Practicing Poetry: Step Two

Practice writing poetry if you are attempting to further your craft. The only way to get better is to practice. But only do so after you have studied sound, form, style, and length. For this part of our study I would recommend buying or borrowing a copy of Robert Pinksy's The Sounds of Poetry A Brief Guide. I will be extrapolating a few concepts from his theory on poetry.

To begin with pick any word. What does it sound like? Really listen to the word. Is it quick? Is it drawn out? Perhaps it is a bit lengthy and cumbersome to pronounce. When pondering how to improve upon your own poetry concentrate on the sounds and the tone. What importance does each word carry? Is it a bridge to the other side or an obstacle of flow? Robert Frost might tells us to listen for "sentence sounds".

In the first chapter Pinksy mentions Robert Frost amongst others such a William Shakespeare, Wallace Stevens, Emily Dickinson, Robert Browning, and John Keats, he wrote the following as an example:

" The fire that stirs about her, when she stirs

or,

 In a smart burnoose Khadour looked on, amused

or,

 Absence my presence is, strangeness my grave

or,-".

Each example before the "or" is from a different work. What are comprehending? What is it that we actually hear? Take a moment and contemplate what sounds you hear in your own poetry. Sometimes finding that linking bridge to the the next step in the sentence makes all the difference between a bad poem and a good poem. One of many things that can actually.

For now practice your hand at what Pinksy wrote as "accent and duration" and pay attention to the sounds.

To follow along with the next few entries feel free to jump ahead and read more in The Sounds of Poetry A Brief Guide.