Questions From A Beginner, Help Much Appreciated

[midnightsun]

Hello, I am new here and would like some advice on how to continue my growth as a poet. Here are some questions regarding this:

1. What are the biggest wastes of time in becoming a better poet?

2. What are your favorite instructional books/videos and resources on poetry?

3. What are the biggest mistakes you see many beginning poets make?

4. Even at the higher skill levels, which mistakes are most common?

5. What are the stupid myths about poetry that you hear over and over again?

6. What are your key principles for becoming a better poet?

Thanks in advance!

[rowens]

1. What are the biggest wastes of time in becoming a better poet?

Worrying about whether or not you're good, and letting that anxiety get in the way. Just write. Write until you enjoy what you write as if someone else wrote it: then keep writing. Write until other people, that really like poetry, truthfully admit to liking it: then keep writing.


2. What are your favorite instructional books/videos and resources on poetry?

Other poetry. Anything you want to read or listen to; as long as you're actually reading and writing poetry and not only filling out exercise blanks.



3. What are the biggest mistakes you see many beginning poets make?

Forcing their words into poetic-like forms that take away from the substance of the content. There needs to be a balance there that makes form and content feel like a unified whole.



4. Even at the higher skill levels, which mistakes are most common?

Getting lazy, I guess. I don't know. I never think about things like that. The only skills I have are a cross between fear and trembling, and fear and loathing. While the fear is mostly neurotic nonsense, I have a lot of anger. I'm skilled at crafting the forms of my anger.



5. What are the stupid myths about poetry that you hear over and over again?

Almost everything that anyone says about it.



6. What are your key principles for becoming a better poet?

Desperate anger mixed with perfectionist tendencies; and the overwhelming need to be affected by spiritual creativity.

That's all I've thought to say now.

[Todd]

Hello, I am new here and would like some advice on how to continue my growth as a poet. Here are some questions regarding this:

1. What are the biggest wastes of time in becoming a better poet?

I think Rowens is giving good advice here, becoming paralyzed by needing to be good will stifle your growth. Realize that you will write crap, give yourself permission to write crap. Commit to getting good through revision. Essentially, if you get self conscious you'll write less and it will take longer to improve.

2. What are your favorite instructional books/videos and resources on poetry?

Poetry itself. While I did add technique books to my library reading a lot of poetry is the best way to end up writing better.

3. What are the biggest mistakes you see many beginning poets make?

They overwrite, use cliches, are too sensitive to criticism, tell the reader things instead of showing it with imagery, and they use a lot of abstractions (pain, sorrow, etc).

4. Even at the higher skill levels, which mistakes are most common?

They vary. The better you get the more mistakes you see.

5. What are the stupid myths about poetry that you hear over and over again?

That it takes talent, or being wasted to be good. That it isn't a lot of work.

6. What are your key principles for becoming a better poet?

Write every day. Read a lot of poetry. Learn how to evaluate and take criticism.

Thanks in advance!

[billy]

Hello, I am new here and would like some advice on how to continue my growth as a poet. Here are some questions regarding this:

1. What are the biggest wastes of time in becoming a better poet?

ego and fear, thinking that you're a great poet. or thinking you ain't a great poet.

2. What are your favorite instructional books/videos and resources on poetry?

these and these to start with, read the feedback on this site. it will soon become apparent what's good and what's bad.

3. What are the biggest mistakes you see many beginning poets make?

thinking you're such a great poet. that you don't have to edit. not being original in how you write about common themes using words like love and hate to many times. not reading or listening to feedback, not having a thick skin.

4. Even at the higher skill levels, which mistakes are most common?

ego, and all the above on question 3

5. What are the stupid myths about poetry that you hear over and over again?

that you don't need metaphor or simile or any other poetic devices, and that it has to be written as you'd normally write english (i almost fell off my chair) poetry is craft, an art form
that constantly moves the goalposts, they're are no myths really just a lack of knowledge

6. What are your key principles for becoming a better poet?

read and study what you read, think about it. write and think about what you write, study it. edit, learn how to edit sensibly. don't lock yourself into one style. write wild and edit like it's not your wild poem, or...send me $113 in a self addressed envelope for this months "how to become a better poet"

Thanks in advance!

thanks for the questions,

[Yelleryella123]

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6. What are your key principles for becoming a better poet?

Do not force rhymes like I tend to do and read Leanne's poetry, it is helping me break down my preconceptions about poetry that are preventing me from growing as a poet and her poetry is extremely beautiful.

I found this thread very helpful so far

(if you are reading this, thank you Leanne. Thank you for your work - Got It Good brought back one of my best childhood memories)

[Leanne]

All the poems in Spotlighting The Hogs are worth a read.

I'm not going to answer all the questions since that's been done rather brilliantly already, but I can't stress enough the importance of reading and asking questions. No textbook will ever stack up against seeing the real thing in action.

(Though purely for entertainment value and the fact that it's a bloody good read, you can't go past "The Ode Less Travelled" by Stephen Fry)

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PS. Don't send billy money. He'll only spend it on sherbet.

[billy]

and google, it's your best friend. with it you can find any and every kind of poetry out there.

i love sherbert