what sort of poetry do you prefer?

[The Wanderer]

spiritual/religious metaphors, parables, allusions, etc?

do you like nature? sex/eroticism?

love??? death? evil vs. good?

what am i forgetting that's obvious... ?

also, do you liked tightly structured poetry, or do you agree with the notion that poetry should not be written like it's a mathematical equation?

sonnets? ballads? odes? epics?

 

[brettig]

Really depends on the writer...some do the intricate stuff better while others can have the writing flow out of them in no uniform manner while still creating wonderful pictures and patterns.

As far as writing it...i go for the flow stuff, as i just dont enjoy treating writing as a science. Similarly when i write anything, i just start it and go thru with it to the end, and trust myself to structure it in the appropriate manner...

seeya soon wanderer, sir

 

[foray]

Which do I prefer to read or write? Either way, depends on my mood, sometimes.

I prefer half-rhymes to obvious rhymes. I like the half rhyme because it helps me forget that I'm reading a poem, and sometimes, depending on the context, that is the key thing.

I admire poems that have difficult structures, like say, the villanelle or an ABA BCB DCD rhyme scheme that is there only subtly. I think Elizabeth Jennings mastered poem techniques; also not surprising given she was a nutcase and poems were her only grip on order and sanity.

Stream of consciousness poems, imo, tend to be repetitive, and if the repetition doesn't work in the context, the whole thing falls apart. That's just for me. I'm not sure what the difference is between stream of consciousness and spontaneous poetry. I think a lot of spontaneous poetry here is good, like those threads where we invite each other to write anything that comes to mind.

I like poetry with clever and inspired metaphors, and Bono seems to have tapped into that world. I still think his most genius line is ambition bites the nails of success.

I like, and strive toward, poems that suggest and not tell. That's the hardest thing, isn't it? And at the same time, not to make the poem a riddle for the sake of being a riddle.

Sorry I went on and on. I must seem like a choosy reader

foray

 

[The_Sweetest_Thing]

I'll read just about everything, but...I think it all comes down to the feeling of the poem for me. I've read the stuff about love, about death, about sex, about everything.

I think Acrob@t's "Crimson Fire" is wonderful. And Wanderer's "Heaven's Blossom" was the first poem I ever read here and it moves me to tears every time. And "The Lovers." BabyGrace's "Chillens Fantasy" and Achtung_Bebe's "Long Distance Time Travel." Manda's "Don't make me think of a Title" and "Borrowed Time" (which I think flow into each other).

There's others, but these stand out in my mind. Completely different styles.

I think anything that pulls a chord with me is A-Ok

I like cleverness--unexpected metaphors, allusions. I'm not a huge fan of complete rhymes, as foray said. I enjoy the half-rhyme (cause when I realize that IT DOES in fact, rhyme, I feel like I've shared something special w/ the author that maybe not everyone has realized).

Sometimes better when edited, other times, not.

"If" is my favouite poem of all time (Rudyard Kipling). It's inspiring...but I don't always subscribe to the self-help, you-can-do-better, believe-in-yourself guru package.

Bono has mastered the art of the clever metaphor hidden in streams of religious and polotical context. I love it. His words bring a message to me ... a message. Maybe that's what's it's all about anyway: The heart

Or maybe I'm just indecisive.



[This message has been edited by The_Sweetest_Thing (edited 01-31-2002).]

 

[Bonochick]

I love death and heartache.

------------------
"Hallelujah, Heaven's white rose,
The doors you open...I just can't close..."

 

[The_Sweetest_Thing]

Originally posted by Bonochick:
I love death and heartache.

Surprise, surprise. *lol* Be happy for the love of Bono!

 

[scatteroflight]

This question is a lot harder to answer than I would have thought. In a way, it's easier to say what I DON'T like in poetry. I don't like poetry that's consciously "clever," unless it's absolutely brilliant like some of Ogden Nash, and T.S. Eliot's humorous poetry like the Practical Cats, stuff like that. I don't like poetry that tries too hard, but don't ask me to explain what trying too hard is. I don't like poetry that is ugly without being illuminating. I don't like nastiness for its own sake. I know that there's a lot of ugliness out there, but if I'm going to read poetry about it, I don't just want to be shocked, I want to discover something worthwhile.

My favourite poets, at least some of them, are W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, P.K. Page, so I guess I can conclude that I really like poets with two initials and a last name

But seriously, I love poetry best that has a rhythmic beauty in the words and that also puts images of searing brightness into my mind. I like it when poets acknowledge their debt to the literature of the past but aren't derivative (sometimes I think Eliot almost oversteps the line, like in The Waste Land about three quarters of the lines are borrowed or altered form someone else! but he puts them together so well...). I prefer poetry that is rich in imagery--but knows where to stop with the richness--over very spare poetry; unfortunately, I seem to be better at writing spare poetry myself. And I can't really say I prefer formal poetry to free verse, or vice versa, because I love both when they are well done.

I love poetry that casts a blinding light, that sends shivers down my spine. That seems to reveal something to me about identity or that tells me about the emotions I feel. I fear I am being very pretentious here and not making much sense, but it's the closest I can get.

When I write poetry myself I seem to return constantly, without even trying, to Biblical imagery, simply because it's in me. Other than that I'm not sure I can say I prefer to write about a certain thing. I've written love poetry like everyone but most of it sucks--I can't write good poems when I'm in love. Oh, and I also can't get away from imagery of light and darkness, so much so that I tend to repeat myself, I think.



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Love was never a single emotion

-ACROB@T

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

The world revolves around love.

I think the ones dealing with love are my favorites.

------------------
My scream got lost in a paper cup...

 

[U2002revolution!]

i perfer death/dark/sad/depressing kinda poems cause thats the place in life i'm at right now and i like something i can relate too

------------------
' I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name. . .'
.:. U2: Rock's Unbreakable Heart!

Love is...cold steel/Fingers too numb to feel/Squeeze the handle/Blow out the candle
Love is blindness.../A little death/Without mourning/No call/And no warning...

[Thanks M.P.]

[This message has been edited by U2002revolution! (edited 02-10-2002).]

 

[BabyGrace]

spiritual/religious metaphors, parables, allusions, etc?
do you like nature? sex/eroticism?

love??? death? evil vs. good?

um...all of them?

I've always loved Christian metaphors (something that attracted me to U2) simply because this faith is such a mystery to me that it fascinates me.

Since I was very little, I have loved nature and appreciate it in any art form.

Eroticism is something I enjoy and can find in most poems probably because humans are such sexual creatures, but I prefer it to be an underlying theme.

Love and death are the two things I tend to write about the most, I think that says how I feel about those themes.

Evil versus good...something I, once again, appreciate in any art form. I find the exploration of the boundaries of "evil" and "good" excellent writing topics, and I know that when I was little all the literature I read had to do with these two things (i.e. Redwall series

, and those Over Sea Under Stone books--sorry I can't remember the author!).

What I look for in any poetry, basically, is something that's real and touchable; something I can relate to and understand as a human being, and something that challenges the way I think.

As for style, I've always appreciated loose poetry far more, it takes a truly phenomenal writer to be able to cram their poetry into a certain structure without losing the power of what they're saying, and there aren't too many of them out there. I prefer poetry that comes straight from the soul, whether it is structured or not.

Sorry to write so much but that's what I like in poetry (and art in general)!

 

[scatteroflight]

Originally posted by BabyGrace:


Evil versus good...something I, once again, appreciate in any art form. I find the exploration of the boundaries of "evil" and "good" excellent writing topics, and I know that when I was little all the literature I read had to do with these two things (i.e. Redwall series

, and those Over Sea Under Stone books--sorry I can't remember the author!).

Just had to say--you have good taste, girl! I still read those Redwall books and I'm 22!

Though the earlier ones were better, they're definitely a little stale now, though still fun. And the other books are by Susan Cooper--Over Sea Under Stone, The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. I actually wrote a paper recently on them which I will be submitting to a journal of Arthurian studies. Children's lit rocks! Not just for kids!

Rant over

------------------
Love was never a single emotion

-ACROB@T

[This message has been edited by scatteroflight (edited 02-10-2002).]

 

[BabyGrace]

Susan Cooper--that's it!! Thanks Scatter, God you have no idea how fascinated I was by those books, I adored them, and I was so devastated when I finished the series that I had no clue what else to read...which is when I picked up Mattimeo

I'll agree the more recent ones by Brian Jacques are getting kind of stale, more like following a formula, but I still love them. What were your favourite animals? I was in love with the badgers of Salamandastron, I wanted to be the Badger Lord...Sunflash the Mace, I believe? I was madly in love with the combination of good and danger in their character. Oh wow, walk down memory lane, thanks scatter hehe

just made me think of.. damn what's that one with the Lion that is sacrificed...oh, The Witch and the Wardrobe??? yes, beautiful book. I'm sorry, kid books have some of the most meaningful stuff out there

 

[scatteroflight]

Narnia, such classics as well...though the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe wasn't my favourite. I really love The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Horse and his Boy and The Last Battle.

Favourite characters in Redwall books? Never really thought about it. The mice are great, of course. I think Redwall and Mattimeo are the two best books. Well, I think the hares and their cheesy accents are great

Basil Stag Hare is so funny! The moles are very cute too. I don't think the badgers appealed to me quite as much.

Have you ever read The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O'Shea? CLASSIC children's good vs. evil, and it takes place in Ireland! Very funny book too. It can be hard to find but it was recently reprinted quite widely.

I seem to be turning this into a children's lit appreciation thread

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Love was never a single emotion

-ACROB@T

[This message has been edited by scatteroflight (edited 02-11-2002).]

 

[zooropamanda]

Ive been pondering this one.
At most I guess I am and will always be a hopeless romantic so poetry about love and torn hearts will always be something I'm drawn to.I adore sonnets and ballads.
To be honest Im not that keen on poetry that goes on for 10 pages. Thats a novel not a poem lol.

I love poetry with wonderful imagery, where there could be a line that makes you stop and think how it amazing it is that someone could think that up. I guess I try to find lines like that, that create an image that has never been seen before.

I find tragedy in poetry interesting but I wouldn't necessarily say I enjoy reading it.

Structured poems amaze me actually. The good ones that is.
I used to try and write with structure and i bascially ended up with just a bunch of poems that rhyme and yeah well, you know..
A well written structured poem is an amazing feat and something I hope to write atleast once in my life.

Basically I think if it makes you feel something, if it causes the reader to stop and think about things then its the goods.

haha Sweetest Thing i cant even remember what the poem of mine i called "dont make me think of a title" is.
I agree with you on those poems you listed of poets acrobat, wanderer, BG, and bebe. You have a good eye sweetest thing.They each definitely have their own style which is an amazing thing to think about. Another style of poetry that I love is that of frogbat which we now miss out on. He gave us a real different spin on things here in DOL. I truly love his raw writing style.

Scatter, its weird I loved The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but hated The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I found the latter utterly boring!
Children's lit is great though. Maybe we should start another thread.

[This message has been edited by zooropamanda (edited 02-12-2002).]

 

[brettig]

*prince caspian fan

 

[scatteroflight]

Originally posted by brettig:
*prince caspian fan

Interesting to see different opinions, Prince Caspian was always the one I found boring

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Love was never a single emotion

-ACROB@T

 

[brettig]

Originally posted by scatteroflight:
Interesting to see different opinions, Prince Caspian was always the one I found boring

felt more like a genuine medieval tale to me, real battles n things, councils of war etc...i enjoyed all the narnia books but that one came close to replicating stuff i was interested in at the time...

 

[BabyGrace]

haha scatter, I'll take the blame it's my fault for starting this, and no I have never read that book (that I remember cause Im horrible with titles) but I guess I'll have to now

Prince Caspian...
soembody help me out? I know I'm forgetting some series here and I can just vaguely remember, but not quite..
ooh its been pissing me off for a couple of days now!!

maybe we should start another thread..sorry Wanderer

 

[brettig]

Caspian is the book between Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and Voyage of The Dawn Treader in the Narnia series...

 

[BabyGrace]

thanks brettig..gosh my memory is bloody awful

still haven't remembered what I'm thinking of..
I know there were these evil horse-riding dudes with skulls for heads and antlers on it I think. and something to do with a cauldron. but that's all I remember, and I could possibly be confusing this with other stuff I read, or it might be a combination of all the books I've read

oh the mind does funny things sometimes..

 

[scatteroflight]

Originally posted by BabyGrace:
thanks brettig..gosh my memory is bloody awful

still haven't remembered what I'm thinking of..
I know there were these evil horse-riding dudes with skulls for heads and antlers on it I think. and something to do with a cauldron. but that's all I remember, and I could possibly be confusing this with other stuff I read, or it might be a combination of all the books I've read

oh the mind does funny things sometimes..

I know I know I know!

The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. Great books those are! All based on Welsh mythology and I'm going to Wales this summer! Must read them again. The books were The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King. Good stuff.

I just love children's books

Sorry for taking over your thread, Wanderer...



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Your sun so bright it leaves no shadows, only scars
Carved into stone on the face of earth
The moon is up and over One Tree Hill
We see the sun go down in your eyes

 

[BabyGrace]

haha you're a genius Scattero!! thanks for having the memory I don't have

now if I could just remember what those books were about and why I loved them so much..
I'll have to reread them too now

yeah we really took this thread in a different direction..I would start a new one but Im afraid then no one will wanna talk about it anymore..
sorry Wanderer