An Invisible Poets roadshow near you?

I mentioned on Live Poets Society UK recently that I was considering the possibility of taking Invisible Poets on the road. By that, I meant bringing a live poetry show with performances, interviews, book launch, open mic etc to a place near you. It's a grand ambition and quite daunting but not one that is impossible. I would need local organisers who were willing to commit to doing some local organisation, promotion and other preparation to make an event happen in their home town. So what would be involved? Putting on a roadshow can be complex, and work needs to go into organising, but there are some tried and tested formulae. 

Here are a few ideas and a checklist of things that would need to be in place to stage a successful Invisible Poets event in your home town.

1) We would need a secure venue. It doesn't need to be a massive space, just a place which is lockable, and where we can set up a small performance area, possibly with staging (not essential), and a power supply (required). Wheelsong Books would provide the public address system and lighting rig. Easy chairs for interviews would be required, depending on which poets are being interviewed. 

2) A table somewhere in the venue to display books and merchandising. Wheelsong would supply the materials for display, the merchandise and the paying facilities.

3) Publicity and promotion of the event. Wheelsong Books would publicise through social media, but it would also be up to the local organisers to put the word out that the event was happening, and to do this at least 4 weeks in advance of the event. 

4) Accommodation near to the venue if the host/MC/invited poets required overnight accommodation depending on the travel distances. 

Wheelsong Books would sponsor the event, and that would mean there would be a small ticket price which might also include free merchandise from the book stand. Ticketing would be managed by Wheelsong Books, through an electronic ticketing service, or pay on the door. 

The essential Invisible Poets Roadshow might include the following elements:

a) Headline performances by invited/guest poets

b) Performance by the host/MC

c) Interviews and question/answer sessions

d) Open Mic session

e) Specialist writing workshops (for all day or half day events)

f) Book launches and signings

g) Meet and greet sessions with authors

h) Social event

So who is up for organising an event, either somewhere in the UK (we can do these fairly easily) or farther afield? Please respond in the comments section beneath this post, or email wheelsong6@gmail.com to discuss this idea in more detail. 

Steve Wheeler

Image Copyright by Steve Wheeler, 2025

P.S. The first event is currently being organised in Derby, England, for Friday 30th May 2025. We aim to raise as much money we can for Save the Children, so please do come along if you can and support this event!

Synecdoche and Metonymy: Poetic Devices

Poetry is often hailed as the ultimate art form, I can understand why people say this. It has the power to evoke profound thoughts and emotions in both the writer and the reader. Two essential poetic devices that contribute to this are called synecdoche and metonymy. While these terms may initially seem daunting, they are actually quite simple and, with practice, can be easily incorporated into your own body of work. I was quite surprised that I have been using these methods even before I knew they were poetic devices and what they are called. These techniques can definitely enhance your poetry.  Synecdoche and metonymy are basically figures of speech that involve using a word or phrase to represent a larger concept or idea. In this blog, I will delve into the definitions of both these devices, provide examples of their usage within poetry, and explore how they enhance poetic expression. 

Explaining Synecdoche:

Synecdoche is a common literary device that involves using only a part of something to represent the whole or it can be vice versa. This can also involve using a specific member of a category to represent the entire group. The effectiveness of synecdoche lies in its ability to convey complex ideas or emotions in a concise and impactful manner. By focusing on a specific detail, the poet can provide a deeper and symbolic insight into the larger context.

Example 1:

"Nice wheels, George Jones ."

In this example the phrase "Nice wheels George Jones.” is used as a synecdoche to represent an entire car. The word "wheels" is used to refer to the whole motor vehicle. See how clever and witty Synecdoche can be. 

Example 2:

"All hands on deck, except Donald Dole” 

The initial part of this phrase is commonly attributed in various shows and books , this one in particular employs the synecdoche of "hands" to represent the entire group or team, instead of fleshy human hands. It implies that everyone is needed for an assignment, a particular communication or task at hand… well except for poor Donald Dole that is as he was left out perhaps due to his shenanigans. 

Explaining Metonymy:

Metonymy is practically a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted with another word or phrase that is directly associated with it. Unlike synecdoche, which focuses on parts representing wholes, metonymy involves using related concepts or attributes to represent a larger idea. This device allows poets to add layers of meaning and create vivid imagery through indirect associations.

Example 1:

"Brandon you need to hit the gym”

In this example, “Brandon you need to hit the gym” is a slang phrase that incorporates metonymy because this is implied that Brandon needs get off of the couch and go to the gym and exercise rather than put on a boxing glove and literally punching the gym, which can be painful as you all know. The word hit is used symbolically for exercising. 

Example 2:

"Steve Wheeler brought down the house in Live Poets Society tonight."

Here is another clever use of Metonymy. Here this implies that Steve Wheeler put on a great performance compared to him crumbling a house literally on all of us. The term house symbolizes the audience.

There’s many benefits of Using Synecdoche and Metonymy which can expand the writers communication toward the reader by communicating complex ideas and feelings in a memorable way. This can also enhance the imagery of your poem, more effective use of symbolism and can add different layers of meanings in the writer’s composition.

Synecdoche and metonymy are powerful poetic devices that allow for concise and impactful communication. These figures of speech enable poets to represent complex ideas or emotions by using a part to represent the whole or by associating related concepts. By employing synecdoche and metonymy, poets can enhance their imagery, convey layered meanings, and create powerful symbols. The use of these devices enriches the reader's experience, making poetry a vibrant and profound art form. I encourage you to experiment with these methods and poetic devices, and I look forward to reading your articulations that implement these techniques.

Brandon Adam Haven 

The poet in the green hoodie

The very first image used to promote Invisible Poets was a guy in a black hoodie, crouching down on a the track of a railway bridge. It was meant to depict anonymity. We used this for some time to promote the Facebook poetry group. More recently, as we approach our first birthday, we've had a bit of a revamp. The poet in the green hoodie is perhaps, more striking an image. And it's versatile, because the green poet pops up everywhere in a variety of scenarios. It's an ironic statement on the back of an ironic idea. Meta irony, if you will...

Invisible Poets was a title Charlene Phare and I dreamed up when we set up the group in early February 2023. We didn't expect it to grow into a community of more than 25,000 members, but we did aim at trying to make those poets who felt they were 'anonymous' and unrecognised into more visible artists. To achieve this, we decided to offer opportunities on Invisible that could not be found elsewhere. 

There is now a Live Poets Society show 3 times a week, from the UK, USA and South Africa, which seeks to showcase the very best in poetry from postings exclusively inside the group. We seek not only to read out the best poems, but to perform them. The shows attract hundreds of viewers. 

A group blog was set up to promote ideas about poetry, and to support poets as they develop their craft. The blog features news and views, and a large percentage of the posts are dedicated to poetic devices and forms and how to use them. This is a form of mentoring for those who choose to read the blog, and it offers free education to anyone in the group, or indeed elsewhere in the poetrysphere.

Finally, in collaboration with Wheelsong Books, we have produced several anthologies to raise the profile of poets, enable many to achieve their first publications, and through a rigorous peer review system ensure that every poem that is published has gone through the checks and balances to be certified as great poetry.

The green hoodie poet will be seen more and more as time goes by, and as the reach and influence of Invisible Poets extends out across the poetry world.

Steve Wheeler 

Invisible Poets Anthology

Just so you know... Invisible Poets is celebrating its first birthday this week. The Facebook poetry group, which at the time or writing has over 25,000 members, was set up by Charlene Phare and Steve Wheeler on February 11, 2023. It has grown exponentially thanks to the marvellous Admin and Moderator team has remained safe, active and vibrant. 

To mark the first anniversary, the first Invisible Poets Anthology has been published - in paperback, hardcover and Kindle editions. We chose 350 poems to feature in the book. The selection process was quite rigorous, so the poems you read when you open the pages will be some of the best that currently exist on Facebook poetry groups. That's quite a bold claim, but I don't make it blithely. Here's the process...

First, only poems that have featured on one of the Live Poets Society shows were considered. To be performed on the show in the first place, a poem must stand out, be unique and have an emotional impact on the hosts who select the poems each week. The poems in the list are all special in their own ways. Secondly, from this list of more than 800 poems, only the best of the best of these were selected to be included in the book. The anthology poems are diverse in style, and eclectic in their subject matter. There is literally something for everyone in the anthology.

What is even better is this... for every book sold, whether from Amazon, or from one of the online stores such as Waterstones (UK), Barnes and Noble (USA) or direct from Wheelsong Books, a worldwide charity called Save the Children will receive the same donation. This is for children caught up in disaster areas or war zones. Save the Children provide food, medicine and medical care, clothing and shelter and education opportunities for children in crisis. Wheelsong Books has been proud to be associated with the charity for the last 2 years. 

So, this anthology is not only jammed packed full of wonderful, insipiring poetry in its 300 pages, it is also doing some good for little ones who are in desperate need. What is stopping you from buying one or more copies of this beautiful book?

Steve Wheeler

Image copyright by Wheelsong Books

Behind The Scenes: Live Poets Society

Steve Wheeler’s Live Poets Society has become quite a hit on Facebook, and continues to draw a bigger audience each week. I have hosted a few shows, my favorites with fellow poet colleague and friend Brandon Adam Haven. Brandon being at the helm has given the show even more of a boost with his fluid talent and extensive, yet humble, expertise.

Together, we currently tackle the duties of putting on a quality video poetry broadcast for Invisible Poets, Steve’s show being the flagship of Live Poets Society. Steve named to title as a tongue in cheek nod to the Dead Poets Society movie with Robin Williams. 

Fellow Wheelsong author and alumni Charlene Phare has also enjoyed quite a following with her “No Holds Barred” program of similar tone and content. We can’t wait to see her at it again soon!

Reading of the poems lies within “performing” them… giving them all breath and life… with inflections on key words. 

Reading poems is only a small part of the effort to make this kind of show possible. It is the selection of poems that makes the job a challenge. It starts with allowing for a negligible size, format, and content as Steve pointed out in his last blog. Should you have an interest in being on the show you MUST  check it out in this link… 

 https://wheelsongbooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/how-to-get-your-poem-read-on-live-poets.html?m=1

Promoting the best poets is what we do… only next level poems make it on the show. With the growing number of Invisible Poets Group memebrs on Facebook, we’ve found that it takes two shows to do all the poets justice. I don’t believe any other group that I know of is doing two shows a week of this magnitude on social media. Invisible Poets is becoming a premiere poetry group!

Incorporating humor is also an essential element of this particular show… as Steve has his occasional “cleaners” dropping in… or poet dog barking up a soliloquy. For Brandon and I, it is our rap names of BDizzle and Big Stack, or aliens behind me, or whatever is happening around us. We love to be silly and serious both. It gives the show wings. 

I personally believe if the show is a joy to host, which it really is, then it will be a joy to watch, which it has been for poets and poetry admirers both. 

Please join Brandon and I live on Tuesdays at 8 PM UK & 3 PM USA Eastern Standard time… and catch the mothership with Steve on Fridays at the same respective times. Join us and hear quality poetry done up right.

Matt Elmore

How to get your poem read on Live Poets Society

Live Poets Society is an important element of the Invisible Poets group. It's a live show that goes out every Friday at 8pm (UK time; 3pm EST, US) and draws quite a few viewers. The USA version is hosted by Matt Elmore and Brandon Adam Haven at the same time on Tuesdays. Who knows if there will be other spin offs? 

Some editions of Live Poets Society have been known to attract upwards of 1000 views, and all the poems are selected exclusively from Invisible Poets by the hosts. Poets can gain live feedback from viewers on their work, and it's usually very positive! It's quite a hot ticket to get your poetry read out (actually performed) on one of the shows. Many people understandably ask how they get their Poems read on the shows.

Here are some words of advice:

1) You first need to be a member of Invisible Poets poetry group. Click this link to join us! 

2) Share you poem to the group using plain text. We don't read out poetry that's submitted as images or videos. They're just about impossible to transfer across to the system for reading.

3) Lengthy poems are less likely to be selected. The shows are only 30 minutes long, and we like to read as may as we can in the time available. Keep your poems short and punchy if you can. 

4) This last one is subjective, but important, so listen up. We tend to choose poems that are different and out of the ordinary. Quirky and strange is good, bland ad predictable not so much. If you want to catch our eye, write outside of your comfort zone, make your poetry stand out, make it unusual, and highly visible! Take some risks and see what happens. 

Do not try to circumvent the above by attempting to send your poetry direct to one of the presenters. We tend to ignore this approach. 

I hope this helps those who want their poetry showcased on the shows. We are always on the lookout to add to the playlist! 

NB: If you'd like to learn how to enhance and enliven your poetry, check it all of the instructional posts on this blog. There are plenty!

Steve Wheeler 

Image from PickPic