Poetry, and the submissions posted?

Question

Not a question at all; but thoughts from someone who has been a writer most of his life.
So many come here asking about there work; and many young; most wanting approval, or an EAR.
Certainly we'd all like positive affirmations about something we make so public; but the more positive answers should come from within.
"DO I LIKE IT?" should be the first Q anyone asks. "What does it do for me?"
Certainly as a Poet; so much of what we do is an emotional experience; often born of pain. Expressing it is like medicine; therapy; and not everyone might GET IT; but certainly most of us can "relate" to it.
I guess when we ask, "DO YOU like it" we HOPE others will; but the passion in creating should really be for a more selfish motive. Denying any passion; is to risk losing it, and I feel that a far more sad experience; than anyone NOT saying; "Yeah it's good"
Just some notes from an OLD Wolf. The message I guess, is to "KEEP AT IT", unless of course it was merely a band-aid, and it worked.

Answer 1

Having written poetry for most of my adult life, sometimes just for myself but mostly for others to enjoy, I relate to your comments, DIY. I sometimes compose poetry while driving, sometimes while trying to entertain grandchildren, and occasionally just for the heck of it. Some I write down for later use and perhaps showing; most, I just keep in my head and use for my own brand of mental health.
Some of my problems with poetry (mine) are that I prefer Iambic pentametry, symmetry, and I try to stay away from the free flowing stuff written by, of all people, our own current state and former national poet laureate. I like rhyming, he prefers description. His makes people think more about the beauty of nature and how it affects him and others, while mine is almost always a bit more upbeat and often (at least to me) written entirely for its humor.
I can recall being almost obsessive about thinking of just the right humorous poetry for occasions when I had the pleasure of attending a party, a roast, or even a formal occasion of some sort. Some of the joy was in revisions, all in my head, until a final product was obtained, and other joy was in the actual delivery.
Having known people who would not recognize poetry, and these are usually people whose reading experiences are limited to the newspaper and those running strips at the bottom of the tv screen, I find myself not understanding their own version of "freedom" from probably knowing they could produce viable, entertaining poetry, but their psyches don't allow them, they are too busy with other things, or they just don't care to make the effort.
I applaud your wanting and needing to write, whether poetry or prose, as I relate to it well. Keep doing it. It is great for us older folks to make those synapses react to something other than external influences.
Ozarks Bum

Answer 2

I have just started to get interested in poetry, I'm middle aged and am reading the war poets, Owen and Sassoon, I find I am trying to use it to understand the world as my grandfather saw it in the trenches during the Great War. I never met him but think that I have a better understanding of what he went through back then, The history books only gave me facts but they have given me their feelings of the horror they saw every day. I now understand the value of poetry as a tool to communicate the hurt carried inside a person.

Answer 3

Well...from my college days I recall hating my art work being critiqued. I didn't want to ask "Do you like it?" It's a rather brave question from my opinion, because when you spend so much time and energy on something and then ask THAT question, you are almost assuring yourself that someone will say "No, I don't like it." Art, like poetry is a personal expression from within, so even though when others say they do not like it and it feels like they are saying "I don't like you, what you think or what you stand for," it is merely an emotional response. Like what you do and to hell with everyone else.

Answer 4

I fully agree. I may not be old or even middle age, I'm only 17 but I think if you have to ask someone if it is good, then you don't even think it's good. I personally think everything I write is good, or at least descent. I have been known to wake up in the middle of the night write something down and go back to sleep. wake up the next morning and think, this is good, why did I write it though? Sometimes its just a way to get things of ones chest, sometimes, its just because you have it on your mind.
I agree though, what I said didn't make much sense.