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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TofuEmmy on July 2, 2004, at 11:46:42
There are things I need to say, but have no clue as to even the basics of writing poetry. Could you please recommend a book or author for the most neo of neophytes?
Thank you.
Emmy
Posted by B2chica on July 2, 2004, at 11:56:28
In reply to Kid A...books on writing poetry?, posted by TofuEmmy on July 2, 2004, at 11:46:42
i'm interested too.
b2c.
Posted by KID A on July 3, 2004, at 15:16:46
In reply to Re: Kid A...books on writing poetry?, posted by B2chica on July 2, 2004, at 11:56:28
> i'm interested too.
> b2c.Books, I've taken a look for them, not too much so, but... In any case, There are a lot more books on writing fiction (and about twice as many eterars into fellowships for fiction writing than poets), than I have seen... in fact I have yet to see a book about writing poetry, and my doubts would be raised in any case.
I'll give you some links below, that will tell you some of the same things, but you are going to need to learn all the things that people claim are boring, like line, and metre, and rhyme scheme (though people tend NOT to learn a bit about this and assume its easier than free verse)... no one says that rules can't be broken, but you need to know them before you have a firm idea of what your intention is in breaking them.
Someone once said something to a collegue in a writing class, that his poetry was just 'pretty words', i didn't understand it at the time, but I do now, and looking back I agree...
Poetry, doesn't JUST tell a story, it need not tell a story, and at it's best, it's filled with metaphor and a delicate play of words, and a careful bit of attention to metere and iambs... in fact, even free verse (verse that doesn't rhyme is written in iambs), a tick/tack back and forth of stressed and non stressed sylables... a classic example of iambic pentameter is:
what soft through yonder window breaks
...you know that one, here is another, the first line of a sonnet by Edna St. Vincent millay, one of thee greatest, if not sole owner of that title, concerning sonnets:
what lips my lips have kisses and where and why
...the one thing I will stress is this, READ POETRY,... read poets you don't think you may like, WH AUDEN, E. ST VINCENT MILLAY, HART CRANE, ADRIENE RICH, LANGSTON HUGHES, GREGORY CORSO, DIANE DI PRIMA, ANNE WALDMAN, CHRISTIAN BOK, JAMES TATE, WD SNODGRASS, ROBERT LOWELL, ROBERT PINKSY, YI-YOUNG LEE, espeically read Brahma, by RALPH WALDO EMMERSON, a poet whom I would have dismissed...
In any case, read read read read read, and re-write re-write re-write, if you don't like a poem, skip it, keep going... I'll tell you this, not everyone will be able to write poetry... or at least everyone reaches their own wall... we are all not capable of becoming Chopin, we are all not capable of becoming Auden.
The problem is that in schooling, teachers never tell you the importantce of lines like this by Dylan Thomas:
"The hand that whirls the water in the pool Stirs the quicksand; that ropes the blowing wind Hauls my shroud sail." ,from the poem Deaths & Entrances.
I would say, stay away from Sylvia Plath, & Anne Sexton, until you are willing to put a good deal of work into decifering (at least Plath's poetry), Sexton's later work is more like the descention into desperate madness... it's fairly self explanitory that she is looking for a god/father figure, as Maxine Kumin has said.
plagariast. Jough Dempsy
http://plagiarist.com/articles/series/1/Alsop. poetry review
http://www.alsopreview.com/gaz/gaz_lessons.htm....People validate their own work because it "comes from the heart", that's welll and good if you are keeping it to your self, but if you ever have intentions of an audience outside of yourself or your own coffee klatch, then that sort of rhetoric gets shot down pretty quick by even the most amature critics.
I would advise you NOT to sign up for Alsop, Plagiarist is a little more forgiving willing you listen to the criticism given... just look at the poems on plagiarist, and what is said about what is wrong with them, and you'll get an idea...
You may think, how could anything ever be wrong with a poem, isn't it subjective? Well, when you've read Blake's America: A Prohpecy, the Family Circle cartoon seems a little trite, if you get my gist!
Good luck, and if you have any other questions, specifically concerning form, or style, please let me know.
Posted by B2chica on July 3, 2004, at 19:41:28
In reply to Re: Kid A...books on writing poetry?, posted by KID A on July 3, 2004, at 15:16:46
Posted by KID A on July 3, 2004, at 22:08:21
In reply to Thanks KID A-thanks for the list! (nm), posted by B2chica on July 3, 2004, at 19:41:28
I will say one thing also, read "Negotiating with the Dead", by Margaret Attwood. It does not concern fiction exclusively, well lets say it does, it doesn't meantion anything ABOUT writing poetry, or fiction, in the technical sense, but it is an excelent primer on the idea of who the WRITER is, what the WRITTERN WORD is, and who CREATED WORK is, and the creation is always a go-between from the writer to the reader... there are no other connectons... there are many many many fine exmamples to read from this excellent book from an amazing writer.
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 4, 2004, at 8:50:46
In reply to Re: Thanks KID A-thanks for the list! » B2chica, posted by KID A on July 3, 2004, at 22:08:21
> I will say one thing also, read "Negotiating with the Dead", by Margaret Attwood...
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by KID A on July 4, 2004, at 11:42:46
In reply to Re: double double quotes » KID A, posted by Dr. Bob on July 4, 2004, at 8:50:46
So can a I make my own hyperlinks, since my links were to articles... say
<a href=http://www.ubuweb.com/>UBU Sound Web</a>
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 5, 2004, at 23:02:49
In reply to Re: double double quotes » Dr. Bob, posted by KID A on July 4, 2004, at 11:42:46
> So can a I make my own hyperlinks, since my links were to articles...
Not like that... More at PBA:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20040527/msgs/363338.html
Bob
Posted by McTwoddie on July 21, 2004, at 11:23:42
In reply to Kid A...books on writing poetry?, posted by TofuEmmy on July 2, 2004, at 11:46:42
> There are things I need to say, but have no clue as to even the basics of writing poetry. Could you please recommend a book or author for the most neo of neophytes?
>
> Thank you.
> EmmyEmmy, check this one out: "The Poet's Companion" by Kim Addonizio and Doriannne Laux. It's excellent for getting you in touch with your creative self.
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 27, 2004, at 0:02:39
In reply to Re: Kid A...books on writing poetry? » TofuEmmy, posted by McTwoddie on July 21, 2004, at 11:23:42
> Emmy, check this one out: "The Poet's Companion" by Kim Addonizio and Doriannne Laux.
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
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