|
|
 Good
Poetry
|
|
|
|
|
Novelist, short story writer and
presenter of the Writing Scotland television series, Carl MacDougall, with some
thoughts on composing verse.
Again the obvious needs to be said: you are more likely to write good poetry if
you read poetry. More than any other literary medium, poetry requires its collaborators
to have an open mind, to be receptive to the ideas of others, to experiment and
even to be playful. Few media combine such discipline with a search or inquiry.
At its best, poetry can illuminate, simplify and speak directly of a common experience
or observation. At its worst, it masters what Hamish Henderson has called, "the
art of the bellyflop":
Beautiful Moon, with thy silvery light,
Thou cheerest the lovers in the night
As they walk through the shady groves alone,
Making love to each other before they go home.
The Moon, William McGonagall
Nowhere is pretension or banality more obvious or unforgiven. Yet poetry is often
the medium where people feel comfortable, the one they approach most easily and
enjoy working for its own sake. There are at least as many closet poets as there
are published poets and the idea of expressing something ordinary in an individual
way could well be part of the human condition.
Thought it be broken -
Broken again - it's still there,
The moon on the water.
Chosu
Haiku is a traditional 17-syllable verse form of Japanese poetry which was introduced
to American and European poetry in the 20th century. The poems comprise three
lines; the first has five syllables, the second seven and the last five. Because
of its immediacy, it is often used as an introduction to poetry, though, as with
any other form of writing, it can be demanding and difficult.
Despite the fact that poetry is often direct and accessible, more myths surround
it than any other literary form. It can send shivers down the stiffest of spines
and penetrate the thickest of skins, is often considered to be the preserve of
intellectuals and academics, or, at least, be very difficult to understand. Either
that, or it's soft and emotional, a solitary thing, something for literary types
alone, head-cases and ivory tower dwellers who are divorced from reality. Some
folk think poems have to rhyme. Others believe anything they write is poetry:
OPENING THE CAGE: 14 Variations on 14 words
I have nothing to say and I am saying it and that is poetry.
John Cage.
Again, the arrogance that accompanies the belief that one can simply write is
astounding. It presupposes there is nothing to learn, that the gift has arrived
complete and needs only to be expressed.
But it's easily understood. Since The Beatles published song lyrics like poetry
on the back of their albums, the distinctions have been blurred and writers as
diverse as Bob Dylan and Shane McGowan, Leonard Cohen, any contemporary rap artists
and even folk singers, carry echoes and reflections from one to the other.
So listening is a good idea; and while songwriters and poets will open your mind
to a variety of possibilities, especially about the use of rhyme, they will dispel
most of the myths I mentioned, especially the assumption that there is neither
a right nor a wrong way to read poetry. Listen to a song lyric, think of its meaning
and see if that helps you appreciate it more:
A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.
A Word is Dead, Emily Dickinson
Of course, as with stories, one should go to the acknowledged masters, though
here I suggest you approach with caution. While one can find no end of pleasure
or stimulation in the works of writers such as W.H. Auden, William Butler Yeats,
Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, Robert Burns, Sylvia Plath, Seamus
Heaney, Ted Hughes or Iain Crichton Smith, contemporary writers may have a greater
sense of immediacy and will almost certainly tell you more about yourself and
the world you inhabit than you thought possible. People usually find writers of
their own generation most appealing, and one should initially look for writers
whose voice and language resembles their own. In Scotland we are lucky to have
three languages, and all have been eloquently served by their writers.
Again anthologies are a good idea. And, as with stories, you may find American
writing more accessible. Don't let that prevent you from looking at other writers;
the more you read, the more you absorb. Children's anthologies offer a good beginning
and anything that can help you appreciate and understand poetry is to be welcomed.
Poetry for Dummies is an excellent introduction and workshop manual.
You may find it helpful to join a writers' group, those taken by writers are usually
best, or to go to readings by contemporary writers. The Scottish Poetry Library
in Edinburgh is a useful contact and small circulation magazines can yield surprising
results:
...one promise: if you let poetry into your life - if you read aloud
and read attentively, discover how to interpret poetry for yourself - you'll start
seeing benefits, including a broader life, a more sensitive awareness, and a more
flexible spirit.
Introduction, Poetry for Dummies
And anyone who learns to organise their thoughts and language in a concise way
is obviously giving themselves a head start. Again, I've limited the list to anthologies:
A New Treasury of Poetry (Blackie) Compiled by Neil Philip;
The Rattle Bag (Faber) Edited by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes;
The Faber Book of Contemporary American Poetry (Faber) Edited by
Helen Vendler;
The Faber Book of Twentieth Century Scottish Poetry (Faber) Edited
by Douglas Dunn;
The Penguin Book of American Verse (Penguin) Edited by Geoffrey
Moore;
Making for Planet Alice: New Women Poets (Bookaxe) Edited by Maura
Dooley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Edwin
Morgan |
|
|
| Well-chosen words
from the Makar are a fitting start to our introduction. More...
|
|
|
| Get
Published |
|
|
| Everything you need to know about getting
your name in print. More...
|
|
|
| The
Short Story |
|
|
| Respected author and Writing Scotland presenter,
Carl MacDougall, on short-story writing. More...
|
|
|
| Sound
Advice |
|
|
| Words from the internationally acclaimed
novelist AL Kennedy. More...
|
|
|
| New
Writers |
|
|
| Successful novelist, Anne Donovan, with words
of encouragement. More... |
|
|
| The
Writing Life |
|
|
| Poet and novelist Kevin MacNeil posed himself
an amusing series of probing questions. More...
|
|
|
| Writing
in Scots |
|
|
| Matthew Fitt writes sci-fi in Lallans - who
better to advise you? More... |
|
|
|
