Charity And Poetry

As we approach the introduction of the brand new  Wheelsong Anthology Three next week, an article considering the scope of what Wheelsong does is in order. 

Wheelsong Books was formed by Steve Wheeler, and is currently dedicated to funding Save The Children through the total profits of an ongoing poetry series. This series contains many stellar works of a number of both established and little known poets, all of which demonstrate exemplary work in their craft.

There are so many charitable organizations out there, and causes as well.  Some charitable causes include issues related to addiction, race, the blind, cancer, child protection, civil rights, consumer rights, environmental, and health. Also included would be those dealing with housing, human rights, human services, hunger, international relief, LGBTQ+, education, mental health, and police. Let’s not forget reproductive health, terminally ill, women’s advocacy, and youth charities!

The mission statement of Wheelsong is to contribute not only to the discovery and development of poetic talent, but also to doing our part within a global community to make a difference. This article is only a peek into a vast window of opportunities to positively influence so many lives in so many ways… whether through direct donations or by being the voice of a movement.

As an author within the Wheelsong roster… my main motivation is to making this difference. By contributing and buying the Wheelsong anthologies, whether it is one for myself, or as Christmas gifts for my loved ones, I know that all the profits are going straight to children that need the resources. Resources I have and am willing to share! 

This word from Steve Wheeler today…

                                          —

“Hi @everyone 

£3.00 can feed a malnourished child for a month. £3.00 can buy two sterile birthing kits. £3.00 can go a very long way in an area of deprivation or disaster. And guess what? £3.00 is the profit gained from every Wheelsong Poetry Anthology sold on Amazon. 

Wheelsong Books has so far donated £1500.00 to Save the Children from book sales. We would love to send more. If every member of Invisible Poets bought one copy, we could send another £22,000 to help kids in crisis!

This book is published on 19th September. Will you buy into the Wheelsong vision? Poetry against poverty!”

                                           —

For those who live in fields of plenty… a little can mean a lot… to those who have such a small amount of anything. 

Please consider buying a Wheelsong Anthology and keep hope alive for impoverished children around the world.

Matt Elmore

Resources:

Top Rated Charities— 

www.charity watch.com

Types Of Giving: The ABCs Of Donations—            

www.copecorrales.com

Image provided by: Unsplash

Beyond Poetry - Wheelsong Anthology 3

 

The emphasis of the mission statement of Wheelsong Books is not solely about poetry. It is really about poverty.

Wheelsong is coming out next week with a brand new Anthology Three in a series of absolutely new poems to knock the socks off the poetry world! However, the purpose of these books is not  to demonstrate the immense talent that makes up the roster of the Wheelsong poets. It is about children in need. 

ALL of the proceeds to Wheelsong Anthology Three are going to Save The Children, an international organization and movement designed for the sole purpose of helping impoverished children around the entire world. 

In 2021 alone, Save The Children supported 183 million children, distributing 22.8 million meals to children living in poverty in America alone… helped 12 million children access quality education – including more than 6.2 million girls… improved the nutrition of 3.2 million mothers and 10.1 million children… responded to 103 emergencies in more than 80 countries.

It employs vastly effective health, education, and protection programs, in addition to emergency response.

Just this morning Steve Wheeler listed this statement for the Invisible Poets Group on Facebook. “I just sent in another £375 donation to Save the Children from the sales of Wheelsong Poetry Anthologies. We are making a difference. Wheelsong Poetry Anthology Books 1 and 2 are still available for purchase on Amazon and Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 3 will be published next week! Thank you to all who are supporting this amazing effort to bring aid to children in crisis around the world!”

By purchasing Wheelsong Anthology III next week with a reasonable contribution, you can make a difference in a child’s life in so many ways… and also receive a FANTASTIC  book of the most professional quality selected poems.

Wheelsong publisher Steve Wheeler also had this to say of the ongoing Anthology series….

“Money is a terrible master but a great servant. Some of the money we recently sent went to purchase food paste sachets for malnourished children. Some went to fund a camel library to reach unschooled children in Ethiopia. Some went to support orphaned children in Ukraine. Purchase a copy of one of the Anthologies and you'll be helping.”

Please consider this today. The Wheelsong Anthologies are all available on Amazon. Buy one or all three!!!

Children really are suffering now. This is a wonderful way to support them and receive an incredible gift of beyond beautiful poetry in the process…

Matt Elmore

Image By: Save The Children Foundation

Poetic devices 10: Allegory

You've hear of metaphor, and you may well have used it in your writing. Metaphor in poetry is very powerful, giving the reader a deeper insight into some profound meaning that must be conveyed. Wouldn't it be great if you could extend that metaphor to an entire narrative or context? Well... you can! 

That's exactly what allegory can achieve. An allegorical narrative is one in which the metaphor extends to encompass characters, objects or places. The entire story becomes one great metaphor. Beneath the surface of the appearance or shape of the words (morphology) and their sounds (phonetics) lies a deeper, symbolic meaning (semantics) to be grasped and understood. The poem or story becomes the vehicle to convey the message through the allegory.

There are many examples of allegory in literature, found in ancient Greek mythology. Take for example Homer's epic poems Odyssey, which is not really about a journey at all, but more a pithy commentary on human emotion and life. The voyage through the land of the lotus eaters represents temptation and illicit pleasure while anger is personified in the Cyclops. 

Allegory can also be seen in the parables of Jesus Christ, who represented His gospel message as seeds that could be sewn on fertile land (which grew into faith) or strewn on stony ground (which failed to produce the fruit of faith) or even to fall in among thorns and weeds (where it was stifled and died). Search through the synoptic gospels and you will find hundreds of extended metaphors. 

There are many examples of extended metaphor or allegory in more recent literature. Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory of the Russian revolution of 1917, where the autocratic Czar (the farmer) was overthrown by the common people (the animals) only to be ruled even more brutally by the Bolsheviks (the pigs). 

In poetry, allegory is common. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a simple religious allegory of sin and redemption with the albatross representing Christ. The albatross is sent to save the ship, but the mariner kills it with his cross-bow. This is pure symbolism disguised as a story. 

More recently allegory is rife in popular culture, whether in Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Lost; or in blockbuster movies such as Gravity or Interstellar, the extended metaphor continues to work its magic. Think about what each story represents, and then see if you can develop your own message based on an allegory. 

Steve Wheeler

Previous posts in this series

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Repetition and refrains
4. Alliteration
5. Assonance
6. End Rhymes
7. Internal Rhymes
8. Rhythm and Tempo
9. Enjambment

Image from Ben Templesmith on Flickr

Poetic devices 9: Enjambment

Enjambment .... it's a French word, right? Lots of poets have never heard of it. But we've all seen it. We just don't know the correct word to describe it. You know... that weird thing where a new sentence starts in the middle of a line... maybe even the last line of a stanza... and then carries on as if nothing has happened into the next stanza. 

Enjambment comes from the French verb enjamber which means to stride across, or to encroach upon. And that's exactly what happens. The half finished sentence rides across to be completed somewhere in the following line, couplet or stanza.

Enjambment presents readers with an unresolved, and hopefully intriguing sense. They feel compelled to read on to find out what happens next. Whilst a rhyme provides closure, enjambment delays it. We are continually seeking for resolution, meaning, closure; enjambment creates a tension that provokes us to read on. 

Enjambment can create a free-flowing poem that places emphasis on unexpected tempo or change of pace. It works with punctuation too. In It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free, William Wordsworth places a semicolon in the middle of a line instead of at the end:

The holy time is quiet as a Nun
Breathless with adoration; the broad sun
Is sinking down in its tranquility;

It makes all the difference! Here, enjambment has been used to maintain the rhythm and flow of the poem, and also to preserve the integrity of the end rhyme scheme; Nun, sun.

Enjambment can also be used to build momentum in a poem, to provide some contrast or complexity, and playfully, to add some fun elements to the syntax of the lines. 

In the poem Endymion by John Keats enjambment is mixed with rhyme to create an illusion that there is closure after each couplet. But the thoughts keep coming, driving the reader on...

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

I hope you can get to grips with this poetic device. It is remarkably adaptable and can take your writing to the next level. 

Steve Wheeler 

Previous posts in this series

1. Simile

2. Metaphor

3. Repetition and refrains

4. Alliteration

5. Assonance

6. End Rhymes

7. Internal Rhymes

8. Rhythm and Tempo

Image by Banalaties used with a Creative Commons Licence

Poetic devices 8: Rhythm and Tempo

If you're asked about tempo or rhythm in poetry it's likely you'll think about Rap. Appropriate really, because RAP stands for Rhythm And Poetry. Dig down into the history of Rap and you'll see it has its roots in the nightclub scene of 1970s New York City. MCs - or DJs - would talk rhythmically in between songs against a beat backdrop. From this, the idea of creating rhythmic spoken word came into being. 

Arguably, Rap goes back even further... and certainly there is a long history of the spoken word set to a beat. Listen for example to the political poetry of Gil Scott-Heron in the 60s, and try to tell me it didn't have an influence on Rap. 

Here's an example...it's from 1969 and it's called Whitey on the Moon

Rhythm in poetry is not limited to Rap, of course. In a previous post I argued that certain poetic devices can create a rhythm in a poem because of the sounds they produce, either when spoken out loud, or via internal self-vocalisation when reading the text. It's all about the beat, and the pace of the poem. For example, in the written word there are stressed syllables (long sounding) and unstressed syllables (short sounding). An iamb such as Today is a two syllable word where the first is unstressed (short) followed by the second stressed syllable (long): toDAY. 

Sonnets derive their rhythm from iambic pentameter (an iamb is a two syllable phrase) - words that are stressed and unstressed in pentameter - five beats or steps per line. Shakespeare knew how to do this:

[shall I] [comPARE] [thee TO] [a SUM][mer's DAY]

You get the idea how it works. Change the stress of the syllables - and the beat and pace of the poem changes. 

Have a go at creating different rhythms in your poetry by using different steps within your stanzas and lines. You can read up more about rhythm and metre in poetry at this link.

Steve Wheeler

Other posts in the Poetic Devices Series:

1. Simile

2. Metaphor

3. Repetition and refrains

4. Alliteration

5. Assonance

6. End Rhymes

7. Internal Rhymes

Our poems will be our legacy

Patience And Fortitude #2   “Legacy”

What keeps you writing poet? Will you stop before your end is near? What kinds of great works might you miss out on should you give up now?

These are a valid questions to any artist. Many cultivators of sublime creations were not even appreciated in their time…. 

Vincent Van Gough only sold one painting… tragically committing suicide because of his lack of recognition. Only a small amount of his paintings even saw the light of serious exhibitions, what did only shown to minimal praise.

Emily Dickinson  remained “zero to the bone” to the end… not recognized until her death. . She wrote more than 1800 poems… with only ten accepted for publication while she was still alive… it’s been said that the rest she sent to friends and family or kept for herself. Can you imagine?! She is an inspiration even today…

John Keats wrote the best of his works as he was slowly dying of tuberculosis around 1821, at the young age of 25. It wasn’t until 1840 that his work was recognized. Even blues icon Robert Johnson endured obscurity and just worked gig to gig until his death in 1938 at 27. Now he remains a beacon of light within the works of Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin to name a few.

Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” was published in 1854… sold fewer than 2000 copies, then went out of print. This from one friend of Ralph Waldo Emerson said at his passing, “ The country knows not yet… how great a son it has lost.” His profound naturalistic rebel attitude and self reliant swagger inspires me personally even today.

Sylvia Plath. Herman Melville. The list goes on and on…

This transcends writing forms or references. This gets to the core of our drive, and maintains our personal motivation,… as well as inertia. It challenges who we are and where we are going.

Success… failure… dogged determination to carry on regardless of outside pressures. What drove us to pick up a pen or rhyme a word in the first place?

It isn’t always to absorb accolades or seek recognition of worth. That just does not  represent healthy direction. 

It is for the sheer love that we endure the troubles, surpass the tribulations, and strive for more quality work,… better than any we have put out before. Despite setbacks, the love of writing and the sheer delight of seeing one’s finished work performed to personal expectations should be more than enough to fuel the want for more.

Patience and fortitude is what keeps us writing! Confidence in our abilities will always carry the day into brighter tomorrows. Even if that ability may not even be appreciated in our lifetime… it will remain a testament to who we are in words of fine literature forever. Our poems will become our legacy. Believe it reader!

Please feel free to tell me why you write and what keeps you on the straight path to worthy destinations in your writing! Thanks for reading and write on poets!

Matt Elmore

The power of embracing process

You are reviewing the information for a poetry press, publisher or literary magazine, and you see the submission criteria. 

You want to show initiative so you check Linked In to find out who the editing team are. You look at a few previously published pieces, to get a flavour of their acceptance criteria. 

Then you go for it! 

A few days later, you receive a quick response to say you have not been accepted. 

It is a disheartening experience. We place our world into our work. Often, your piece could be reflective of a particularly difficult time in your life. It could be a testimony to your renewed sense of your well-being. It could equally be a beautiful poem about your favourite coat. 

However, it still received a negative response. 

Or did it? 

I have worked at both sides of the table as a theatre director, producer and creative group leader. 

- I have been the artist hoping to receive feedback from an organization, with strong credentials and significant sway. 

- I have also been the producer sat up until 2am sifting through applications. I have even sent rejection emails after an important date with a long-term boyfriend leaving him to hang out by himself. He didn't love me for that, but every day the actors waited... 

Well, we know how that feels...

Creative enterprise rarely ever stops. It only ever mounts. 

Editors, printmakers, directors, producers and agents are people. They are incredibly enthusiastic people who often fight perpetual exhaustion. This is not a plea for compassion but a grounded reality that has become my reality. 

Once, one has been behind the table it becomes easier to recognise certain rules and regulations.

Submission criteria do not exist to merely regulate the work that comes to an editor, but also to allow them to keep their product consistent. It expedites organisation, and response times and allows slack time for them to return to their family responsibilities.

Often a publication will be funded under certain remits. In this day of crowdfunded, kick-started publically owned creative teams, the investors may be people at any level of society. 

From local magazines that exploded into international juggernauts to the TikTok reviewer who now works for Rotten Tomatoes. Creatives are trying to respond in the most responsible way they can.

Your work deserves audience

Your voice deserves space and time to develop

However, with that comes responsibility

Praxis, such as, professional conduct, systematic planning and criticism are all part of the beast. They make a creative into a confident artist. They make people into household names.  

I actively admit, I'm a significantly better performance poet than I am a literary one. However, I have enjoyed the chance to be critiqued, challenged and be rejected. I truly do not think I would be in the circumstances, I am if those situations never happened.

I would lack the resilience... 

I have had the honour of being part of the editing team for Wheelsong Poetry Anthology 3. It has been a brilliant process. 

Your work has moved me. It has surprised me. It has heartened me and sometimes actively challenged me. Within sitting on the board I have learnt how much work it takes to edit an anthology and I believe more than ever praxis is necessary. 

Without it so much less work would be seen or responded to. 

Read the submission criteria for as many publications as you can. Use it as a learning experience for knocking on the door of future publishers. So many of the rules repeat and many of the expectations have valuable reasons. At worst, you will have learnt a new skill. At best, you are quids in. 

Genevieve Ray

Beat Poetry

 

Beat poetry emerged in the 1950s as a rebellious literary movement that challenged traditional norms and celebrated the freedom of expression. With its pulsating rhythm, authentic voice, and a very experimental spirit, beat poetry opened new doors for creative exploration. In this blog, we will explore the essence of beat poetry through various examples, inspiring poets to embrace their own unique voices.

The Rhythm of Rebellion

Beat poetry's distinctive rhythm, initially influenced by jazz music, captures the spontaneous energy and emotional intensity of that era. Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" embodies the beat generation's restlessness and thirst for adventure. Here’s a example:

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”

On the Road 

Authentic Expression:

Beat poets expressed themselves honestly, much of the time drawing inspiration from personal experiences. Diane di Prima's "Revolutionary Letters" channels the spirit of rebellion, urging readers to question authority and imagine a transformed world.

A example of this: 

“The value of an individual life a credo they taught us
to instill fear, and inaction, 'you only live once'
a fog on our eyes, we are
endless as the sea, not separate, we die
a million times a day, we are born
a million times, each breath life and death”

Revolutionary Letters 

Experimental Exploration

Beat poetry encouraged experimentation with form and structure. Lawrence Ferlinghetti's "A Coney Island of the Mind" blends vivid imagery, social commentary, and fragmented narratives.

“Here lies love

The ring dove love

In lyrical delight

Hear love’s hillsong

Love’s true willsong

Love’s low plainsong

Too sweet painsong”

A Coney Island of the Mind

Beat poets often used vivid imagery alongside provocative language.

Beat poetry's rhythm, authenticity, experimentation, and imagery continue to inspire poets even in the modern day. Let us embrace the rebellious spirit of beat poetry, unleashing our creative voices to redefine the boundaries of the art form with every line we write.

Brandon Adam Haven 

Photo by: Brandon Adam Haven