What Makes A Poem Really Effective?

[vampiredust]

What makes a poem stand out for you?

You know, that feeling you get when you read a really well done poem and it makes you want to read it again and again. For me, its always the feeling behind the words. I like stuff to grab me.

 

[Liar]

Surprise. I want to encounter the unexpected.

 

[Tzara]

What makes a poem stand out for you?

You know, that feeling you get when you read a really well done poem and it makes you want to read it again and again. For me, its always the feeling behind the words. I like stuff to grab me.

Different things for different poems. It's not something simple. But it always has something to do with the language—sense, image, sound. Rhythm is very important to me.

It's usually not as important to me what is said as how it's said.

But I'll even qualify that. One of the things I like about annaswirls' poems is how they can invoke feeling or, more accurately, understanding in me. She's really good at that.

'Course, her poems sound well, too.

 

[sandspike]

Well....

I have to be able to dance to it (rhythm). I agree w/ Tzara the subject
matter is secondary to the work. A good title will make me read something,
but a great ending makes me read it again.......

 

[champagne1982]

When a poet reaches down into that description of exactly what I mean, that's when I have to read again.

 

[TheRainMan]

What makes a poem stand out for you?

To me, what separates a good poem from the rest is what the writer is able to say not only in the lines but between them. I think only a good poet has the ability to say more than the words would seem to allow, to leave a good bulk of the message or picture present, but unsaid.

So, I enjoy a poem most when the white space talks as loud as, or louder, than the print.

 

[bogusbrig]

This is a tougher question than it looks because I could give a technical answer and give examples but these aren't necessarily my favourite poems. A lot of poems that are widely accepted as good to great poems leave me cold but there are some second rate poems that I really enjoy. It's a little like music that marks a place and time, I have quite a few poems that I can reread and they take me to a place in my mind that conjure up a moment in my life. But basically a poem that rattles in my head, that keeps bringing me back to it and I can reread it over and over again so I will say a poem that is more than the sum of its parts, where what is left unsaid is as important as what is said.

 

[ManusNigrumPoet]

What makes a poem stand out for you?

honestly... nothing. i read randomly.

 

[clutching_calliope]

It's all about me.

.....

 

[wildsweetone]

I saw two different questions...

What makes a poem really effective? (thread title)

the technical stuff. well set out, easy to read because the line breaks are correctly placed, good punctuation, makes sense etc.


What makes a poem stand out for me?(posted question)

a turn of phrase, or imagery. when the clever skill of the poet is on show.


thanks for making me think.

 

[BooMerengue]

A poem must pull me into it; let me be there participating, or at least so close I can reach out and touch it, or smell it, or feel it. And a poem that packs a punch- makes me say Wow! is right there at the top of the list, too.

I want to read a poem that is written for me. I don't like to have to Google something to 'get' a poem. I'll Google when I read history, or anthropology, etc, but when I read a poem it's for fun and relaxation.