|| Replies ||

User	Sandburg | 2004-12-07 |
Subject	untitled
Message	Think about the last time you went through an art gallery. Preferably a nice large exhibit with many styles of paintings present. Now imagine if each artist had to paint the exact same way. No, one uses a pallet, one a brush. One is abstract, another impressionist. The Dutch Masters make the light look like it is coming from some point on the ceiling. Our art isn’t that much different. Everyone writes for different reasons, from different stimuli, at different times. Some write while depressed, others while happy. I think if you are wise you’ll try as many as you possibly can and won’t limit yourself. Can you construct a poem? Sure. Will it be a good poem? Could be, depends on who constructs it I guess. Right now the best advice I could give anyone is to try to write something as often as you can. You don’t have to publish it, you can always go back and edit it, or steal lines from it for another poem. People don’t just jump up from the couch and run a marathon, they practice many shorter runs every day for months beforehand. Why should this be any different. You don’t expect to wake up next year and be Emily Dickinson, do you? Free words of wisdom, money back guarantee. Dave

User	magnicat | 2004-12-04 |
Subject	untitled
Message	i s’pose it works different for everyone. most of my poems come upon me in the middle of the night, and i have to get up and write it down or it’ll haunt me. trying the carefully constructed thing doesn’t seem to work for me. sounds too forced. everyone has their own way of doing it, though. whenever the muse strikes, i say listen!!

User	joeyalphabet | 2004-12-03 |
Subject	untitled
Message	whatever method works for you. sometimes ideas hit me half-formed and i DO have to work them out. other times they’re complete and it’s like taking dictation. i don’t think anyone can say there’s only one method for writing poetry

User	Erchomenos | 2004-06-10 |
Subject	untitled
Message	Hmm. I think a little of both is good. Often an idea will come to me and I’ll let it fester in my brain for a day or two or ten. The content dictates the form, though, IMO. Sure you can get creative urgings at three in the morning... I often do. If I jump up and write them out I sometimes get decent results. Usually, though, I only write out the few lines/sentences that came to me and leave it at that, letting the rest of it sort itself out in my brain. Then I’ll look over what I have the next day, and if it’s good, let that get the creative juices flowing. No matter what anyone says, I think revision is always key. There’s almost ALWAYS a better way to say something... at least, there always is for me. So... where am I going with this? Right... content dictates form... ah... when I’m writing, I often plan out the content, playing with what works and what doesn’t, but the form almost seems to choose itself depending on what it is I’m trying to say. That part of it is intuitive. Hope I haven’t confused you more... my brain is a confusing place :) -Erch

User	jaycee | 2004-05-25 |
Subject	untitled
Message	I think the subject and form can be planned, but most of the words need to flow. I can sit and think about a topic and force it into a form and with a few edits have something decent. Of course I also think edits like revenge are better served cold when you’ve lost a bit of the emotional connection to the poem.

User	WorththeWait | 2004-02-21 |
Subject	insomniac poetry
Message	sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Some of my best work has come from midnight walks and 4 hours of staring at the ceiling. Then again, Home and Sojourner came from the same set-up, and they are TERRIBLE! :) <><

User	eve1684 | 2004-01-22 |
Subject
Message	well, I get some really good ideas when I lie in bed and want to sleep. but the only two things I submitted on this site are "planned" ones. I sat down and wanted to write. don’t really know if they’re better than the rest. maybe I should post a "unplanned" one and see what you think of it....

User	myghostsliketotravel | 2004-01-05 |
Subject	poetry
Message	trying to write constructively with purpose, intent and form is like trying to scratch an itchy brain. impossible.

User	Webmaster | 2004-01-01 |
Subject	=)
Message	That’s the grossest oarallel I’ve heard. Well done, thinking different is good.

User	aghori | 2003-12-31 |
Subject
Message	Writing poetry is like vomiting to me, I have this unrepressable desire in all of my being to get it out, and when out it comes I feel better and put it away. I almost never do edits or rewrites. Reading my own poetry (Not to be gross) is like looking at my poo, its a reflection of my mental well being. If I look/read and its wrong I find out why and fix it :)

User	Webmaster | 2003-11-10 |
Subject	I dunno
Message	Depends really. Good ideas are good ideas, maybe you have something or maybe it’s just fuzzy. Personally, I don’t care much for depressed poetry as it relies too much on shock value and cliche imagery(not that all of it does). I see it more as a way to vent or to sort out a group psychology point of view. If you write something keep looking at it ever couple of days and if it still holds strength the leave it.