You/Poet

Learn the Art. Speak Your Truth. Share Your Voice.

Rayna Hutchison, Samuel Blake

• Publisher: Adams Media
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781507208359
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Poetry
• Index: Literature

Offering a variety of advice for tapping into your creative voice, sharing your work online, and honing your writing skills, You/Poet shows you how to express yourself creatively through the art of poetry. You may think that writing poetry requires a specific set of skills. You may have read books on writing poetry that were stuffy and full of strict rules and regulations. But You/Poet proves that all you need to be a poet is the desire to share your inner thoughts and emotions with the world. Let HerHeartPoetry —an online poetry community, Instagram, digital zine, and poetry press—take you on a journey of self-discovery and surprise, and show you how to embrace the world of writing poetry with arms wide open.Writing poetry is an act of bravery. It's just you, your thoughts and feelings, and the words you choose to express them. You/Poet can help you do just that. With encouragement and advice on poetry writing basics, how to identify your unique creative voice, and prompts and exercises to help you channel your thoughts and emotions through writing, this all-in-one guide will help you share your talent with the world.

PART 1

A History of Poetry

Many of us have a box stashed away inside our closet: old pictures, journals, and poems written by a younger version of yourself. Isn’t it high time you took that thing out again? Shake off the dust and ready your pen, because poetry is flourishing once again—thanks to the digital age we are in! Join the ranks of those who have been writing and regaling poems since we learned to write and regale, and find out how that beautiful heritage pertains to you, a poet residing in the twenty-first century.

Part 1 is where we lay the groundwork for you, a burgeoning poet, as you set out on this creative—possibly rhyming—adventure! You’ll learn about the rich history of poetry and how it relates to your personal experience as a writer in the twenty-first century. You’ll also discover the first steps on the path toward identifying your own voice as a poet, so that by the time the first chapter is done, you’ll feel ready to take on the contemporary world of digital poetry. Let’s start!

CHAPTER 1

Poetry 101: An Introduction to Poetry

Someone asks you, “What is poetry?” What do you tell them? More importantly, do you think you can explain it in a way that he or she will understand and appreciate poetry once you’re done? Poetry is incredibly difficult to define, because it is something wonderfully different to every person. To one person, poetry is simple nursery rhymes: tales that teach kids to share, take risks, and be nice. To another person, however, poetry reveals something within him- or herself regarding their place in the world: it shows what it means to be honest and vulnerable, tells stories inspiring bravery and risk-taking, and helps us tackle subjects that might otherwise make us uncomfortable. Our reasons for writing, reading, and enjoying poetry are varied, but no matter the cause, poetry’s effects remain consistent across the board: it’s all about expression. In this chapter, you’ll look at poetry through a wide-angle lens to get the big picture. First, you’ll read about the history of poetry to understand its origins. After that, you’ll learn about poetry’s varied uses, and finally, you’ll return to the twenty-first century, where you’ll see how even the most delicate subject becomes relatable through poetry.

“BACK IN MY DAY . . . ”

Before the days of smartphones, tablets, computers, and even typewriters, people used to write poetry on leaves and chunks of tree bark. If they were especially skilled, their poems were chiseled into stone. No wonder few of those original works are still around today!

SO CLASSIC!

Millennia have passed since people began exploring the art of expression, and in that time we’ve experienced major advances in medicine, education, technology, and countless other fields. But there are a rare few wheels that, even after 2,000 years of advancement, simply do not require reinvention. Poetry has definitely seen its share of additions, but the forms and general composition of poetry from ancient days are still in use today. Okay no, we aren’t burning our poems into wood or chiseling them into stone—but as far as the basics are concerned, poetry is the same today as it was back when Homer first recounted his epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey.

The term epic might be a little confusing: nowadays epic is mostly used to describe something incredible (dinner was epic, an epic fail, or, “Epic wave, brah [toss a shaka]!”). However, back when the Greek poet known as Homer was composing his works, people knew epics to be grand tales that told the history (albeit a slightly embellished version) of a region, hero, or legend. If you’ve ever read Homer’s epics, you know how novel-like they are: The Odyssey on its own is more than four hundred pages long. It may surprise you, though, to learn that back in Homer’s day, epics were usually non-rhyming and recited orally instead of being written. Chew on that for a moment: when was the last time you told a story from memory that was twenty pages long—let alone four hundred?

And Homer wasn’t even the first of his kind! Poetry goes back so far that no one knows for sure when the first poem was spoken. It’s an art form that has been used by people from all walks of life to entertain, inspire, and teach. Need to learn the alphabet? There’s a rhyme for that. Are you feeling bummed out and need some upbeat lyrics to brighten your day? Done. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find a situation that hasn’t been written about in a poem at some point in history, and rightly so! We are deeply expressive, and as society grows and we interact with the world around us, new experiences are created every minute, so it’s only fitting that we not only record those events but also appreciate them for the unique insights and realizations they provide.

IF YOU THOUGHT MEMORIZING A HISTORY LESSON WAS TOUGH . . .

A song contains, on average, 256 words. One English translation of Homer’s The Odyssey contains 117,319 words: that would be equivalent to memorizing 458 songs!

Take the talented Rupi Kaur, for example. She is one of the most popular poets of this generation, following the self-publication of her collection, Milk and Honey, in 2014. Her works touch frequently on uncomfortable, even taboo topics such as violence, loss, abuse, and feminism. Because she expresses her thoughts and feelings on these sensitive subjects through poetry, though, they are easier to relate to and are more open for discussion, learning, and growth. Poetry allows us to take the most difficult aspects of life—the ugliest of the ugly—and turn them into something to laugh about or something to learn from—something we can truly appreciate.

NOW THAT’S EPIC!

The oldest written poem on record is an ancient Mesopotamian epic that dates back more than 4,000 years. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh—half-god, half-man—a king who single-handedly pulled together the walls of his city to defend its people from certain death. He definitely set the bar high for Homer’s heroes!

Poetry is rich with diversity, complexity, and creativity, which is clearly evident when comparing two people as seemingly opposite as Homer and Rupi Kaur! And now it is time to shift the focus to you (the contemporary poet), your poetry, and everything you can do to put your name up there with the other poetic giants of history. Are you ready?

CHAPTER 2

The Contemporary Poet: Poetry Today

So what does a contemporary poet look like? Chances are you see one every time you look in the mirror! There are, however, some common threads that tie twenty-first-century poets like you together.

The contemporary poet is not only influenced by modern themes, but also by modern technology. Technology plays an important role in how we read and share poetry today, and it is a driver of what is popular in the genre. Where William Shakespeare had the Globe Theatre, the twenty-first-century writer has social media. And while Shakespeare was limited to the page, you—the contemporary poet—are only limited by your access to an Internet connection.

THE CONTEMPORARY POET’S “PEN”

Use your memo pad or a notepad app on your cell phone to capture poems. OneNote, Simplenote, and GNote are all great apps that can help you to write on the go!

#POETRY

Well-known contemporary poets like Rupi Kaur, Atticus, Lang Leav, and Christopher Poindexter began their careers by posting on the social media platform, Instagram. They, along with countless others like them, are leading a renaissance of this time-honored literary form, and based on the hundreds of thousands of poetry accounts and millions of poems shared across multiple digital platforms, it is obvious that #poetryisnotdead.

Technology—specifically social media—is not only shaping how we share and read poetry; it is also shaping contemporary poetic forms. Just as ancient epics and Shakespearean sonnets created influential movements, digital poetry is changing what we write and how we write it. Social media platforms support brevity; in order to make a connection in this fast-paced, easily-distracted world, a poem often needs to be able to be read within minutes, or even seconds. This need for brevity has led to the rise in popularity of micropoetry.

A micropoem is simply a short poem of no more than one hundred words and two verses. In the world of digital poetry, if you are looking to grow your followers, length is everything. The most popular poetry accounts on Instagram and Facebook are the ones that specialize in micropoems, and poetry on Twitter is restricted to 280 characters, or the length of a tweet. These poems have their very own genre, known as Twitterature.

The visual nature of these sharing platforms has also sparked the blending of words and art. Contemporary poets have embraced background images and illustrations to enhance their poems, and depict what a poem is describing. The ability to manipulate images using free phone apps means that poets can do this quickly, easily, and without having to pay for expensive software. Poets have also taken to the digital stage and spoken word is becoming increasingly popular.

Modern ideals like individuality and freedom of expression have also influenced poetic structure. Contemporary poets often write in free verse, using modern language and colloquialisms (expressions using informal, conversational style). Instead of the more rigid forms of the past, many poets today use forms of their own making. There is one notable exception: the popularity of micropoetry has resulted in a renaissance of traditional Japanese poem forms such as the haiku, katauta, tanka, and sedoka. The rules of these forms make them a perfect fit for the contemporary micropoem.

THE POWER OF A PEN NAME

If you want to share your poetry, but not your true identity, it is a good idea to use a pen name. A pen name is one that you choose for yourself, and is the “face” of your poetry. This can be very helpful if your work is confrontational or covers traditionally taboo topics.

We also consider the contemporary poet to be fearless! The contemporary poet is unafraid of political topics. Themes that are considered confrontational, such as sexual and physical violence, social justice, mental health, and suicide, are now commonly explored and discussed. Contemporary poets are still writing about the stars in the sky and the beating of the heart, but they are also writing about the ugly and the painful sides of life. Many poets leave a piece of themselves exposed in their poetry. Although traditional themes of nature, relationships, and romance are still common, contemporary poets have been able to use both the anonymity and the community of shared experiences found on the Internet to explore topics that were once off-limits. Poetry today is powerful and challenging. Globally shared connections have given poets a place to be vulnerable in their work. That has meant that more and more, poetry reflects multiple experiences, including those that are painful and dark.

There is no doubt that poetry is not only surviving in the age of social media, it is thriving. Contemporary poets just like you can find a place for your voice and experience in the many multifaceted digital poetry communities available online. Poetry continues to be an important form of modern expression, and just as it has throughout history, it will continue to be an influential part of the creative landscape.

CHAPTER 3

Spoken Word: More Than Pen and Paper

Long before the inception of pen and paper, societies were using spoken histories and stories as a way to share culture and beliefs. From the ancient Greeks to the East African Kikuyu to the Māori of New Zealand—and many other cultures in between—oral traditions have allowed for expression and connection since the beginning of language. Contemporary spoken word is no different: it is poetry spoken to create a connection between speaker and listener. As poet laureate Robert Pinsky once said, “The medium of poetry is not words, the medium of poetry is not lines—it is the motion of air inside the human body, coming out through the chest and the voice box and through the mouth to shape sounds that have meaning. It’s bodily.” Spoken word poetry gives life to this notion, in that poetry only becomes truly alive when it is spoken.

WHAT IS SPOKEN WORD EXACTLY?

Spoken word is performance poetry. In essence, the poet reads a piece of poetry aloud, paying attention to word selection and word interplay, inflection, intonation, and the expression of meaning and emotion through voice. Spoken word poems are written just like any other poem. However, the poet must carefully consider how words will flow together and how they will sound when heard, rather than just being read. Understanding poetic devices like rhyme and meter is important, as they are ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Introduction
• Part 1: A History of Poetry
• Part 2: The Craft of Poetry
• Part 3: Prompts and Activities
• Part 4: Sharing Your Work with the World
• Appendix: App and Platform Guide
• About the Authors
• Copyright