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Emusing
Senior Member
Username: emusing

Post Number: 5903
Registered: 08-2003
Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 9:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

Dear All,

I am looking for reference material on the creation of persona poems. I'd like recommendations of any workbooks you might have or particular authors who have caught your attention. Pascal Petite is one that comes to mind though I am looking for a broad range of poets.

Thanks much!

e
Word Walker Press; Moonday Poetry;
KPFK; Kyoto Journal

Education should be the process of helping everyone to discover his uniqueness.
--Leo Buscaglia
~M~
Board Administrator
Username: mjm

Post Number: 30552
Registered: 11-1998
Posted on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 12:17 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

Dearest E -- here are a few Challenges on persona poems:

Persona Poem Challenge #1

Persona Poem Challenge #2

Persona Poem Challenge #3

Persona Poem Challenge #4

Persona Poem Challenge #5

Persona Poem Challenge #6

The books those Challenges come from obviously have info on persona poems. The books are listed near the bottom of the Challenge text. Patricia Smith is the author of two of the sample poems in those Challenges. I know she's a master of them. You might want to research her and see if there are any more persona poems in her collections.

I'll dig around for some more stuff and post things as I find them.

Love,
M
~M~
Board Administrator
Username: mjm

Post Number: 30554
Registered: 11-1998
Posted on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 10:20 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

Dearest E -- Here are some books that speak specifically about persona poems. In the discussions, some specific example persona poems are provided or at least names that could lead you to authors who write persona poems. You'll find all these books in the WPF BookShop if you want to research them.


1. The Mind's Eye: A Guide to Writing Poetry by Kevin Clark

"Eleven" by Archibald MacLeish
"Monologue of Two Moons, Nudes with Crests: 1938" by Norman Dubie
"Monica Lewinsky Thinks of Bill Clinton While Standing Naked in Front of a Hotel Mirror" by Julianna Baggot
"Persephone's Version" by Wendy Barker
"St. Augustine" by T. R. Hummer


2. The Discovery of Poetry by Frances Mayes

"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe
"The Negress: Her Monologue of Dark Crepe with Edges of Light" by Norman Dubie


3. Writing Poetry by Barbara Drake

"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning
"The Lamb" by Mary Oliver
"Alphonse Imagines what the People's Thoughts will be when he is Gone" by Paul Zimmer


4. The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux

"Wan Chu's Wife in Bed" by Richard Jones
"Skinhead" by Patricia Smith


5. Creating Poetry by John Drury

No specific examples given, though these poets are mentioned:

Thomas Hardy, Robert Frost, George Crabbe, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Nicholas Christopher, Brooks Haxton, Vikram Seth, Rita Dove, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Stephen Dobyns


6. Writing Poems by Robert Wallace and Michelle Boisseau

"In a Prominent Bar in Secaucus One Day" by X. J. Kennedy
"Mother Eve" by Linda Pastan
"The Gold Lily" by Louise Gluck
"Animals are Passing from Our Lives" by Philip Levine


7. A Poet's Guide to Poetry by Mary Kinzie

"Elm" by Sylvia Plath
"Cassandra" by Louise Bogan
"Maid's Song" by Julia Randall


8. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry by Nikki Moustaki

"Aner Clute" by Edgar Lee Masters
"Lucius Atherton" by Edgar Lee Masters
"Homer Clapp" by Edgar Lee Masters
"From the Chrysalis" by Emily Dickinson



I hope all this information gives you some starting points from which to research further.

Love,
M
Emusing
Senior Member
Username: emusing

Post Number: 5906
Registered: 08-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 1:15 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

M this is real research booty. Thank you so much dearheart! I am going to be buying a few of these books as well as looking at the exercises. I have a painting I am working on getting inside of, and I am sure these will help greatly.

I love Patricia Smith's persona work. The voice mows you down with its authenticity. That directness you can't imitate--you just have to do it.

Really appreciate your help on this and the work you put into gathering it all up! I looked at the challenges but couldn't immediately recognize them from the titles. Since you are familiar with what's what, it really helps to have your knowledge to guide me.

Love,
e
Word Walker Press; Moonday Poetry;
KPFK; Kyoto Journal

Education should be the process of helping everyone to discover his uniqueness.
--Leo Buscaglia
~M~
Board Administrator
Username: mjm

Post Number: 30570
Registered: 11-1998
Posted on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 3:32 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

Dearest E -- as luck would have it, I stumbled over this particular journal. Their entire current issue is devoted to persona poems:

Poemeleon: a journal of poetry

Jackpot!

Love,
M
Emusing
Senior Member
Username: emusing

Post Number: 5911
Registered: 08-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 5:04 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

No! HoneyPot!

:-)

xo
e
Word Walker Press; Moonday Poetry;
KPFK; Kyoto Journal

Education should be the process of helping everyone to discover his uniqueness.
--Leo Buscaglia
Emusing
Senior Member
Username: emusing

Post Number: 5991
Registered: 08-2003
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 6:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

Hey look who's here in the link you sent me:

http://www.poemeleon.org/lana-hechtman-ayers/

I swear she's everywhere!

Still mining gold here....

x
e
Word Walker Press; Moonday Poetry;
Kyoto Journal

Education should be the process of helping everyone to discover his uniqueness.
--Leo Buscaglia
~M~
Board Administrator
Username: mjm

Post Number: 30709
Registered: 11-1998
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2008 - 8:26 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post

Dearest E -- very cool. I didn't see that, but I haven't had time to sit down and read through the entire issue yet. Please pass on my congrats to her. I'll keep looking around for more info.

Love,
M