Hey, guys. Just added new poems to some of the older Friday schools, so don't forget to check them out every once in awhile.
Also, it was mentioned to me that this Friday's assignment might make some people uncomfortable....I'd like to hear back from you all, and if you agree I'll find another assignment. Looking forward to your imput, as we don't want to offend anyone here.
Have a great weekend!
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8 comments:
hi gab
i don't think i would be "offended" if someone did a new version of my poetry...but i do think poems are very personal and i would be uncomfortable trying to 'rework' a poem someone did. many of these poems are based on people's lives and experiences. for example, while i have read up on autism, i would not have the insight regarding what you and your family have been through to even consider trying to write something comparable. i would prefer a different assignment...but if everyone else is ok with revision...i will skip this week and wait for another assignment.
Bobbles,
Here is the deal.
You are right, poetry is very personal. However, most people who write poetry want to be read. And the only way to establish a readership is to eliminate unconsious errors or accessible barriers in the poem itself.
This is not to yank the poem out of meaning, but rather, to get a feel for how the poem is coming across--much the way a stand up comic would try to get a feel for what the audience was responding to.
Sometimes these are such fine details as to be unnoticeable by the author/poet.
So, I guess I'm just suggesting you stop confusing being nice with being helpful; sometimes they are one in the same.
JG
and another thing Bobbles,
(yes sorry for that spelling of unconcious--it was an unconcious error)
My VFW poem never made it off the shelf because I got myself trapped into a difficult rhyme scheme and couldn't come up with a satisfactory ending.
This week I will submit a similarly problematic poem and hope you can tear it a new terza rima.
JG:)
I completely respect your decision to sit this one out, but please know, I wouldn't mind you rewriting anything you'd like to. In fact, Susan emailed me that she was trying to rewrite an autism one she liked. I hope you will at least comment, even if you don't participate. Also, I am still awaiting others to weigh in before I decide what the correct course of action is...
When I first read the assignment, I didn't think I'd be able to do this. Then I read through all the poems submitted and found one that sparked ideas. I rewrote Gab's poem, Young Girls, from a different perspective.
I didn't attempt to improve on her poem. I just used the idea and changed the theme a little.
I found it entertaining and it also made me study the poem a little more in depth.
Marianne
i meant to comment earlier, but i kind of think of the poetry revision assignment as making a remix of a song.
mo-NEEK-a
Mo-NEEK-A,
Another here's the deal.
Say you are a poet.
You have written ten poems you really really love.
Then, you want to write a book of poems. But you need fifty.
You want your ten in there, but you want your book to sell too.
So you take other poems off the shelf, put them out to trusted advisors who represent a general readership and you let them play around with them until everyone is happy.
You get your point across and you satisfy those on the first reading of your book, who, hopefully return to the second or third reading and eat up your favorite ten.
JG^^
dear giza,
while i understand that some poets write poetry to sell, this site is poetry just because we want to. it does not need to be professional grade or perfect. yes, i could take a poem and "help" the writer by suggesting a phrase that may have been more useable...but then it is no longer soley the original poet's work. everyone has a different style. also, to take an entire poem and re-write it or write another new poem based on the same idea is not helping the original poet. it is no longer their work, but something new. even if i had a problematic poem that i wanted "tweaked", you are still using other people's thoughts. i consider poetry to be personal. if mine sucks-so be it...but it is my thoughts, my composition, etc. poetry is not like book editing. yes, you can do grammer checks and use a thesaurus, but to change lines, or sometimes even a single word, changes the entire poem.
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