Poetry Friday: Writing Poetry Reading Poetry
Friday, October 19, 2007 at 10:19AM “Poetry and Hums aren't things which you get, they're things which get you.
And all you can do is go where they can find you.”Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
I haven't been writing poetry very long. I've been participating in the "In 15 Words or Less" exercise for a month or so. It's been a lot of fun and I love the challenge aspect of it. I will continue to do it, but it has made me want to write a poem in as many words at it takes to, well, write the poem.
There's a difference between writing poetry and reading poetry, don't you think?
Care to share what you think is the difference between reading poetry and writing poetry?
Oh, and while we're talking about writing poetry, I'm asking my poetic readers to "come clean" and 'fess up. And if you'd like, post a poem on your blog, let me know, and I'll come visit.
Reader Comments (3)
Tough question. My initial response was that they were vastly different- like comparing eating to cooking. But with reconsideration, I'm not so sure. I think there's some degree of writing going on when you read, especially with poetry. In order to make sense and connect, I think we somehow rewrite the poem (or story, etc) in our own personal scripts. Likewise, when I get into the groove of writing a poem I often feel like I'm but a mere reader- as hackneyed as that might sound.
Warning: this might teeter on the edge of pretentious. I don't really know how to talk about poetry; I'd rather be reading or writing it!
Strange as it may sound, I think of poems as enchantments. The poet is casting a spell, and the reader, by saying aloud or reading those same words, is casting the same spell. Or if you don't like magical metaphors, a poem is like a liturgy. Yes, it's written, but its purpose is to be a living ritual that takes you beyond the words.
I had to read the other comments. They've left me intrigued. Here's the coming clean 'fess up. I used to adore poetry. I was always writing poetry about things as a little girl and it's probably what birthed my interest in writing and definitely shaped my delight for fashioning word pictures. However, when studying poetry in English I found myself reading poetry for an almost addictive emotional effect. And considered that I didn't "get" the poem if an emotional effect wasn't achieved. Long story short, I didn't like the emotional entanglement to such a degree that I ran into the other ditch and quit with poetry all together. It wore me out to constantly analyze what I was "feeling."
My perspective now would be that a balanced understanding of a poem's ability to spark an emotion should not be divorced from thinking through the words to their actual meaning. Studying the poetry books of the Bible was very helpful to teaching me how to think through a poem rather than only feel.
I'll stop now rather than continue to blather. Poetry is quite complex for me--can you tell?