On Being A Poet

A Literary Article

Originally, being a poet meant conceiving, memorizing and speaking expressive words to an audience. Some poems were so startling, they required a way to record them as in the epic of Gilgamesh when writing was new. Even so, for thousands of years, most poems were spoken, not read. This changed some 500 years after kings David and Solomon, because written language began to be an easier way of remembering so many complex expressions. It commenced in Babylon. Almost at the same time, the Greeks

reverted to the older way of memorizing their poems until the authors perished. Then they were written down for the sake of posterity.

From the beginning, there was a distinct difference between casting a story in verse or phrasing it poetically. Prose tended to deal with enormously complicated plots and side issues whereas poetry more or less conveyed simpler themes, based upon images. A prose writer, for instance, might write about a vase, tell how it was constructed, who made it, why it was painted the way it was, how it was used and so on. The poet's angle was to compare the vase to almost anything in the imagination that might appeal to an audience

or get a reaction. Almost all early poems were about G-d or gods, their whimsical nature, and how people were affected by their deeds.

Poetry cannot die so long as people have imaginations and appreciate saying anything quickly and memorably. The rules of poetry change constantly over the years, so it is not possible to say that one form is more important or better than another, or that you cannot create a form of your own. You do not have to be a master of your language to engage in this art, but the more you know, the better you will communicate.

One of the side issues of modern poetry is that so much has been written, few people pay attention to reading or hearing words made common by repetitive use. The art demands fresh, new, original insight to be unique. It's relatively easy to think of beautiful things, but much more difficult to express them in ways that have not been done before.

Techniques are generally related to specific forms such as rhyme schemes, though there are some constants. License, the stretching of an idea to deliberately make it unique, is very common. So, too, is the practice of coining new terms. Alliteration, the keying of many words using the same letters or syllables, is also well known, but still invaluable. Onomatopoeia, the formation of a word based on the sound of what is named, can be very useful. In free verse, words and phrases can be deliberately written to reproduce images

on a page.

Age, of course, has nothing to do with it unless you wish to argue that experience makes a better poet. If you have a good imagination, age will not prevent you from being one. Poets who write a great deal are called prolific, though our works are no more or less attractive than those who indulge once a year. One difference recorded by prolific writers is the ability to achieve what I call flow, where the words pop out of one's mind with little effort, each phrase suggesting others. The amount of time you put into writing is often a factor in the quality of your material. I have lots of time and no longer need to work to

sustain my family. On the other hand, I know poets who work constantly at a business, come home to attend to their family, and still manage to write a great deal, the majority of which is very high quality.

No one can say definitively, do this or that and you will be a great poet. There are no hard and fast rules. Simply put, one experiments with forms and themes, and tries phrases out until they seem to gel. Recalling the past, it almost always seems to be of benefit to actually speak, or have someone else speak your poem to gauge its impact on the ears. The spoken word is much more powerful than when written.

Finally, if you are going to master this art form, it is necessary to develop a

discriminating ear, to decide which combination of sounds in terms make a phrase most appealing. Being a member of a literary group or poetry society can also be invaluable if the members go beyond praise and give you honest critiques. There is nothing worse than your getting continuous praise unless you really deserve it. If no one is saying anything about your poem, you can be certain there is something wrong with it and the members are simply being tactful so as not to hurt your feelings. You can always ask and perhaps get

the truth. "What's wrong with it?" You don't want to hear, "It sucks." Rather, "The pulses don't make sense in that scheme," or "Your rhymes sound forced." That informs you of something to change. And change is the nature of art, so don't be offended.

Most often, in literary groups, members will say they don't like a particular word in a certain place. Listen to them, because their insight may be just what you need to get things right. It never hurts to try something different.

That said, whip out you pen or keyboard and weave us a mist of images never before seen.



	On Being A Poet A Literary Article
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Originally, being a poet meant conceiving, memorizing and speaking expressive words to an audience. Some poems were so startling, they required a way to record them as in the epic of Gilgamesh when writing was new. Even so, for thousands of years, most poems were spoken, not read. This changed some 500 years after kings David and Solomon, because written language began to be an easier way of remembering so many complex expressions. It commenced in Babylon. Almost at the same time, the Greeks reverted to the older way of memorizing their poems until the authors perished. Then they were written down for the sake of posterity. From the beginning, there was a distinct difference between casting a story in verse or phrasing it poetically. Prose tended to deal with enormously complicated plots and side issues whereas poetry more or less conveyed simpler themes, based upon images. A prose writer, for instance, might write about a vase, tell how it was constructed, who made it, why it was painted the way it was, how it was used and so on. The poet's angle was to compare the vase to almost anything in the imagination that might appeal to an audience or get a reaction. Almost all early poems were about G-d or gods, their whimsical nature, and how people were affected by their deeds. Poetry cannot die so long as people have imaginations and appreciate saying anything quickly and memorably. The rules of poetry change constantly over the years, so it is not possible to say that one form is more important or better than another, or that you cannot create a form of your own. You do not have to be a master of your language to engage in this art, but the more you know, the better you will communicate. One of the side issues of modern poetry is that so much has been written, few people pay attention to reading or hearing words made common by repetitive use. The art demands fresh, new, original insight to be unique. It's relatively easy to think of beautiful things, but much more difficult to express them in ways that have not been done before. Techniques are generally related to specific forms such as rhyme schemes, though there are some constants. License, the stretching of an idea to deliberately make it unique, is very common. So, too, is the practice of coining new terms. Alliteration, the keying of many words using the same letters or syllables, is also well known, but still invaluable. Onomatopoeia, the formation of a word based on the sound of what is named, can be very useful. In free verse, words and phrases can be deliberately written to reproduce images on a page. Age, of course, has nothing to do with it unless you wish to argue that experience makes a better poet. If you have a good imagination, age will not prevent you from being one. Poets who write a great deal are called prolific, though our works are no more or less attractive than those who indulge once a year. One difference recorded by prolific writers is the ability to achieve what I call flow, where the words pop out of one's mind with little effort, each phrase suggesting others. The amount of time you put into writing is often a factor in the quality of your material. I have lots of time and no longer need to work to sustain my family. On the other hand, I know poets who work constantly at a business, come home to attend to their family, and still manage to write a great deal, the majority of which is very high quality. No one can say definitively, do this or that and you will be a great poet. There are no hard and fast rules. Simply put, one experiments with forms and themes, and tries phrases out until they seem to gel. Recalling the past, it almost always seems to be of benefit to actually speak, or have someone else speak your poem to gauge its impact on the ears. The spoken word is much more powerful than when written. Finally, if you are going to master this art form, it is necessary to develop a discriminating ear, to decide which combination of sounds in terms make a phrase most appealing. Being a member of a literary group or poetry society can also be invaluable if the members go beyond praise and give you honest critiques. There is nothing worse than your getting continuous praise unless you really deserve it. If no one is saying anything about your poem, you can be certain there is something wrong with it and the members are simply being tactful so as not to hurt your feelings. You can always ask and perhaps get the truth. "What's wrong with it?" You don't want to hear, "It sucks." Rather, "The pulses don't make sense in that scheme," or "Your rhymes sound forced." That informs you of something to change. And change is the nature of art, so don't be offended. Most often, in literary groups, members will say they don't like a particular word in a certain place. Listen to them, because their insight may be just what you need to get things right. It never hurts to try something different. That said, whip out you pen or keyboard and weave us a mist of images never before seen.