Why write poetry?
This is question I had to ask myself when I stopped writing fiction and creative nonfiction. Why write poetry? Why write at all? For me, it was an organic move, from the other forms to poetry. I was tired of writing creative nonfiction--it took a lot out of me. And I had run out of ideas for short fiction, a form I find very difficult to write. But I wanted to keep writing creatively, so poetry was the next genre in line (play- and script-writing seemed too daunting, and I didn't have any interest, anyway).
As I mentioned in another post, I just kind of jumped into it, and found a little help along the way. Writing poetry has helped me to express emotions directly; one might even say that writing poems of personal, emotional content is my way of keeping a journal. I think that the expression of emotion is probably a major reason for a lot of poetry-writing. And since I also write poems about social justice and related themes, for me, creating poems is also a way of expressing strong opinions.
Mostly, though, I write poetry because I like words! I like language, and I "hear" all of my poems (and the poems of others) when I read them. And although I am not a spoken word poet, I fully understand the popularity of spoken word poetry. Reading poetry aloud and hearing it read aloud is not only very satisfying, it is a reflection of the origin of all poetry. For me, a poem I write isn't good enough until it is something I can read aloud and feel satisfaction.
I recently did a rather lengthy reading, and I was a bit surprised by how different my poems were when I had the opportunity to interpret them orally and through body language. A long time ago, when I was on my high school and college debate teams, I also competed in the oral interpretation division, and I really enjoyed it. Reading my poetry aloud brings back memories of those events.
A poem can reflect beauty, mystery, outrage, longing, transcendence, or sorrow. A good poem can convey feelings that we might otherwise have trouble expressing, or even identifying. A good poem can please us intellectually, and will almost always affect us emotionally. It can comfort us, inspire us, entertain us, or assure us that we aren't alone in our struggles. Reading poetry can be very satisfying. Writing it sometimes feels essential for my emotional survival.
As I mentioned in another post, I just kind of jumped into it, and found a little help along the way. Writing poetry has helped me to express emotions directly; one might even say that writing poems of personal, emotional content is my way of keeping a journal. I think that the expression of emotion is probably a major reason for a lot of poetry-writing. And since I also write poems about social justice and related themes, for me, creating poems is also a way of expressing strong opinions.
Mostly, though, I write poetry because I like words! I like language, and I "hear" all of my poems (and the poems of others) when I read them. And although I am not a spoken word poet, I fully understand the popularity of spoken word poetry. Reading poetry aloud and hearing it read aloud is not only very satisfying, it is a reflection of the origin of all poetry. For me, a poem I write isn't good enough until it is something I can read aloud and feel satisfaction.
I recently did a rather lengthy reading, and I was a bit surprised by how different my poems were when I had the opportunity to interpret them orally and through body language. A long time ago, when I was on my high school and college debate teams, I also competed in the oral interpretation division, and I really enjoyed it. Reading my poetry aloud brings back memories of those events.
A poem can reflect beauty, mystery, outrage, longing, transcendence, or sorrow. A good poem can convey feelings that we might otherwise have trouble expressing, or even identifying. A good poem can please us intellectually, and will almost always affect us emotionally. It can comfort us, inspire us, entertain us, or assure us that we aren't alone in our struggles. Reading poetry can be very satisfying. Writing it sometimes feels essential for my emotional survival.
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