Poetry--Ars Poetica
Ars Poetica
by Elizabeth Alexander
Poetry, I tell my students,
is idiosyncratic. Poetry
is where we are ourselves,
(though Sterling Brown said
“Every ‘I’ is a dramatic ‘I’”)
digging in the clam flats
for the shell that snaps,
emptying the proverbial pocketbook.
Poetry is what you find
in the dirt in the corner,
overhear on the bus, God
in the details, the only way
to get from here to there.
Poetry (and now my voice is rising)
is not all love, love, love,
and I’m sorry the dog died.
Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,
and are we not of interest to each other?
posted by Elizabeth @ 4:48 PM
11 Comments:
I personally took this poem as literal words. As if this person had read my mind about what i thought poetry was and rephrased it ten times better. Poetry is our expressions and what we say but just smoother, or rockier if you want to take it to that level. It is as if this is what you are thinking and then you absolutely have to rephrase it so people don't think you're crazy, and then just words come out. Poetry is the words straight from your head regardless of whether it is love or hate. 111
I personally took this poem as literal words. As if this person had read my mind about what i thought poetry was and rephrased it ten times better. Poetry is our expressions and what we say but just smoother, or rockier if you want to take it to that level. It is as if this is what you are thinking and then you absolutely have to rephrase it so people don't think you're crazy, and then just words come out. Poetry is the words straight from your head regardless of whether it is love or hate. 111
God in the detail. This is true in all poetry, it is the detail that tells the true story of all poetry. Without it, it is just a bunch of words, one after another.
The detail makes these words sing, and tell things that wouldn't work outside of its radiance.
I always felt that if you create poetry, you create detail, and that detail can take you from here to there.
--103
this poem reminded me of our poetry assignment. i do feel poetry is anything a person wants it to be. if it arrises a feeling or can demonstate an emotion that is otherwise unable to be stated, it can be poetry. it can state words or emotions as closure to people and poetry doesnt have to be sugarcoated or just be about the passionate love about someone. it can be the hard facts and realization of tough love as well. sometimes short and sweet and to the point is enough to make someone realize something and that can make an impact to someone. this poem is of few words, but was easier form to understand and put a response to that other poems on this blog.113
"Poetry (here I hear myself loudest)
is the human voice,
and are we not of interest to each other?"
I think of people who "don't like poetry," and I have to wonder, aren't they interested in what others have to say? New thought? Some people don't like new thought. I just don't get that. I suppose maybe it's fear. But has simply thinking ever hurt anyone?
Poetry is a purer form of prose.
-121
I agree with the comment below (111). When i first started to read, I felt as though i was hearing a lecture from my professor. But then after my second read, this is more then just a definition of poetry. Its a poetic description of where we find the meaning and thought to twist and tie our words together into a strong and consistent delivery. This showed me yet another side of poetry that is just as strong as the ones before.
-122
i agree with this poem. i also feel that you can find poetry in alot of place its not expected to be. Just cause poetry is semi organic. meaning its defferent to everyone. the is no straight answer to "what is poetry?" so i think that u can find beauty and poetry in anything..105
This poem is very true poetry should be all your own and your own voice. i think that poetry speaks to the soul also and expresses the deepest emotions that you are afriad to let out. Everyone should try to write a poem for themselves to read even if you write it and don't look at it agian until you are older. I think it could be like a time capsule of emotion and wonder what you were feeling at that exact moment when you wrote it. You also use poetry to talk to others and it's funny how you can hear a human voice by words on a page
-102
I like this poem, it's poetry as a definition OF poetry. I agree that not all poetry had to deal with emotional feelings such as love or death, but everything around you. Poetry can be the way you live or the lifestyles of others. I believe it when she says poetry can be found anywhere. Poetry is feeling how you feel overall and feeling how you felt in that moment. I think words can say a lot about a person. #114
I love the realness and honesty of this poem. It feels personal but is also relative to the rest of the world. I agree with its message. Poetry is everywhere and anything can be poetic. I also thought it was interesting that the author chose to add short remarks in parenthesis. I haven't seen them used often in poems and I appreciated the messages she put between them.
014
Personally, I agree with this poem. Poetry can be found every where in life. Also every one has there own idea of what Poetry is and what it means to them. I like the detail and the words choosen In this
"Poetry--Ars Poetica".
003
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