Poems on Poetry
At dVerse Poets Pub yesterday for the Meeting the Bar: Critique and Craft – hosted by Emmett Wheatfall we were challenged to write a poem about the craft of poetry. Immediately I thought of something I once wrote in a comment on a fellow blogger’s poem post. Later another poem on poetry started forming in my head about how important word choice is for poetry. So I decided to write them both and post today, with a link at dVerse.
Prose v. Poetry
Prose – explanatory material,
essays, briefs, and memos –
require proper grammar,
punctuation, complete sentences.
There must be a point,
clearly explained,
preferably well-outlined.
Poetry
simply
is.
* * * * *
The Perfect Word
I must find
the perfect word
convey the feeling
I feel inside.
Dictionary and thesaurus
my best friends.
Which word
do I want?
Is my soul enveloped
or engulfed?
Dictionary and thesaurus
my best friends.
Word Hippo, too.
I reread my words
but they aren’t quite right.
Sad does not convey
despair is what I felt.
Dictionary and thesaurus
my best friends.
Word Hippo and
Biblegateway, too.
Words are insufficient
but the best I will seek
to glorify my God
hope that He gives me.
Share this:
I enjoyed your poems. I look forward to reading more.
emmett, Thanks. I enjoyed this challenge and am looking forward to learning more about the craft of poetry (even if it “simply is”) at dVerse. Peace, Linda
God bless you Linda, whether you write prose or poetry! I see Him in all that you do! 🙂
Hi Linda. I think you are a bit hard on prose! But your poetry certainly simply is! K.
Thanks for the wonderful comment – it made me laugh! Perhaps I am a bit hard on prose, but I’ll blame it on my legal background. In the kind of writing I’ve done most of my life there is little room for error. When the placement of a comma in a contract can mean the difference between a $10,000 judgment and a $10,000,000 judgment, you learn to be a stickler for perfect punctuation. I do realize, however, that there is a lot of forms of prose that allow for more flexibility, and even a little poetic license. Peace, Linda
Poetry
simply
is…i like this a lot…because it’s so true…love the freedom poetry gives us..poetic license…smiles – also like the second one, the searching for the right words..for his glory..nice
Thanks! It means a lot to me to receive encouragement from other poets. I do love poetic license, too! Just realized I forgot to include the Rhyming Dictionary in the second poem. Another essential friend. Peace, Linda
poetry simply is…i like it…esp since punctuation is not always my friend…lol…nice second verse as well…we are all given talents to beused to the glory of the King…
Brian, I have been a writer of prose in the form of briefs, memos, etc. for most of my life, and only recently (and initially reluctantly) have let the poet in me surface. I find I like it a lot because there is no real right and wrong in poetry and it is okay if the reader understands a poem to mean something other than the poet intended.
I left a nice comment on your poem, but it seemed to disappear when I hit post. I don’t think my netbook likes Blogger. 🙁 But I did like your poem, too. Peace, Linda