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 Poetry: February 03, 2010 Issue [#3536] |
  Poetry This issue's editor: redridinghoo More Newsletters By This Editor   1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions  "Poetry is a dignified way of screaming." Vivian Shipley "Every poem can be considered in two ways--as what the poet has to say, and as a thing which he makes..." C. S. Lewis ” Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. ” T. S. Eliot    Communicating with Poetry We all have many reasons why we write poetry: catharsis, burning compulsion, and communicating beliefs on current events or issues are a few of those. If catharsis is your reason, then that release of emotion is a form of communication. Even if it is only to say, "I am angry." If it is a burning compulsion, then that must mean you have something to say. You can argue the point with me, if you'd like, but I firmly believe: Communication is integral to poetry, and poetry is communicating. WHO Exactly who is communicating in a poem or with poetry? I’ve already covered poets as themselves or as a persona in a poem’s narration (http://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/3076), so we won’t get into that today. What I will talk about is the intimate my-heart-to-your-heart connection that happens (or we hope happens) in poetry. There are other uses for poetry other than recreational. Psychiatrists sometimes learn more about their patients if poetry is part of their therapy (O’Callaghan and Grocke), and there are even people whose job title is “Certified Poetry Therapist” (poetrytherapy.org). Poetry programs allow students of all ages to transcend cultural and socioeconomic boundaries, as well as, help them “to love language and understand the poet's message” (Dunne and Ebeling). Then, there is the drive-by reader who picks up a poetry chapbook, reads a poetry assignment, or reads a poem online for pleasure, and the writer who places pen to paper. In all these ways communication is happening, and whether you are ripping out a piece of your soul, pointing out a social injustice, or letting a reader into a public or private moment of life it comes down to POET communicating to READER. HOW Ah, now we come to the tricky part, and the subject of many newsletters and articles. This is where you employ everything you’ve learned, and continue to learn about the mechanics and techniques of poetry writing. So let’s try to make it as easy as 1, 2, 3. 1) What do you want to say? Be as specific and as focused as you can. 2) How do you want the reader to receive that message Do you want them to “see” it, “feel” it, “hear” it, or “touch” it? (OR receive it in some other manner) 3) Take step 1 and step 2 and let them guide your formatting, poetry form, and especially word choices. Sources: Dunne, Debbi, and Pat Ebeling. "Poetry Pals: Communicating through Verse." Book Links 17.1 (2007): 33-36. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. O’Callaghan, Clare, and Denise Grocke. "Lyric analysis research in music therapy: Rationales, methods and representations." Arts in Psychotherapy 36.5 (2009): 320-328. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. Poetrytherapy.org ~ http://www.poetrytherapy.org/history.html  
Theme: Forms of communication - poetry-style
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form  Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form Don't forget to support our sponsor! InstantPublisher.Com: Self publishing made easy and affordable. All file types accepted with many options. Starting at $100 for 25 copies in 7-10 days! Visit us today!  Have a question, answer, problem, solution, tip, trick, cheer, jeer, or extra million lying around? If so, send it through the feedback section at the bottom of this newsletter OR click the little envelope next to my name redridinghoo and send it through email. Comments on last month's newsletter: Comment by: olayemi Comment: Is it compulsory to write poems in stanzas? Only if you are writing to a specific form, and that form dictates the use of stanzas and how they should be formatted. I would avoid writing in paragraphs (although I do know of one poetry form, the haibun, that incorporates a paragraph stanza, but is essentially combining poetry and prose), as that would arguably be more story than poem. Choosing to create one long stanza rather than breaking it up into several stanzas is up to your poetic license. If you want to push the poetry envelope then create what you'd like and call it poetry (many poets did, and do just that), however be ready for someone to argue with you--because you know that at least one person will  Comment by: soula "Indifference" [E]Comment: Desperately waiting for your opinions.  To stop receiving this newsletter, go into your account and remove the check from the box beside the specific topic. Be sure to click "Complete Edit" or it will not save your changes. |
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