Sunday 17 February 2008

What makes a poet??????????????????

What is a poet??????????????????
For anybody who has visited my Blog page, you’ll notice that it consists of just my poems. but I wanted to add my own comments to a discussion - well it was more of a debate really - with a few people that I have had this week over “who is a poet”, and my goodness it seems we all have very different opinions on this topic.
I personally like poetry to be individual and to suit the poet’s own style and represent their own idea of poetry, not anyone else’s ideology of what it should be, I also like poetry to be something that I can relate to whether it’s serious or humorous. However, saying this, I have read some poetry form others who have a completely different style to mine, and I’ve enjoyed them, despite the stark contrast between our style.
This is where the debate comes in. I feel that anyone who chooses to write poetry for any expressive reason has a right to deem themselves a “poet”. Where is it stated in stone that just because you have not spent years and money studying poetry you can not call yourself a “poet”? Everyone has their own style and reasons for writing poetry, whether this be as a “hobby” or in the hope of publication.
There is such a wide variety of individual tastes and preferences , and in order to make sure we are not all projecting our voices to the same audience we all need to differ. For every person that dislikes a piece of work there will be someone else who takes the opposing opinion.

“OH NO YOU'RE NOT . . .”

“You're not a poet.”
So I’m told,
Very harsh
And oh so bold.

“Have you read the books,
Learnt the craft,
Revised for hours?”
This I’m asked.

“A hobbyist
Is more your name,
Publication
You’ll never gain.”

While answering this
My reply is kind:
“I write from the soul
And not just the mind.”

So with this
Debating went on,
Comments I made
Came twice as strong,

No apologies
For how I write,
I’m now more determined
To put up a fight .

“. . . OH YES I AM”

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, well said. We are all poets of some kind in our own right. If people don't like reading them, then they can look somewhere else. I like them very much. Keep it up

writerwoman said...

I like your spunk. Visit us at PWB. We support all poets who blog.

http://poetswhoblog.blogspot.com/

Sara

writerwoman said...

My reply is kind:
“I write from the soul
And not just the mind.”


Well said!!!!

ozymandiaz said...

I had never considered myself a poet though I have written poetry for nearly thirty years. Others have found reason to refer to me as a poet to which I reply "but i WORK for a living." I do not make money not have I ever (with the exception of a few contrived love poems I penned in high school for class chums trying to score). It has since been explained to me that writers often have to perform other functions to garner monitary wages but that does not prevent them from being writers.
To this I agree, yet I still do not see myself as a poet. Perhaps it is just that I don't feel like a poet and actually am, I don't know. I think it is all semantics anyhow. What does it matter if one is a poet or not or whether one makes money at it or not. A person either writes poetry or they don't. The rest seems snobbery to me.

Margie said...

Keep writing!
You are a poet!

Margie

Stacey said...

Thank you Margie and Ozymandiaz I have left comments on your sites

rch said...

Hi Stacey, well I called myself average poet more because I see myself as an average person that writes poetry, than a poet. But that is my own definition for myself, and that is what I like most about your view, it is and shall remain unique to each person. I like your style and your writing and have added you into my links. Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to reading more. Take care,

Bob

Stacey said...

Thanks Bob I'm really glad you enjoyed reading them,I have left a comment on your site.

Stacey

Anonymous said...

My dear Stacey,

I was confronted with the same type of individual a few years ago when I started writing.

This is what I learnt over the years.

People are entitled to their own opinions. But, are they allowed to crush us? No! Do those judges really understand what we write about? No!

Sometimes, those same judges have never even written a line in their lives or are so miserable with their own existences, that they take it on others to feel better.

No! No! No! No need to read master crafters to be able to write simple and true poetry. No need to emulate our heroes if we don't feel like it. Who did the first poet ever copy? It's the theory of the hen and the egg here. Who was before: the hen or the egg? ;-)

No need to spend hours studying the craft of poetry. When I started writing, I had barely read any poetry in my life (except for my studies). What matters is that we feel deep inside! It has nothing to do with styles, forms, emulating or studying.

It's all about writing what moves us, what makes us the person we are today.

Never listen to those supposedly "poetry critics". Their title is an insult to the whole 'business' of poetry. Plus, what kind of authority annointed them? No one that I know of! To me, a real poet is someone who writes for the sake of writing, because it's an urge, a need. Other than that, the rest is only jealousy.

Keep flowing, friend, you can definitely call yourself a poet!

Unknown said...

Stacey..... I just read your "what is a poet".. If I have ever read that article before i ventured to write to you my opinion, we could have saved a lot of our time and energy and arguments, and comments. this is an eye opener... thank you for enlightening me. Always with you.... kunjubi

Stacey said...

Kunjubi, thank you so much for taking the time to look at this post and am glad that you appreciate and understand the meaning within it, ;-D

Mark Elliot said...

Oh yeah this is good! One for the book that you'll someday publish. I started a blog poetry-by-mark-elliot.blogspot.com emphasis on just started. lol