What is poetry?

[Waltheof]

Poetry please!!
OK! I know that I may be a pedant but please consider;

Poetry is the use of words to garnish language, the use of symbolism to illuminate the ordinary, the use of metaphor to illustrate the obscure, and the use of the palette of English to colour and breathe life into text that is otherwise merely prose.

Call it erotic musing…call it symbolic catechism…but if it does not relate to the above please don’t call it poetry!!!

W.

 

[Angeline]

It's all rather subjective, isn't it? Some people love Shakespeare, some Bukowski. I love Yeats and Neruda. I also love Ted Berrigan, whose writing many would think doesn't fit with the lyricism of Neruda or Yeats, but there you go. It's what *I* like.

Anyone who pours their heart into their writing here and wants to call it a poem will get no argument from me. If they wish to be more traditionally "poetic" and seek help, they'll get it from me or others here who have training it it. But I'm not going to apply some homogenized definition of poetry to individual taste.



Peace,
Angeline

 

[twelveoone]

But I'm not going to apply some homogenized definition of poetry to individual taste. - Right on, Angeline

Waltheof - I'm glad to hear someone ask that question? although...
"breathe life into text that is otherwise merely prose" this may be a bit rough, I've seen some very poetic prose.

I'd like to see what some of the learned crew has to say on this, since definitions are formed by a consensus.

Waltheof, I'm glad you started this thread, I'm very interested in what people consider poetry.

 

[Belegon]

To me, poetry has always meant any attempt to portray an experience or emotion thru words. I will say things about what it means to me, but I would not want to limit anyone else's use of the noun based on the limitations I place on myself.

For me, it is almost always about evoking an emotion or feeling and rarely about an attempt to create a visual image or tell a story. I would call that prose. I also am unlike some authors whom I consider wonderful poets in that it does matter greatly to me what the reaction of the reader is. Perhaps I am reflecting things about my own personality by saying this, but when I write AND publish I am attempting to communicate an emotional state and if the reader does not at least recognize what emotion I am attempting then I am not happy with the result.

things I do not publish, that is different *smile*

 

[champagne1982]

There is poetry in joy,
even in sadness,
with a melancholy overlay
like black lace.

I have heard poetry.
Found it in a bird's song,
listened to a lover's sigh
and sussurant surf.

Poetry's when your heart
grabs you in a spinning whirl,
like a Dervish dance,
sending prayers to God.

But mostly, poetry is a conversation
you have with the world
when you need to talk
to someone.

 

[Angeline]

There is poetry in joy,
even in sadness,
with a melancholy overlay
like black lace.

I have heard poetry.
Found it in a bird's song,
listened to a lover's sigh
and sussurant surf.

Poetry's when your heart
grabs you in a spinning whirl,
like a Dervish dance,
sending prayers to God.

But mostly, poetry is a conversation
you have with the world
when you need to talk
to someone.

beautiful...and so true.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

What is Poetry?

 

[lostandfounder]

Reading poetry is looking at the world in a new way
Writing poetry is showing others how you see it.

Sometimes reading can help you understand writing
and sometimes writing can help you understand reading.

At least, that is the way I see it.

 

[fawnie]

Reading poetry is looking at the world in a new way
Writing poetry is showing others how you see it.

Sometimes reading can help you understand writing
and sometimes writing can help you understand reading.

At least, that is the way I see it.

...and said so poetically correct
(no play on words)

 

[SeattleRain]

Poetry please!!
OK! I know that I may be a pedant but please consider;

Poetry is the use of words to garnish language, the use of symbolism to illuminate the ordinary, the use of metaphor to illustrate the obscure, and the use of the palette of English to colour and breathe life into text that is otherwise merely prose.

Call it erotic musing…call it symbolic catechism…but if it does not relate to the above please don’t call it poetry!!!

W.

I might be missing something here, but I don't see how the above criteria would include or exclude a written piece as poetry or not poetry due to personal taste, feeling, emotion etc.

I think it looks like a pretty good definition, if it is definitions you are looking for. Except "English" is a "tad bit" exclusive.

 

[The Mutt]

Elevated thoughts expressed in elevated language.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Re: Re: What is poetry?

I might be missing something here, but I don't see how the above criteria would include or exclude a written piece as poetry or not poetry due to personal taste, feeling, emotion etc.

I think it looks like a pretty good definition, if it is definitions you are looking for. Except "English" is a "tad bit" exclusive.

I actually agree.

 

[Waltheof]

Thank you Mutt <hangs headin shame>

I never meant to be exclusive, I meant english in the gramatical sense. It just seems to me that I often read a piece of "poetry" and end up playing 'guess the conjunctive'.

Sometimes the piece has no metre, doesn't scan, and so reads better as a piece of prose, if you can fill in the gaps. Pieces like this simply don't come across as "Elavated thoughts expressed in elevated language", *thanks again Mutt*.

Unlike Champagne's thoughts, which are very clear and very poetic. Thank you.

It is very subjective and I know that being a wonderful cross section of humanity it is definately a case"different strokes". I just think that there is a lot of it that doesn't really come accross as poetry, and in actual fact would be really good erotic prose, if the gaps were filled in.

just a thought

W.

 

[doormouse]

A question I asked myself and many others... what is poetry?

This thread makes me want to write another.

Elevated words... I'm going to put that on my monitor so I can look at it when I write.

Thanks, and great thread ;-)