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poetreePoetry is one of the oldest literary forms and one of the most widely used literary forms. There are so many great examples from across the world, going back millennia. What has kept this literary form going strong for so long? What gets us interested in poetry? What keeps us interested in poetry? These are some of the questions I would like to explore this week, not as an amateur poet, but as a reader and lover of poetry.
We are often introduced to poetry very young in life. Rhyming is a great learning tool, or mnemonic, and it has long been used to teach children. From nursery rhymes to the fun, nonsensical hand-clap chants (or jump rope chants), to Dr. Suess’s tongue twisters and other children’s stories, poetry is often one of the first literary forms we encounter. Dr. Suess and nursery rhymes were great joys of mine as a child, and some days I will still happily sit down and read them outloud. They serve as a lovely reminder of the importance of whimsy and play, especially in the adult world.
As we grow older we leave these childish poems behind, and in my experience many forgo poetry after, unless they are required to read it for a class. I was fortunate that I discovered other poets as I grew. I moved from Suess, to Lewis Carroll, and eventually discovered Robert Frost, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Christina Rossetti. It wasn’t far from there to Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson. I didn’t equate all poems with the childish rhymes I so loved. I was also raised with a lot of music in my house, and was fascinated by the similarities between song lyrics and poems. As a result my love of poetry grew up with me.
What is it that continues to draw me to poetry? There are so many levels to this answer. As a busy adult, I love that many poems can be read and enjoyed in a smaller amount of time, than say a novel. But it is more than that, as there are short versions of other literary forms that I enjoy as well. Poetry fits into a special place in my heart though. There is something soulful about poetry, something magical in many ways. Poetry to me is thought and emotion distilled. Like a shot of liqueur poetry carries a powerful punch in its concise forms. The lyrical nature of poetry, tied as it is to the rhythm of words, reconnects me with the heartbeat of the universe. It can be a poem about riding a bike up a hill, a silly poem about nothing much at all, a brief capture of a moment in time, or the tale of an epic journey. All of them bring to me a sense of wonder and amazement. They all spark a reaction of some kind in my soul. That is why I still love poetry. That is why I am a poetry enthusiast.
The rest of this week I will be exploring topics of reading poetry. The joys of easter egg hunting (with and without annotated editions of poetry), enjoying the many layers that can be found in a poem (aka symbolism and poetry), and what makes a favorite poem a favorite. I cannot promise a post a day this week, but I will do three additional posts to this one. :)
Discussion: What drew you to poetry? What keeps you interested? What are good ways to share of love with non-poetry enthusiasts?
We are often introduced to poetry very young in life. Rhyming is a great learning tool, or mnemonic, and it has long been used to teach children. From nursery rhymes to the fun, nonsensical hand-clap chants (or jump rope chants), to Dr. Suess’s tongue twisters and other children’s stories, poetry is often one of the first literary forms we encounter. Dr. Suess and nursery rhymes were great joys of mine as a child, and some days I will still happily sit down and read them outloud. They serve as a lovely reminder of the importance of whimsy and play, especially in the adult world.
As we grow older we leave these childish poems behind, and in my experience many forgo poetry after, unless they are required to read it for a class. I was fortunate that I discovered other poets as I grew. I moved from Suess, to Lewis Carroll, and eventually discovered Robert Frost, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Christina Rossetti. It wasn’t far from there to Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson. I didn’t equate all poems with the childish rhymes I so loved. I was also raised with a lot of music in my house, and was fascinated by the similarities between song lyrics and poems. As a result my love of poetry grew up with me.
What is it that continues to draw me to poetry? There are so many levels to this answer. As a busy adult, I love that many poems can be read and enjoyed in a smaller amount of time, than say a novel. But it is more than that, as there are short versions of other literary forms that I enjoy as well. Poetry fits into a special place in my heart though. There is something soulful about poetry, something magical in many ways. Poetry to me is thought and emotion distilled. Like a shot of liqueur poetry carries a powerful punch in its concise forms. The lyrical nature of poetry, tied as it is to the rhythm of words, reconnects me with the heartbeat of the universe. It can be a poem about riding a bike up a hill, a silly poem about nothing much at all, a brief capture of a moment in time, or the tale of an epic journey. All of them bring to me a sense of wonder and amazement. They all spark a reaction of some kind in my soul. That is why I still love poetry. That is why I am a poetry enthusiast.
The rest of this week I will be exploring topics of reading poetry. The joys of easter egg hunting (with and without annotated editions of poetry), enjoying the many layers that can be found in a poem (aka symbolism and poetry), and what makes a favorite poem a favorite. I cannot promise a post a day this week, but I will do three additional posts to this one. :)
Discussion: What drew you to poetry? What keeps you interested? What are good ways to share of love with non-poetry enthusiasts?
some thoughts
Date: 2012-03-26 07:50 pm (UTC)Expressing a concept, an experience, an emotion, or a particular perspective through the medium of poetry clarifies and condenses it. It can make what would otherwise be obscure accessible; it turns the private public and the public personal; it offers an alternative to prose that draws on linguistic effects to bring out the full power of individual words. Poetry is communication using as many channels as possible; it is love and mastery of language both.
In others' work, I am drawn to poets who surprise or delight me with their patterns of diction, the way they unlock their 'word-hoard'. I am in the odd position of writing more poems than I read (I feel like my work would likely improve if I reversed that ratio), so POETREE has been an introduction and a siren song both to a broader world that I am really still just beginning to explore.
Good ways to share love with non-poetry enthusiasts would include introducing them to the delight of memorizing poems and hearing them recited skillfully from memory. So often I feel like what gets in the way is a matter of technical reading comprehension; hearing poetry aloud bypasses any lingering literacy hesitations and emphasizes any inherent musicality in the lines. The reader/listener is aided in their comprehension by the extra channels of emotion and tone added by the reciter and can thus relax into the experience of the poem without worrying so much about whether they fully 'understand' it.
I also like broadening people's definitions of what poetry is. (Is it words on a page? on a bathroom wall? on a screen? in the air? Or perhaps a certain combination of autumn leaves glowing red and orange and yellow against a painfully blue sky, or the arresting song of nightingale, or the way a dancer moves down the grocery aisle at 4pm on a Thursday evening when you did not think there was grace to be found anywhere anymore.)
==
On a side note: I like how you challenge the distinction I've been making here at POETREE between being a poetry enthusiast and being a poet, amateur or otherwise. Is it possible to be a poet and not be a poetry enthusiast? What does it mean to be a poet besides being one who writes poetry? Is it an occupation, a hobby, a way of looking at the world, some combination thereof or something entirely different? Food for thought.
--
Wow - this turned into a mini essay. Good questions,
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Re: some thoughts
Date: 2012-03-26 11:32 pm (UTC)I imagine that it is possible to be a poet but not a poetry enthusiast, though I have trouble sometimes imagining how that would work since I am very much both. However I have known those who write poetry as a form of journaling, a private expression of creativity and processing their daily thoughts and experiences. They did not have books of poetry, nor did they regularly read the poetic works of others. But this then leads to the question of what makes a poetry enthusiast and what makes a poet? Are they two separate things? A very tough question to answer for me.
I wanted to separate out the two as a way of inviting those who are more readers than writers into community discussion. I have found that at times the label of poet vs. poetry enthusiast is a bit more intimidating. For me poetry (both reading it and writing it) is a hobby and a way of looking at the world. It is a hobby in that I am not always actively reading or writing poetry, nor do I make any sort of living at it. Yet it is also a way of looking at the world, of noting things that might have slipped by unnoticed, of connecting words and lyricism to everyday living. Like my spiritual/religious views and practices I find poetry can be a reminder to live mindfully, to enjoy and see the world around you in different ways, to notice the magic still in the world, and to connect with the experiences of others.
I do not always get to read or write as much poetry as I would like. Until recently my creativity and artistic bents were subsumed by illness and fatigue. It's nice to feel this part of me reigniting again. Of course, I have to balance reading and writing time with law school coursework and treatment for said illness. So I still don't have as much time as I would like. But the fact that this part of my life, of my heart is returning, fills me with a quiet joy. Being able to share this part of my life with others of like mind just broadens that joy.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-27 01:04 am (UTC)I remember trying to read Shel Silverstein as a kid and not really "getting" it. Where was the story that I was looking for? However, I really enjoyed reading poems that were theoretically above the reading level of a 4th grader because they came in interesting-looking volumes and I loved the way the words rolled around in my mouth. I wasn't really sure what they meant, because often I was reading poets like Robert Burns or Shakespeare, whose language can be rather obscure.
In high school, I took a creative writing class. That was when I became a real poetry enthusiast, because I began writing poetry myself. I won't pretend my poetry was wonderful, but it was a lifeline in a very troubling period of my life (adolescence). In class we read a variety of different poets, and this was complemented in English class. I continued seeking out new and interesting poetry to explore until partway through college, when I abandoned it for more scholarly pursuits/writing. However, I have picked it back up again - both the reading and the writing.
I don't read as much classical poetry as I used to do. I tend to search out postmodern poets (there's a great poem about "fifi, the dangerous fag dog" that is one of my favorites right now) and folks on dreamwidth who are doing more experimental things. As I've begun to explore mindfulness, I've also grown to appreciate Haiku/Tanka more as forms.
So for me, I suppose, enjoying poetry is tied both to the enjoyment of the written word (and the spoken word) as well as the way a poem can express emotion so succinctly and heartwrenchingly.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-27 01:13 am (UTC)Thank you for sharing your experiences on what drew you to poetry. I understand what you mean about the way the words rolled around your mouth. I remember reading poems by Burns and Shakespeare long before I was able to parse out what they meant. I actually enjoy Shel Silverstein more as an adult than I did as a child.
Poetry has been a wonderful thing in some of the roughest times of my life, both writing and reading it. So your comments about writing as a teen resonate strongly with me.
So perfectly said.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-27 05:53 am (UTC)I'm one of those people who needs to write or I go insane. It's in my blood. Poetry allows me the ability to work with far more visceral imagery and topics than prose tends to do. I'm not sure how it came to be that way, but there you go. I think it may have something to do with the more abbreviated format of poetry, when compared to prose.
Then again, I'm also one of those people that likes to add poetry into my prose when I have the chance. Or use poetry to tell a fannish story. That, for me, is one of the easier ways of exposing non-poetry enthusiasts to poetry. They don't always like it, but some find it very interesting.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-27 06:08 pm (UTC)Using poetry to tell a fannish story is a fun way to introduce non-poetry enthusiasts to poetry.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-27 10:27 pm (UTC)I've also written one poem that was basically the equivalent of a story for my DuVista girls...
no subject
Date: 2012-03-27 05:31 pm (UTC)I've come to see prose as a panorama, a picture of everything around you in all its detail, where poetry is a pinhole camera, one small thing enlarged until it fills the world. Poetry has always been about moments for me, tiny moments captured and explored in the depth we simply don't have time to give them in the ordinary course of life. It's a chance for me to pause and delve deeply into my mind and the world I live in.
I particularly like ordered poetry-- sonnets, sestinas, cinquains, etherees-- because they sort the chaos into something recognizable, but all poetry has a calming effect.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-27 06:14 pm (UTC)This perfectly reflects my own beliefs (and uses a perfectly beautiful metaphor).
Before my college creative writing class I detested writing ordered poetry and stuck mostly to blank verse. Though I occasionally used rhyme schemes, I generally avoided meter and syllabic rules. One of the things my college poetry teacher made us get comfortable with was meter. The Poem's Heartbeat by Alfred Corn was required reading. Once I got comfortable with considering meter and rhythm structures I feel in love with them. There is something about putting things into a certain order which is challenging and fun, like putting together a puzzle.
Thoughts
Date: 2012-04-10 07:43 pm (UTC)Well, some people do. Others don't. I wouldn't necessarily call poetry for children "childish." Some of it is.
But Dr. Seuss? He wrote about topics so heavy that people have censored them -- things like racism and surrogate motherhood -- subtly hidden by weird creatures and whimsical phrasing. Plus his grasp of linguistics is masterful if you look at the specific combinations of consonants and vowels chosen for different poems; that's what makes them so popular, they feel good to read based on how they activate the language centers in the brain.
Shel Silverstein is another poet largely remembered for his children's poetry. His topics often deal with childhood experiences or perspectives, but he pulls in more family aspects. Also, his literary grasp is terrific, more sophisticated in vocabulary than Seuss, but with a touch of the same linguistic aptitude that pulls people into the poems.
There's nothing simplistic or childish about the top end of children's poetry, just because it's written for children. I still list those two as significant influences on my work. If you look at my rhymed poetry, or speculative poetry, and especially wordplay poems written just for the fun of pronouncing the words, you can see glimpses of them.
>> What drew you to poetry? <<
My parents. My name (Elizabeth Barrette) kind of gives it away.
>> What keeps you interested? <<
The way that poetry sounds and feels when read. The fact that it can say sideways things that are difficult or impossible to say straight.
>> What are good ways to share of love with non-poetry enthusiasts?<<
First, choose good poems. Too many people have been told that lousy poems are great, and consequently conclude that poetry is stupid.
Second, choose poems that relate to the other person's experiences and/or interests. This is especially important if they're outside the privileged height of society, you need poems written by people like them. I've gotten black students hooked on Langston Hughes, for instance, who cared nothing for the white canon.
Third, put poetry where they're already looking. Put it on billboards or buses. Put it on your blog. Tape it in elevators. Print it on bookmarks at a library. Then it will catch their attention.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2012-04-10 07:57 pm (UTC)I agree with you whole-heartedly on the topic of children's poetry. Perhaps the word childish was a not so great word choice is my original sentence, as it implies an association that I did not intend (that they are lesser poems because they are written for children). I did intend to capture a larger misunderstanding/societal view, that these poems sometimes call up, but neglected to note that the notion is a misnomer. I occasionally got some flack for still loving things like Shel Silverstein and Dr. Suess even as I got older, and felt like I had to be quiet about liking these things. I get the feeling from others that the social concept of "leaving behind childish things" (a concept that I often disagree with, considering that whimsy, imagination, play and fun are integral to our well being) pushes people to disassociate from the poetry they loved growing up and leads to bad connotations with poetry in general (i.e. an assumption that rhyming forms are inherently silly and childish, which is something I was once told by a creative writing teacher in high school). These are false notions, but they are sadly common.
Many of my favorite poets and inspiration come directly from those books. I still believe that children's books and poetry as well as middle reader and young adult books and poetry as just as valuable to the adult as to the child. But thank you for pointing that out more succinctly and in depth.
You hit the nail on the head regarding ways to draw non-enthusiasts to poetry. It is very important to pick topics and writers that the reader will identify with. And placing poetry where people are more likely to see it is a fabulous idea. I rather like the idea of guerrilla poetry (poetry posted in elevators and other interesting spaces).
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2012-04-10 08:05 pm (UTC)I think one reason that poetry has escaped to the internet is because this is a place where you can write fanfic, download porn, and nobody cares. You can share poetry, whatever kind you want to write and read, without some academic asshole getting in your face about it -- or if they do, you can use your services troll-booting features to make them go away. Nobody has to pretend to like stuff they don't, or not like stuff they do, on the internet. So whatever kind of poetry you're into is fine. If you want to analyze Dr. Seuss or retranslate Rumi, that's all cool. I love that about this venue. It removes the bottleneck, smashes the bottle, and uses the pieces to make beachglass jewelry.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2012-04-10 08:10 pm (UTC)One of the best descriptions of why the internet makes a perfect venue for so many art forms.