Poetry: A Personal Message

When I first sat down to explore the world of writing poetry I had no idea where this journey would take me. Unsure even of the reason to write in this genre I soon became acutely aware of its relevance to my own personal life and experiences.

Writing poetry sets itself quite apart from other forms of writing, whether fictional or non-fictional in content. Poetry is so much a reflection of the author's own personal observations, emotions, perceptions. In a fashion poetry is cleansing of the writer's soul.

The one thing that sets poetry apart from other writing genres is its deeply personal origin. Those day to day experiences, many which have a very profound impact on the writer, are imbellished upon, drawn as a picture, before their reading audience in such a way as to move the reader to experience similar or parallel emotions toward the subject matter...thus compelling the reader to want to read more and more of the same author's works.

Many new or aspiring writers may not wish to expose their innermost thoughts or feelings through personal accounts in their writing however by doing so their reading audience will have a much stronger sense of relating to the subject because it bares such strength in credibility.

One of the key elements of any good written piece, poetry or otherwise, is the presence of believable content. The best way to hold a reader's attention is to captivate their imagination with a message or story that the writer has actually experienced. With fictional pieces this is of course not a critical issue however when writing about subject matter that involves the human experience it is much more moving, much more compelling when it is obviously a personal account.

For those readers who have had a similar experience in their own lives they will see through a fabricated story or accounting in a second if it does not ring true to the subject matter. It is so important that the poetry writer reflect upon those subjects that he or she has personally observed or experienced. In third person accountings there are numerous subjects which can be written about that will be well-received too but for those subjects that involve deeply personal emotions or experiences stick to the issues that you as the writer have personally been exposed to directly.

If you subscribe or post to public mediums such as internet forums or discussion groups it will quickly become evident just how powerful an impact personal accountings can be. Your feedback will be swift and equally emotional or understanding.

Of course the writer must acquire the word composition skills to generate such emotional responses from their readers. That comes with a lot of painstaking practice, editing, critique from fellow writers and reading enthusiasts, and a willingness to change the structure or content of your writing in response to the feedback that you receive. After all, although writing may well be for personal reasons, if you are seeking recognition and any degree of commercial gains from your writing endeavors then it will be ever more important that you exercise flexibility when it comes to receiving and accepting suggestions for improvement.

No-one learns to write effectively over night, whether poetry or any other genre of writing. As an aspiring writer you may have a sense that you have a natural and unborn talent for writing. From your early writing you may receive strongly supportive, and perhaps even praising reviews of your work. Friends and family may only be affording you polite encouragement in this regard so why not throw caution to the wind and put your writing out there for other writers and potential reading audience to see.

So remember, if you choose to write poetry keep in mind that the greatest impact you can have on your reading audience is to bare your soul. All you have between you and your reader from start to finish is a pen or keyboard and the medium your writing is displayed on. Don't let panic set in and deter you from sharing your writing for all to see. After all, the best way to develop a writing audience is to get your works out there and start getting feedback. Don't be offended or become defensive about constructive criticism of your work.

Share what you are, what you see, hear, touch, feel, smell, and sense. Choose your words carefully. Compose each piece like it is unique, fresh and a story that must be told. Don't be afraid to let the world get a true sense of who and what you are. Only then can you effectively reach your reading audience and leave them with a desire to come back for more.

Share your own message, personal and up front, without reservation, and you will reap the benefits that come with this type of writing that is truly rewarding.

Copyright 2006, Don MacIver
A Poet's View

Defining Poetry

Defining poetry is a matter of impression, of subjective viewpoint, indeed the experience one has reading such writings.

A singular word would not do justice to the writing genre of poetry. It is a powerful medium that creates a unique reading experience. So many different senses are tantalized, challenged, heightened by the many messages that are scribed in verse.

As a writer of poetry myself I find that I often embellish upon deeply personal experiences, so much so that my readers are often quite moved by what I convey in my writing.

Some would call poetry an art form, a structured journey in pentamic verse, the painting of a picture, a romance, a reflection, a conflict, torment, rejoicing...and so much more. And yes, indeed poetry is of itself a representation of these descriptives and much more.

When writing poetry the author must develop the skill of conveying very descriptive, colourful, aromatic verse. That is, your reader must experience the many physical, sensory and emotional sensations that create a satisfying disposition for them after having read a multi-verse piece.

Many poets of the day touch on very sensitive themes such as politics, war, human relationships which may not have been the accepted norm in a particular society, suicide, death etc.

Poetry, after all, is the human experience. So much of what you see in poetic verse today is deeply personal accountings, renderings, observations, beliefs. Poetry touches upon everything around us.

We often see reference to the fact that writers suffer from writer's block from time to time. That is true but shouldn't be so. There is virtually an infinite array of topics to draw from, an endless resource surrounds us in our daily interaction with others, our travel, our destiny, our new beginnings, our routine each day.

In addition to what we hear, smell, see and feel are different angles from which to observe the topic of our written discussion. We need only clear our minds and open our eyes (or other senses) to embrace all that surrounds us.

Poetry is like the fallen snowflake...no two are identical. In comparative terms, the world that surrounds us is of itself poetic verse just waiting to become an idea born upon the writer's pages. Often-times it is our own personal experiences, inhibitions, oversights, ignorance etc. that creates the "writer's block" syndrome.

Poetry will have its own purposes and meaning for each individual writer and reader. Let poetry be what it has been down through the centuries, what it will find itself to be today, and what it will become tomorrow.

Embrace what you see, what you hear, what you sense, what you smell, what you touch, what you observe...and create a written picture for the reader to marvel.

Embrace a poem today.


Copyright 2006, Don MacIver
A Poet's View Blog