I recently "finished" a poem that I've been working on for about two and a half years. The poem was one of the best things I had ever written, when I started it, and now that it's finished, I consider it up there again. Indeed, when I came back to it I found that it worked in ways I didn't even realize at the time. It wasn't ever a bad poem, it was just the ending/second half of the poem that took so long to make right.
A lot of poems go nowhere, but lead to other poems that do. Or there's one or two super-fine lines that need to find a different home. But I wonder if, as a whole, a good or bad poem's nature is inherent: can a good poem only be good, and a bad poem only be bad?
By that I mean, are there poems you can come back to, and even though the craft was far inferior, less trusting and more insular perhaps, or the rhythm was off or the tension slack--is it possible that poem had some spark of life that another, far craftier but less felt (felt right as in accurate, not felt as in merely emoted) poem will almost never have?
I'm not sure what the implications of this question are. I still think people should write a ton, since it's easier to sift through the garbage, and I don't think poems should be given up on, since they do often lead to other poems, or a better understanding of personal craft.
I don't think bad or good needs to be that loaded a labeling, either. I just mean a poem (you have written) that you are compelled by as opposed to or more than a poem that you aren't.
Is it liking the poem what leads to the poem being good? Or do you like a poem because it is already (or really could be) good and you just don't know how yet?
I struggle myself a lot about what makes a poem good. Still haven't found the answer.
ReplyDelete"are there poems you can come back to, and even though the craft was far inferior, less trusting and more insular perhaps, or the rhythm was off or the tension slack--is it possible that poem had some spark of life that another, far craftier but less felt (felt right as in accurate, not felt as in merely emoted) poem will almost never have?"
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, yes! There is an indescribable something that makes a poem "good". Something that is intuitive rather than crafted, something that just happens sometimes. I am all in favor of craft and effort and attention to every detail, but I also think that ineffable inspiration, or beauty, or aesthetic power, or whatever it is, is something you can't always craft. I think that's precisely why it's important to write as much as possible; the more we write, the more likely we are to get those moments, and the more practiced we'll get at the craft and the refining that are necessary to sculpt those moments into complete poems.
When I first came back to writing in 2006, I wasn't keeping terrific records of what I was writing and I was also transferring over old printed poems and handwritten items so many things I have written are lost, especially some stories I wrote along the way.
ReplyDeleteNow I realize I keep them all, in some form, some way. I know people told me that in the past but when something just felt BAD, I didn't want to look at it anymore, now I know that what seemed bad on one day may have a kernel of something another day that sings for me or someone else. It is finding that kernel that is such a subjective matter and what, I think, is a lot of craft
Everyone has such different methods of writing, it's really hard to say answer some of these questions generally. I can only speak for myself, I've always said I never really know if what I write is any good or not. I know that sort of sounds like bullshit, but it's true. I pass the poem or group of poems along to other people I trust and get their feedback. Sometimes it's even a toss or keep type response I'm looking for. And at this point I'm so unattached to what I write, it doesn't mater to me at all.
ReplyDeleteCool responses. I guess I wonder now if craft is recognition first (and what does it mean to have a good eye...)
ReplyDelete"is it possible that poem had some spark of life that another, far craftier but less felt (felt right as in accurate, not felt as in merely emoted) poem will almost never have?"
ReplyDeletean undergraduate student recently asked something similar like, "sometimes, can't you just write the poem, without all the craft and stuff, and just say what you want to say and that just be the poem?". My answer was, "craft and poetic techniques only help to make what you are trying to say more clear." I keep thinking about this though. I answered the way I answered because I believe that what we learn when we learn the craft of writing poetry is how to make the poem be of interest to a reader. Everyone isn't writing for a reader, I guess. So in that case, I say, go ahead and disregard craft, but hide the key to the diary where you keep those poems well. And I feel really snobby about that, but it's something I struggle with too. I think that you can get it all out there with emotional accuracy and then craft it (literally) into something that readers will appreciate because the piece is written in a way that can connect with someone outside of the author.
*shakes fist at Josh* you and these thought-provoking questions!