Rambling Thoughts for Rank and File Poetry Survey

Here are my personal perspectives re the list of ten criteria that, for the purpose of this contest, are
required to be ranked alongside with an explanation
of that postion. I understand the contest holders are
not stating that this list is a denfinitive list per se,
but asking for individuals to proffer their individual
opinions.


I don't believe that my opinions re poetry are right,
simply that they are what I personally feel and I am
keen to learn, discuss, debate and grow new shoots of
thought. Allpoetry is a great vehicle to workshop creativity and an open forum for the wonderful liberty
of simply being able to write because we want to. Amen
to that!


Here then, in descending order, are my selections:


10) Adherence to contest prompt : I place this in the last position because whilst it is, and should be, the perogative of any contest holder to choose a prompt and any poet to choose whether or not to be inspired by it, a poem should surely live and breathe in it's own right, regardless of the prompt and indeed even when it is no longer in that, or any other, contest. Having said that, from my perspective of holding a contest and helping co-judge contests it is frustrating to ask for entries appertaining only to A and then receive entries from B through to Z.


9) Brevity : Whilst indeed short may be sweet it is restricting, though certainly a challenge, to write in so few words. I understand that poems may be pared down if there are superfluos/ repetitive words but sometimes they work just aswell with them. I don't dismiss any poem by length if it holds my attention, it holds it, it's as simple as that.


8) Whether it breaks/adheres to traditional form or is a newly introduced hybrid form : I don't mind if it is written to old or new forms or free verse as for me form poetry should stand alone without the form and free verse should be poetic without having to conform to form. For me, whatever format the poet chooses it's important that it dances all by itself with it's own style, much like watching Come Dancing with accomplished dancers all performing their version of the same, set dance, the one worth watching most will be the one with individuality.


7) Vivid Imagery: For me vivid, graphic, description is not vital, if I wanted that I would be looking at a painting, the beauty of poetry is how it leads the reader to paint pictures within the mind's eye. Yes, some imagery is necessary but not necessarily vivid.


6) Clear Meaning : Of course there has to be a degree of clarity or any poem would remain nonsensical but there is a time for dressing up and a time for dressing down and quite another for being completely nude. If the meaning is relayed with such simplicity that the poem moves beyond being simplistic it may become child-like, though this is often the best way to write for children.


5) Emotional intensity: This is ranked in the middle of the ten at number five because perhaps it's best to add some emotion but find a balance so that the reader is not overwhelmed but teased into feeling the emotion. For me this includes all genres from dark to adult.


4) The balance between being obvious and obscure:
This is a fine line to tread, like walking a tightrope,
if it's kept the reader is interested until the last line
because it's thought provoking, a bit like asking is that mutton dressed as lamb or mutton better dressed as lamb?


3) Poetic device: Whilst poetic devices can make a poem sing an aria they are not enough on their own or if over-used, relied upon, for instance if a poet uses such thick alliteration that the poem becomes a tongue-twister and doesn't roll naturally off of the tongue, if it isn't easy to say it isn't to hear. Having said that, poetry devoid of any poetic devices is in danger of becoming an essay, a list, a letter, written word without the essence of The Word.


2) Mechanics-grammar, spelling, tense/person, agreement
etc : These are important, the poet writes to convey intent via content, if the poet uses bear instead of bare, phase instead of faze etcetera then the wrong meaning may be conveyed. Also, for many readers as soon as they pause at a point in a poem, they lose having been capitivated by it and being able to journey from beginning to end without " breaking down" in stages. A lot of the spellings that we are bound by are nonsensical within themselves ie  enough, knee, psychiatrist, but if a poem changes tense/syntax/ etc incorrectly the reader may lose their way through the poem which, in effect, becomes a maze.


1) Freshness ie not cliche  : For me, out of the list of ten to define, freshness, originality, a nuance within a voice, a timber of definition, is ultimately refreshing.




NB  I reiterate that these are simply my perceptions and not an exhaustive list of them. I am not a fine poet, I am not sure I should even be called a poet, I write poems. There is a difference between producing a poem and producing pure poetry, I wish I had that " certain something " the French call je ne sais quoi, for I know it when I read it, I feel it, but I haven't yet found it within my fingertips.


That is how I know that any list of pre requisites for writing better poetry may only ever be a guideline and not a guarantee. A poem may be produced via adhering to form, grammar and poetic devices but pure poetry is produced when the heart is engaged to imagination and individuality makes an impression that resonates on a vibration that is married to the mind's eye of the reader.