What is Poetry?

A Quick Word

Okay so this is my first blog entry. Being an author with two self-published works, I thought it would be beneficial to not only start blogging for myself, but to create a blog in which others can contribute toward and speak of their experiences in poetry, writing, publishing, and, more generally, reading.

I would also love to post other peoples' prose and poetry onto this page, and therefore will take their submissions into consideration if they forward their work, along with their name, to my email address: aconsciousvoid@gmail.com.

Introduction: What is Poetry?

Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking about what makes a piece of writing poetry, and what makes poetry separate from prose. This is a topic which diversifies people from different ends of the poetic spectrum; whether it be professionals and academics, casual poetry readers and writers, or people who have a general opinion, who, by their own admission, tend to avoid poetry altogether (this is another discussion I hope to have - what stops people from wanting to read poetry?). Hopefully, this post will bring forth a discussion from other people who have opinions on what they believe poetry is (hopefully transcending the simple 'it's whatever you want it to be').

Having self-published two books, Nascent Illusion and, more recently, A Conscious Void, I have a keen interest in what constitutes as poetry, and what makes a poem a 'good' poem. I am hoping to be provocative and encourage the opinions of others on this page, as I value a range of different opinions.

I will use some of my own work in this discussion, as well as work from poets I have read recently, to bring forth comparison between different styles of poetry.

Does poetry need rhythm and rhyme?

Well, in short, yes and no. It depends on what the poet is going for. I for one believe that poetry is more about the message, the imagery, or both; and that you shouldn't sacrifice either of these for rhyme and rhythm. However, if you can achieve all of the above, great. The poem I'll show you initially has rhythm. On the other hand, it does not use rhyme. It does, however, bring an emotional response out of me (this is how, personally, I judge a good poem. I enjoy poetry that's on the melancholic side, and, if not, something which drips with imagery - I love surrealism).

Taken from Best New Poets 2011, Ed, D.A powell.

She Wants to Be All Horse - by Claudia Cortese

She wants to be all horse,
stars sparkling from hooves,

galloping though fields
of thistle and milkweed.

She wants fists of poppies
to wall to her papa's window

opiates to tar the locks.
In her house, sewerwater

gurgles from faucets,
leaves mould in closets

and at 4 AM, the ping
of a dropped belt

on a daughter's floor.
She wants to steal basil plants

from the neighbor's porch,
smash them one by one,

then twist the stay tabby's tail,
shave its fur and strap it

to a leash the length of an arm.
She wants to watch pines burn.

She wants him in the house
when it catches.

Coreste uses distressing imagery, it the poem its predominant feel. 'Sewerwater gurgles from faucets,' for me, particularly stands out as a sign of things to come. Now - I'm not going to sit here and analyse this poem, but I'm sure you catch my drift. I don't believe rhyme to be essential, but this poem uses rhythm to great effect. What I want to know is what others think makes a poem - does it need rhyme?

Here's an example of a poem from A Conscious Void which uses rhyme -

This Rose

The rose of withered solitude
lays dormant outside your door - crumbling
into blackness.
It decended into abyss to decompose with sinfulness -
the influence of other dead flowers.

Drenched from the rain
of the burst clouds,
incessent screams are
aimed toward the sky.

The disjointed influence
of the singular rose
exists on its own,
to simply decompose.

It is the rose
which brings forth the beauty
of a short lived existence.

It is the rose which
revolves around the inevitability
of death.

The petals were once shared,
then the remains blew away.

'The Purity of Heart,
the Impurity of Mind.'

Thoughts drag through the muddy field,
where the rose used to exist.
Thoughts drag through the muddy field
where the rose used to exist.

Repetition of repressed memory,
where the rose used to exist.
Discovering once more the pain
that lay in the very essence
of your Soul.

The rose withered,
the mind wilts.
Picking of the petals
(one by one)
of the delicate human psyche,
drifting away as the rain falls
outside your door.

It crumbles into blackness
as the combination of
heart and mind
desperate try to find
the rose.

Nothing illuminates your way
as the purposeless search goes on
in trying to recover
the rose.

The knock of a lost soul
laid dormant outside your door,
crumbled into blackness
and decended into abyss.

The rose has withered -
This Rose.

I'm not going to sit here and talk about my own poem; but, I thought rhyme would add to this piece. I also used some repetition, and I know this is another topic which can divide people. I am usually not a fan of it, but there are times where it can be beneficial. It completely depends on the poem. So, I pose another few questions - do you think repetition is beneficial in a poem, does it add to this particular poem, or is it detrimental to it?

A poem which has neither rhyme or rhythm, can still compel. Here I have one of the many poems titled 'Creation Myth' from a very odd little book.

Taken from Destruction Myth, by Mathias Svalina.

Creation Myth

In the beginning
there was a book
by Italio Calvino.

The book had hind legs
growing where its
arms should've been.

The book ripped
its own pages out
& died. This sacrifice

inspires all great
books. They want
to be empty covers.

They eye your
whole pages & fancy
you confetti.

This is why we
bow low before
entering a cave.

Do you think this is poetry? It has stanzas, lines, and poetic language. However, it lacks rhyme. It does not have a complete lack of rhythm, but it is not primary to this poem. I believe this to be provocative and interesting to the poetry reader, which brings forth the next section of this discussion:

What stops people from being interested in poetry?

Poetry, as an art form, is not as digestible as others. It tends to be easier to persuade a person to listen to a piece of music, or to look at a piece of art or a photo, than it is to get them to read a poem. I know a lot of people who simply do not like poetry because they do not get it, or because they are not bothered by texts that do not get straight to the point (I guess one of the reasons is the juxtaposition between logical thought and abstract thought).

I must admit, it was not until recently that I actually enjoyed reading poetry. I've always enjoyed writing it, but I used to find it very difficult to read between lines in other peoples' texts. Maybe it's got something to do with maturation from when I first wrote a poem, and coming to the realisation that other poets' work can be a springboard for new inspiration, as well as helpful for learning new techniques. I've never taken an English class or a Creative Writing class (since my days of GCSE), so I was not sure how to find poets which I would enjoy. I also did quite badly in English Literature (receiving a 'D' grade, due to my poor work ethic and 'unaccebtable' behaviour!). Thankfully, I have found a fair number of poets I enjoy, and I continue to search for more.

Anyway, more to the point, I think the accessibility of poetry is a big problem. It is also stigmatised. I've received enough criticism from my peers for being 'unmanly' when I express myself. Not that this bothers me, as it is usually delivered in a humorous manner, but I can understand why this can push people away from the art. I guess I have not really had a problem with being honest with myself and others, regularly telling people I barely know (in this case, people reading this) that I suffer bouts of depression, and have seen counsellors and psychiatrists about other mental health issues.

Before I delve too heavily into my personal life, I will get back on track.

I believe that when the word poetry is brought into a conversation, people immediately think of Shakespeare's love sonnets, and other poetry which deal with love and despair. Poetry is much deeper than that, but this does not suit everyone. I believe that knocking down poetic conventions, something in which modern poetry attempts; and, in many cases, successfully, has enabled poetry to become more accessible. Therefore, I do not see poetry as a dying form of art - more-so adaptive. This is refreshing for me, but maybe not to someone who holds traditional or conservative values when it comes to poetry.

What is next?

Internet forums have helped people share their writing. Websites such as Wordpress and Redbubble have given people online writing outlets which have the potential to reach a large number of people. In the Age of Information, it has become increasingly easier to share your work with the world. I think this helps closet writers (how I used to be) become more confident through the words of other individuals; who are not just family and friends attempting to spare their feelings! This blog is helping me give my thoughts to people I could otherwise never be in contact with, so writing has a bright future!

Poetry is never going to be completely 'mainstream' - but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, it is quite special in a sense when you know only a few people have connected with your work, and that bond between reader and writer is strengthened a little bit more through the internet. Redbubble even allows something called 'Bubblemail' where users can send each other private messages, as well as comment on individual pieces of work.

So, what is poetry? - is the question I wanted to probe others. I have an idea of what I believe poetry to be, and I hope this post has provided you with something to think about.

Oh, and a last note on this topic: I am quite aware that most of my friends - who are in the category of 22-25 year old males - could not think of much worse than to read my poetic musings about roses, depression, surrealism and philosophy, psychology and physics, or death, for example. Therefore, I would not expect anything less than for them to 'rip the piss out of me' - or so to speak!

The Void of Vibration

I want to open this topic up to others, and so add your opinions! If you want a private conversation, email me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

I'll leave you with one of my poems from A Conscious Void:

Fade

Imagine yourself fading,
disappearing into the nothingness
of which you came.

The pre-birth circumstance
of which your being used to be
will again be 'relived' -
in the perpetual death.

Imagine yourself fading
into a stateless sense of matter
which used to make up your consciousness.
It will soon rot in the very ground
of which you tread.

Loved ones at your funeral
will cast their teary eyes,
as you cannot feel the emptiness
of your late existence.

Your grave will have flowers atop
which will disappear
and fade
into the same space of nothingness
as you.

Imagine yourself fading.

Nathan Hassall
Author of Nascent Illusion & A Conscious Void
aconsciousvoid@gmail.com

http://www.amazon.com/A-Conscious-Void-Nathan-Hassall/dp/1300108940/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357441449&sr=8-1&keywords=a+conscious+void