So it seems like poetry as an issue, will feature a number of times in my blog. I am really trying to figure out my own understanding of it. Or rather, find some way to articulate it. I recently joined an online poetry workshop in an attempt to understand more of what I can only assume is "professional poetry". I put this in quotes because this falls in some obscure far away universe where I don't feel I belong. I'm still unsure of where I want to belong, I want people to like what I write(of course) and I want my poems to stand on their own without me jumping in to rescue them but right now I'm struggling with my previous understanding of poetry as being something spontaneous and unedited. What seemed so clear before, seems rather naive and overly simplistic.
For instance, in that workshop, one member(a new one, most likely) posted a rather maudlin poem for critique. Anyway, this person's poem was slaughtered by one of the moderators(did I mention that brutality is a criteria for good critique?) Anyway, what followed was a back and forth dialogue between the moderator and the beaten up poet on the subject of poetry.I won't get into the details of it, but what struck me(and it is something I ought to consider as someone who's trying to become better at writing) was that in response to the poet's rather petulant declaration that poetry comes from the heart the moderator was quick to shoot back and say that poetry does not come from the heart but in fact comes from the mind and therefore takes skill and practise. Umm..that sounds as appealing as mental maths. Well that was my knee jerk reaction.But knees and 'jerky' reactions(haha I am such a wit) aside, though I sympathise with the poor poet's feelings, I realised that I agreed with said moderator-poetry is a mental exercise, a frustrating one at that and incredibly hard to do. Because ultimately, poetry is only for the courageous.
As a poet, a large part of the process of writing involves telling yourself that you are limited and the tool you have is limited(how many times has a sentence refused to bend to your will?), but that you're still going to try and harness the reins of what sometimes seems like a monster waiting to be let loose.(bad analogy I know). No wait it's not. I mean, it does feel like that especially when you write a poem under the influence of some strong emotion, the words go crazy and prance across the page and in general make a mess of what you feel and what you wish to convey. I feel the deeply the chargin of what that poet went through when his/her poem was massacred but it's a lesson (I think) that must be learnt by those who want to write good poetry(of course we can argue over what is good and what is bad but that's a whole other issue) and by the ones who judge poetry too harshly. I am quite tired of hearing how "simple" poetry is. How it ignores the rules of grammar and takes gross liberties with language. I'd like each of these people to try and write one poem for heaven's sake. And that requires them to above all, read poetry. That's how everyone starts. Either way, it is a gross underestimation of what is essentially a unique process and yes, a process that requires effort.
Some might say that I'm removing all that is spontaneous about poetry. I am not. I am merely trying to say that the connection between a good poem and it's source(yes, the heart*sigh*) is the mind. It is that and only that which makes the reader
experience a poem rather than simply reading a bunch of lines. It is that difference, that wide and deep chasm, between having someone's bleeding heart(which is just so messy) on your hands and having someone reach out, grab yours and squeeze. And there are only a few who can do it graciously so do not grudge them their gift or their effort. This goes for both the easily dismissive reader and the immature poet. I(for obvious reasons) have greater hope for the latter.
Disclaimer: I do not in any way mean to suggest that I am a part of the group. *sigh* Not yet anyway.
