boiler-hot, and full of psychic dread with unseeable forces impacting everyone. A simple summer would be wonderful.
