I love poetry, especially dark. I think there is more honesty in writing poetry because it brings out personality.
Another poetry fan here. I've written a few and have a section of my bookshelf just for my poetry books.
Romantic poetry is top of my list. No bong required.
Reading is something I’ve always enjoyed; however, I have to admit that generally speaking, poetry isn’t my first choice. It’s not that I hate it or even that I’m shunning it, but in many cases, I don’t understand it.
What I mean by saying I don’t understand poetry, is that some poets, by the choice of their words take their poem away from reality and move it into a more abstract world. For example, and I know this may not be the best one, but it’s all I can think of at the moment. Let’s say your poem is talking about a tree, that’s fine, call it a tree and I’ll be okay. However, if you refer to it as a stalwart statue with many arms, you lost me. That may be a more colorful way of describing it, and I admire the poet for having a varied vocabulary, but it’s doubtful I’ll associate that object with Mother Nature’s creations that make up a forest.
For some reason, my mind operates along a more literal path and when things become to abstract, I’m lost. Poetry, music, prose, drawings and paintings are a form of communication. Give me a country or city scene and I’ll enjoy it for hours. Place an abstract painting in front of me, and while I’ll admire the artist’s talent, it doesn’t move me. It doesn’t speak to me. It’s the same thing with poems, especially those written in the free style verse.
There are a couple of things I need to see for a poem to be enjoyable. The first thing that catches my attention, is does it rhyme? I know some of you shudder at the thought, but to me, that is important. Maybe it is the additional challenge of writing lines that rhyme that appeals to me, I’m not sure. I’m always impressed when I find a poem that’s been designed that way, and it doesn’t matter what the rhyming scheme is, just that there is one.
The second feature that I find attractive is whether the lines have what I call a ‘bouncy’ effect to them. When I read the words out loud, does my voice automatically pick up that rhythm as if I were floating in water and the waves were moving me up and down. You write a poem that has these two characteristics, and there is a very good chance you have gained a new fan.
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www.lushstories.com/stories/first-time/apologize.aspx One of the greatest poets of my life time just left us. Mary Oliver has died at 83. Verbal posted her classic Wild Geese over in Rumplations. The little snippet below from another Oliver work will be my sig for the next while.
To live in this world you must be able to do three things:
To love what is mortal,
To hold it against your bones knowing
Your own life depends on it;
And when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.
Poetry, like prose, follows Sturgeon's Law. 90% is crap. The 10% though... that I revere.
Wouldn't you rather have a nice cup of tea?
I don't like poetry because everyone thinks they can write it, but very few do it well.
Don't believe everything that you read.
I enjoy poetry. I think what turns off a lot of people is a) as mentioned, tons of crap or b) being forced to read stuff in school they can't relate to written in an ancient style that many readers either struggle with or can't relate too. Hope schools have refreshed the curriculum to add in more modern stuff or a broader range of material.
I'm a philistine.. well not really but most poetry doesn't move me.. I like stories, I like plot.. I love descriptive plot that paints me a world so real I can touch it but I still need a story.. poetry gives me a feeling, not an experience.. having said that, there are poets like John Cooper Clarke who used humour and biting satire in their poetry.. His poem 'I wanna be yours' is now on the gcse syllabus so things are changing but most poetry taught when I was at school was just so dull.. with the exception of Seamus Heaney.
Also, having an anguished Smiths fan writing me bad poetry when I was 16 also didn't help and perhaps led to me being determined never to write anyone a poem
Anyway, not sure if I answered your question Nicola.
2 competition winning stories, 1 Famous story, a smattering of Editor's Picks, a handful of Recommended Reads and one Clitorides award are scattered amongst my stories.
One of a handful of writers to get the Omnium badge for writing in every category
For a book club with a difference... try this lesbian romp
I like poetry but not all poets and not all poems.
My answer to the original question is in line with DeviantSusie, above. A lot of people are turned off poetry permanently when they are still at school because of the poets they are obliged to study.
For English literature, I had to study Marvell, Wordsworth, Donne, Hopkins and Eliot. It was a grind. I'd have been an A student if we'd have had John Cooper Clark, or Roger McGough on the syllabus.
I enjoy very well written poetry.
Here's something TS Eliot said about it: "Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things."
It's nice to see people posting that they like poetry, but most people don't and I think it's because (at least here in the United Snakes) most people are taught to hate it in school. It's rare that most people end up with teachers who don't really like or even get poetry themselves and it ends up making a lot of people feel inadequate if they don't "get" what they're supposed to "get", like poetry is this arcane, coded message intended for an elite few. A number of other posters have said as much already.
LYFBUZ nailed another good point. The whole concept of Western education mainly focuses on going through the canon chronologically from much earlier periods, laying a practically foreign language that doesn't speak to students. If we introduced young people to poetry that had more to say to them about where they are in the world it would very likely trigger more interest in the old school stuff.
A poet I knew used to say it's only poetry, it's not about saving anyone's soul. He also used to say since no one's buying it, at least no one can ever accuse you of selling out.
I think most well read people at least appreciate good poetry and many love it. Quality school teachers that love what they do usually find a way to impart their passion to students who are eager to learn.
Sadly, many people don't care about real knowledge and broadening their horizons.
As one who writes poetry, I find writing it as hard as anything I’ve written, excep horror, I’m very bad at that. I’ve posted some of my poems in our poetry thread.
For me, knowing that my words can make someone smile, when they’ve had a bad day or remember a person they loved who’s passed away is awesome. Poetry is rhyming and not. For me it’s the ability to use words to paint a scene or a thought in the readers mind. To bring them happiness and help them relax.
"Illegitimis non carborundum." Vinger Joe Stllwell
What you learn in life is important; those you help learn are more.
I really like poetry, a lot. I really like the sound clip that was posted too. Very atmospheric indeed, and a lovely voice. But I have recordings of a number of poems by different authors all spoken by Richard Burton. Now his voice was out of this world.
Like most people here, I like good poetry, but what is good poetry? Well, it's what I like and can understand. Same as everyone else.
I'm not too keen on poetry that, if you read it, is just one continuous story that's just split into several lines. To me, that's not poetry. Just my opinion of course!
I used to be a pervert. In here, I'm normal!
Watch this space...She is really - cumming soon!
I like poetry, just struggle to write it.
