| Author | Message | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 30639 Registered: 11-1998 |
. Dearest Membership -- Here is the fifth in The Poet's Note Card series. These Note Cards come from a book entitled The Mind's Eye: A Guide to Writing Poetry, by Kevin Clark. Mr. Clark is a winner of the Distinguished Teaching Award, is a university professor at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and a widely published poet. This book on the teaching of poetry writing is concise, practical, and has been designed specifically for a college-level term. It includes a progression of lessons, example poems, and stimulating exercises. While most advanced poets already know these things, it doesn't hurt to review them. Or to learn them if you are a beginner to the craft of poetry making. I'll try to bring you a Poet's Note Card every so often. While you might not agree with every point Mr. Clark makes, I do hope these note cards serve to help those who are new to poetry by providing some basic foundation of information on which to build. Oh, and I do recommend that you acquire the book. It's an excellent textbook, especially if you would like to attend a college-level poetry writing course, but cannot for whatever reason. The link above (click on the book's title) will take you to the WPF BookShop and the Amazon description of the book. Thanks for reading! Love, M (Administrator) ------------------------------------------------- The Poet's Note Card -- #5 from The Mind's Eye: A Guide to Writing Poetry by Kevin Clark Painting Portraits 1. Good poems are registered first viscerally and then intellectually. 2. In the early stages of a poet’s work, inspiration is often found in writing about what he or she knows well, and most of us have strong feelings about relatives. 3. When writing portrait poems, concentrate on a few events, not an entire life. 4. Human flaws add energizing tension to a poem. 5. Memories of relatives are often loaded with conflict. 6. All good poems contain a transformative moment that indicates some kind of change. 7. Sentiment is true; sentimentality is false. 8. Provide enough material to suggest meaning (but not too much). Beware of overcontrolling the reader. Avoid overdetermining the poem. 9. Poets are not imprisoned by the factual events of real life. Don’t be afraid to make things up. 10. When revising for clarity, it can be helpful to ask three questions: Are the imagery and events of the poem reasonably accessible? Is the protagonist’s conflict rendered clearly enough? What is the transformative moment? . | ||
| Rania S. Watts
Intermediate Member Username: cementcoveredcherries Post Number: 903 Registered: 04-2008 |
Dear M, Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been waiting for you to publish the 5th installment. Best, Rania S. Watts "You will hardly know who I am or what I mean" ~ Walt Whitman Cement Covered Cherries | ||
| Brianna
Valued Member Username: shkethtmnymkrhorsey Post Number: 293 Registered: 12-2007 |
Yes, M thank you so much for bringing us these!! They really help. : ) Bri ...I heard a neigh. Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh as that was! My very heart leaped with delight at the sound. ~Nathaniel Hawthorn Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me.-Bella -Twilight Do you want me to bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk? ~Bella And where do you fit into that scheme? ~Edward Oh I'm with the vampires of course. ~Bella Anything to get out of dancing ~Edward Anything ~Bella ~Bella and Edward, Twilight | ||
| Ann Metlay
Senior Member Username: wordsrworthy Post Number: 4526 Registered: 08-2007 |
Thank you, M. These really help me as I edit my poems. Ann I am paying attention to small beauties, whatever I have--as if it were our duty to find things to love, to bind ourselves to this world. (Sharon Olds) | ||
| Teresa White
Advanced Member Username: teresa_white Post Number: 1231 Registered: 01-2005 |
Great list, M. Thank you! ~T Be satisfied that ye have enough light to secure another foothold. Anon. | ||
| brenda morisse
Advanced Member Username: moritric Post Number: 2173 Registered: 04-2007 |
Dearest M, mi hermana, 4. Human flaws add energizing tension to a poem. Flaws? I suppose I won't be able to write anything autobiographical. Oh well, I know plenty of other people I can write about. love, love, borrachita pointing the finger towards others |
