What kind of writer are you?

Patience and Fortitude #1 “Some Poets”

What kind of writer are you? 

Some poets like to make observations about the natural world. Spinning intricate word webs to catch a reader’s fancy by describing sunsets, animals, bugs, oceans, clouds, etc, nature poets find solace in observing the non human world.

Some poets use their craft as soap box editorial poetry, espousing opinions on topics not always easily approachable, yet significant in that a valid conversation needs to address some sort of reasonable compromise.

Some poets use poetry as a cathartic device or even a primal scream method of airing one’s troubles out, for all to see, a sort of poetry therapy. Once out, the pains can be reconciled and dealt with on a basis of sound heath and reliable truths.

Some poets are romantic poets , and focus on themes of love and loss. It is a broad field to kick the ball around in, with a flexible playbook  of emotions to maneuver within unlimited boundaries of adoration.

Some poets write dark poetry, delving deep within the depths of a tortured soul attempting to translate a wicked world into something not only acceptable but also enjoyable… and not so scary after all but relatable.

Some poets exist on the flip side of the spiritual coin, operating on devotional poetry, concentrating  on the hope of redemption within a world weighed down by all that is contentious to a peaceful spirit.

Then there are those everyday poets that just like to write for writings sake. Relentless journal fillers turning to fancy means of communicating their ideas, these poets love to turn a phrase, experiment, and just simply love to write for no other reason but to create.

Yet every poet hits a wall. Lack of quality material, forgetting an unforgettable phrase, losing poems due to a computer problem, life and death events, distraction of every order,…. these issues dog every bard in one way or another.

What kind of a writer are you? What keeps you writing poet?  Have you ever hit this wall? Let me know if any of this resonates with you dear reader! We love to hear from you. 

See you tomorrow for a resounding conclusion to see where I’m going with this article in Patience and Fortitude #2 ! To be continued…

Matt Elmore 

Where do you sit?

Poetry writing styles can be a bit like sitting in a classroom. You generally know your place. You usually sit in that place, and only change when you are asked to do so, or circumstances demand a move. Sitting in the same place gives you a unique perspective on the view, but it is only one view. To gain alternative perspective in the room, a move is necessary. Where is this leading? The clue was in the first sentence. 

We become comfortable with our place in a classroom (or a lecture hall, or a social club, or a church service) and frequently sit there. We don't welcome change. And that's analogous to our poetry writing style. Some can be eclectic and move around and switch between styles and themes. Others are comfortable writing from the same perspective time and time again. Both are cool. Poets write what they care about and if they care, they will write with a passion. 

But... here's the twist. Sometimes you can lose your passion, motivation, muse ... whatever you care to call it. Then the blank page begins to taunt you, and no matter what you try to do, that page remains blank, or repeatedly ends up as a screwed up ball in the trash can. Frustration upon frustration. Then it's probably time to change your seat. Adopt another style, take on another theme - try something new. The image above is a timeline depicting the evolution of literature in the western world. It is quite useful because you can attach specific writing styles (and even authors and poets) to each period of time. 

But the best question is... where do you sit in this time line? Are your writing in a modernist style, or one of the other styles? Do you have your feet planted in the dark romantic era, or are you delving into the fallow depths of Renaissance poetry? And are you prepared to venture into unknown territory to try something new? For the sake of creativity.

Steve Wheeler 

Image from this source