I have always believed The Poem is an exciting means of developing creative expression and critical thinking. Poetry does not have to be written for an audience, or the presumption of publication. Writing a poem is a very personal expression, and often an emotional release intended as the manifestation of your feelings when no other means exists. A poem can be hundreds of pages long, or as short as “melting snow to watching grass grow – if you get the drift.”
The poem is an impressionable moment in the mind of the author and the opportunity to engage in a form of emotional contrition, often revealing the most intimate thoughts of the writer by means of an unrestrained stream of consciousness without regard to form or intent. A poem can be traditional, verse or free form and, unlike prose, does not have to reveal the specific intent of the author.
Prose, however, is a platform for argument and, without meaningful exception, written for a specific audience with certain rules for premise, proof and presentation. The reader will generally engage intellectually with the argument and is invited to either accept or reject the conclusion of the author.
When writing poetry for any audience most authors implicitly invite the reader to both share and participate in the outcome, and therefore needs to supply the motivation and momentum for an emotional or vicarious response. Many poems are written in anticipation of a specific audience. One that is both knowledgable of the intent, and comfortable with the author’s narrative nuance and structural abstractions.
However, when writing for a general audience the poet must be willing to surrender any urge to engage in the use of abstract aural language, and respect the intellectual innocence of the reader by providing a clear path of lyrical “bread crumbs” that will encourage the reader to follow a poetic voice.
“Ode On A Grecian Urn” by John Keats is an excellent example. This poem is one of the most read throughout common Western culture. Keats depicts the Urn’s tranquil and serene repose as the precursor to an undetermined social ritual. It is clear upon first reading that Keats is offering tribute to the Urn’s creator while he encourages his reader to join him in a state of curious anxiety in anticipation of the outcome.
Keats uses the device of iambic pentameter joined by rhyme, alliteration, repetition and entendre as a means of moving the reader comfortably through the narrative by establishing a pace that becomes predictable from the beginning. Much like the melody of a song after the first few bars. His language is neither furtive nor opaque. His intent is clear. Free of unnecessary abstraction, tricky structure or intrigue.
The great thing about writing poetry is there are no rules, no barriers and limited basis for critical commentary. While this provides creativity a broad playing field, it is also an opening for mundane prose frivolously deconstructed, or reconstructed, in poetic form.
Read Sherman Alexie’s “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel”. Alexie is acclaimed for both his prose and poetry. But, while interesting, even the most sophisticated audience would find it difficult to identify any poetic discipline.
More exigent examples include modernist gurus T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” and “Chronic” by D. A. Powell. And, in my opinion E. E. Cummings is the worst. All are examples of a “modern” and “post modern” movement that today engage in a literary whiplash of unrepressed desire to force readers down an abyss of messy metaphors and illusive allusion that rattles through a patchwork of technical structure barely comprehensible even to an educated reader’s familiarity with their inspirational origins.
Much of Powell’s work has been described as experimental. But, like experimental physics, it is often an excuse to look for something that doesn’t exist. New York Times critic, and Harvard professor Stephen Burt, said of D. A. Powell, “No accessible poet of his generation is half as original, and no poet as original is this accessible”. Whatever this is intended to mean; you be the judge. But, be cautious of this kind of hyperbole crafted by academics who find comfort in fanning the flames for one another, and who seek critical cover from the company they keep.
A final word. If you want your poetry to be read, keep it short. Twelve to twenty lines; no more than 200 words if possible. Many inexperienced authors struggle to find the opening. Consider writing the last line first. It will determine where you want to go, and may help to find the beginning. Don’t worry about punctuation. Literary edit, with the exception of general audience publications, is always at the discretion of the author. Never surrender your creative voice and authenticity to a third party without good reason.
Above all, be guided by the moment. My longest and most technically complex poem was written in an hour. Most took days to months. One of the shortest was written over several years. Allow the experience to be a time of discovery. You may find that you finish with something you had not expected. Write a poem today – Be honest – And never sacrifice substance for style.
Châz