An inquiry into poetic tendencies (courtesy of Carol):
1.Where do your poems start? What causes you to sit down and write a poem? Is it a certain emotion?
They typically start with the question of whether I have anything to write about, and I'm usually curious to know what it is. It's also typically a 'want to do' break from a 'have to do' day.
2.Do you have different stages to your poetry? Can you see how you've matured or changed over the years through your poetry?
Been at this for a good couple of months, and so far find that I do lots of second guessing. It's a learning process...
3. Do you have a favorite poem that you have written? What do you like about it? What does it say about you that you like?
I think so far I like the one called Ripple Effect, which was written after very intentionally reading through some Keats poems on a day when the ice melted from a nearby lake. I like how a moment to be shared develops and the turning to look and find that person.
4. Do you have a favorite that someone else has written? What does it do for you? Does it give you an answer or cause you to think a certain way? Does it motivate you?
Somehow I gravitate to Frost's 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening', likely because I memorized it as a child at my father's prompting (I think there was money involved) and I later made & published a version called "Distilling by Drops on a Friday Evening" which is heavily adapted to the chemistry lab world where much of my life has been spent. I like Frost's simple, clean ways of evoking an image - at least that's how it seems to me.
5. Do you only write poetry or is it a part of a vast array of writing methods that you use to express your self or your thoughts?
Most of my writing is carefully worded emails on technical work-related items. On rare occasions I work some haiku-form bits into the text:
These are wonderful
I wish I could write such things
but not enough time
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
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4 comments:
Thank you, Steve, for answering these questions for me. It helps me understand what I am doing, too.
A couple of months????????????? WOW!!!
pat - if we don't count the distillation poem written in Feb. 1987.:) 'slog2live' started Jan. 1 and was intended to be a transition from emails to blog for sending out a more-or-less daily update to extended family. I've been a musician since high school and occasionally have written songs, some even with words, so I guess that might count for trying to write poetry. Maybe I shouldn't make a point about being so new. It is a creative outlet, and I'm inspired by what you and others (esp. Magnapoets) are writing. Isn't it great to have a way to do this? Thanks for your writing, Pat, and the positive comments. Now I need to write a poem for my brother's birthday.
aurora - yes, it's good for building the communication and a kind of 'background' to learn more about how and why each other is writing poetry. Thanks for putting the note on Magnapoets about it.
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