A Different Approach to Writing Poetry

Chances are if you already enjoy poetry you will not be interested in this article at all. If you write your own poetry there is a good chance you will not enjoy this article either. However, if you hate poetry (exceptions made for Dr. Seuss of course), this article may be of some interest to you.

First off, I hated poetry with fervor! I couldn't stand it. All through high school I thought it was stupid, insipid, and boring. And I was right! I still haven't changed my mind much about the poetry that I was exposed to during my high school tenure. I still hate it. But I have figured out why I hate it, and that is the reason why I do not disdain writing my own poetry any more. The answer is quite simply: I do not care about you expressing yourself and if I wanted to express myself I would prefer to do it by lighting something on fire, or picketing, or by the extensive use of bumper stickers.

The problem was that nearly everyone thinks poetry should be a medium for the poet to express themselves, period. Well, quite honestly, nobody cares what the poet feels about themselves. We can see the result of this thinking on the style of poetry that is being produced today. Because we have told the would- be-poets that the poem needs to express their feelings, thoughts, and ideas; we have robbed them of any creative ability at all. We have given the poet no transcendent idea to write about, we have limited them to writing about themselves and we see the hard truth reflected in the poetry they write. It is a bunch of post-modernist nonsense! The poet has no order, no rhyme or reason (pun intended).

Poetry of this
Sort takes no
Skill.
And therefore garners
No respect.