Poetry With Purpose
Writing poetry is many things to many writers. For some, putting one's own personal thoughts, opinions, observations in published form serves a deeply personal purpose. It is a means to convey a message from close to the heart, one-on-one or one to the masses.
Still, others see poetry, as many other genres of writing, as an opportunity to establish presence in the world of authors, to share their writing talent for support and critique, and to develop as a writer by learning the craft from the pen of another.
Whatever the reasons for an individual writing, there must be a focus on purpose. What do you as the aspiring, or established, writer wish to accomplish with your writing? Establishing purpose means establishing goals. Spend some time in advance of composing a piece to decide what you want your reader to achieve or benefit from viewing your writing.
When I first started to write poetry it was for reasons of a highly personal nature. I wrote poetic verse to communicate deeply personal feelings I had in a relationship with my partner. Writing later became a means to reflect what emotions I was experiencing as they related to the loss of a loved one. With time my writing embraced my observations of an infinite number of themes, virtually everything that surrounded me locally to what was happening around the globe.
For some, writing becomes highly politicized, a grandstand or platform, a rant, whimsical muse, pondering, an indepth examination of one's subject and one's self, a celebration, a grieving, a form of therapy or exercise of the mind and soul.
When I write I begin with a focus on the big picture, the overall message that I wish to convey. Once that image is firmly ensconced in my mind then and only then do I move on to set out the various components of the article that will serve to paint that total picture in the reader's mind...I have established purpose.
Once the purpose or objectives for the piece are clearly defined it is much easier to craft the writing in a cohesive manner, easily followed and understood...and hopefully appreciated or otherwise found to be useful in some way to the reader.
Copyright 2006 Don MacIver
Still, others see poetry, as many other genres of writing, as an opportunity to establish presence in the world of authors, to share their writing talent for support and critique, and to develop as a writer by learning the craft from the pen of another.
Whatever the reasons for an individual writing, there must be a focus on purpose. What do you as the aspiring, or established, writer wish to accomplish with your writing? Establishing purpose means establishing goals. Spend some time in advance of composing a piece to decide what you want your reader to achieve or benefit from viewing your writing.
When I first started to write poetry it was for reasons of a highly personal nature. I wrote poetic verse to communicate deeply personal feelings I had in a relationship with my partner. Writing later became a means to reflect what emotions I was experiencing as they related to the loss of a loved one. With time my writing embraced my observations of an infinite number of themes, virtually everything that surrounded me locally to what was happening around the globe.
For some, writing becomes highly politicized, a grandstand or platform, a rant, whimsical muse, pondering, an indepth examination of one's subject and one's self, a celebration, a grieving, a form of therapy or exercise of the mind and soul.
When I write I begin with a focus on the big picture, the overall message that I wish to convey. Once that image is firmly ensconced in my mind then and only then do I move on to set out the various components of the article that will serve to paint that total picture in the reader's mind...I have established purpose.
Once the purpose or objectives for the piece are clearly defined it is much easier to craft the writing in a cohesive manner, easily followed and understood...and hopefully appreciated or otherwise found to be useful in some way to the reader.
Copyright 2006 Don MacIver
posted by Don MacIver at
3:07 p.m.
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