How do you eat an elephant

[daughter]

One bite at a time.

I was talking with WE about how we can be overwhelmed with study and learning.

One of the things that helped me was to read. I read poetry every single day. I have read every poet on the Top List. I read the New Poem list like some say they daily prayers. Reading, writing and study has become habit. I think that's what commitment to your art is about.

I'm no great poet, but I can look back where I was and what I'm writing now, and I know I have improved. Writing isn't easy. It is rewarding.

I'm a novice like most of us here. The difference is how long I've been practicing. Based on my talks with Eve, I thought we could focus on individual elements of writing poetry in this thread. I'm not kidding when I say I'm a student. I have learned though where to find answers.

Post a single question about a poetry element, and I'll find an answer. Even if you don't know the jargon, give me an example to illustrate your question and I'll find a practical answer.

Peace,

daughter

 

[Guest]

KM mentioned some poets using a hard consonant when they should have used a soft one. How do you know what to use and when?

 

[WickedEve]

The unregistered post is mine.

 

[lovetoread]

Is there a certain way to write poetry? A rule that you have to follow?

 

[daughter]

One bite at a time

WE--

I'll post an example of where sound accentuates a read.

love--

Whoa, LOL. You gave me an elephant. My short reply is that each art has tools that the artist uses to express her creativity. Poetry is no different.

When we write stories, we easily can identify parts of it: setting, plot, characterization, pace, tone. Poetry has these characteristics as well as others that are more readily identified with poetry.

When you learn to dance, you learn the basic movements and rules of that form. Does the choreographer ever defy the rules, reinterpret them, abandon them? Yes.

If you look at traditional forms of poetry(over 300) each has set rules. If you look at a free verse in particular(a form), it too has guidelines. Free verse does not have rigid rules, but it does embody elements common to all poetry forms. Free verse is not total abandonment. The neophyte commonly makes this error.

What are common elements or tools of this art form? Alliteration(sound), assosance(sound), rhythm, rhyme, meter, metaphor, similie, imagery are a few.

Do you need to know how to use all of these before writing appealing poetry? No. Just like dancing, first decide you want to. Move to the beat. With practice and instruction, you can perfect your moves.

Peace,

daughter

 

[KillerMuffin]

Words are all meaning, connotation, and sound.

Rock and stone have the same meaning, but they have different connotations. Rocks are rough and can be jagged and heavy. Stones are smooth, light, and cool. Stone, say it out loud. Linger over the sounds. sssssstooooonnnnnnne. Say rock. Try to linger over any of it. Rrrrrrroooooock. An N is a consonant that leads the tongue into wanting to say another word. A K just stops. It's hard and final.

Essentially you have two general classes of sounds, vowels and consonants.

Vowels form perfect sounds, you can say them alone. O oooo. A aaaaaaa. The consonants are divided into semivowels and mutes. A semivowel is a consonant that can be imperfectly sounded without a vowel. Such as L. It has the barest bit of vowel sound at the beginning. SV's are f,h,j,l,m,n,r,s,v,w,x,y,z and the soft c and g. Four of them, l,m,n,r are called liquids because of the fluency of their sound. Four others, v,w,y,z are more voacal thant the rest, called aspirates. A mute is a consonant that cannont be sounded without a vowel and th end of the syllable stops the breath. K, ak. b,d,k,p,q,t, and hard c and g are mutes.

To some extent in prose you have to think about the sounds of words as well as the connotation. Meaning is almost tertiary. In poetry sound and connotation are of utmost importance. You want to choose words and phrases that have the exact feeling you want to convey. They have to look right, sound right, and feel right. You only have a few words, very few, to get across not only your meaning, but that essential piece of you that gives the poem life, not just meaning. To do that, you must choose your words with thought to not just meaning, but connotation and sound. Shush, Be quiet, and Shut up all have the same meaning. They not only do not have the same connotations, but they don't sound the same either.

That's what I meant, actually.

 

[daughter]

Very cool

KM--

Thanks for posting that explanation. Mary Oliver says almost exactly the same thing. Did you rattle this off the top of your head or did you use a reference? If you drew this from some text, it would be helpful to post the title.

I have recommended Ms. Oliver's book several times here.

Thanks.

Peace,

daughter

 

[KillerMuffin]

I read her book, of course, the woman knows words. I read a lot of different things about writing, I figure just about anything helps because in the end it all comes down to one thing. Words.

 

[Laurel]

It would be the height of coolness if someone with a knowledge of poetry *cough cough daughterkillermuffin cough cough* would write a piece for the Writer's Resources area on the basics of writing poetry. Not a novel on the different forms or anything elephant-sized like that - just a bite-sized piece for beginning poets who don't have much knowledge of structure, cadence, etc. etc. It would be cool even if a couple knowledgeable people *cough cough daughterkillermuffin cough cough* were to maybe break the subject into two chunks and each write a piece about it.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

 

[daughter]

a glass of water

Laurel--

Let me get you some water, friend. LOL

If I can get my partner in crime interested, I'll see what I could do like convince KM to write and I'll play editor.

Hate to choke, but I'm really a novice, Laurel. Flattered that you asked though.

Peace,

daughter

p.s. You had me rotflmao. Thanks.

 

[Laurel]

"Partners in Crime"

Am I the only one who thinks that a night on the town with KM & daughter would be an absolute gas and a half?

Thanks for the water, btw.

 

[WickedEve]

Words are all meaning, connotation, and sound.

KillerMuffin, thanks for the explanation. I learned a lot from your post!

It would be the height of coolness if someone with a knowledge of poetry *cough cough daughterkillermuffin cough cough* would write a piece for the Writer's Resources area on the basics of writing poetry

Great idea, Laurel! I hope KM and daughter will consider it. I know I'll read it... again and again and again... lol

WE

 

[Guest]

Theorizing, like vivisection, can have nasty side-effects. I can't write to formulae, and some of my favourite poems have words with no meaning or connotation - but sound - yes! And rhythm and flow like the movement of water, or heartbeats. To me, the most satisfying poetry is visceral, not intellectual. although Pope is a good exception. Stephen Mallarme said that each word should be a jewel. I like that.

 

[rnabokov]

That unregistered post was mine.