The Unskilled Poet: why poet where rhyme?

Monday, 21 January 2008

ive no idea
how to write poetically

form and rhythm
are like a northern line train

impossible to get a seat on

Jim Murdoch said...: The answer to your question is to read/study more poetry. Your problem is that there is so much to pick from and styles differ radically. I've had a look over the poems on your site and, to be fair, it's pretty basic stuff but to call yourself "unskilled" is a little harsh. You demonstrate an awareness of form, rhythm, rhyme (half, end and internal), alliteration, personification, simile, onomatopoeia and metaphor. There's very little on your site to tell me much about you but I suspect you're quite young though not exactly unread.

If you want your audience to grow then one of the best ways is to make comments on other people's blogs; they'll check out your site and, in time, your site will grow. I frequently have poetry-related entries on my blog which you might find of interest.

As for who to read… For me it was Philip Larkin and William Carlos Williams who were the strongest influences but everyone is different. On-line at the moment I enjoy Dick Jones, Chicano Poet and Tao Lin. They're all have very different approaches to poetry: Dick uses strong images and a more traditional approach, Chicano Poet goes for an immediate basic structure whereas Tao works in a minimal, naïve style; they all present direct, accessible poetry.; 26 January 2008 at 06:43

The Unskilled Poet