Jun 25, 2010
Hiatus
The site is going on temporary hiatus to be reworked in concept and design and shall return very soon improved and refocused. Until then, please check out my Star Wars Haiku and take the first of many polls to come: What's your favorite Star Wars movie?
Jun 20, 2010
Online Resources for Writers
A new page on this site is dedicated to online resources for writers. The list will grow as I discover more sites of quality, and please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Jun 18, 2010
Gary Mex Glazner
One man's advice on how to make a living as a poet. Proof that it's possible -- not easy, but possible.
Jun 17, 2010
Bill Knott
http://billknottpoetry.blogspot.com/
The poetry of Bill Knott can be found here and downloaded for free. In my opinion, he is one of the world's greatest living poets and one of the most unsung, to say the least.
The poetry of Bill Knott can be found here and downloaded for free. In my opinion, he is one of the world's greatest living poets and one of the most unsung, to say the least.
Jun 16, 2010
Jun 15, 2010
Learning Forms of Poetry -- John Hollander
Rhyme's Reason: A Guide to English Verse
Although the art of writing poetry in formal verse is almost entirely absent from the modern poetry scene (open up any literary magazine and see how many sonnets or villanelles you find), there are still some magazines and websites dedicated to formal poetry. Personally I feel that before one plays guitar, one should learn the notes first -- same with poetry, learning the forms will give a poet greater foundation for their free verse work. It may not be necessary to learn how to write an ode or sonnet before declaring oneself a poet, but it can only serve to help one become a stronger writer and more educated in the history of verse, not hinder. Whenever I can't remember the rules of writing a particular type of formal verse, I reach for Rhyme's Reason by the poet John Hollander. The book covers all the major types of formal poetry, and it does it in a way that is entertaining and not just educational. John Hollander teaches the rules to a form within the form itself, for instance he presents a villanelle that teaches the rules to the villanelle inside of the poem. When I forget the difference between the rhyme schemes of different types of sonnets, I simply read his examples and learn the rules of the sonnet by reading sonnets about writing sonnets, which are written in playful fashion. Rhyme's Reason is a great learning tool for poets of all ages, from the teenager just discovering poetry to the veteran published poet -- a must-have reference book for all professional and aspiring poets. A book worth keeping close by.
Although the art of writing poetry in formal verse is almost entirely absent from the modern poetry scene (open up any literary magazine and see how many sonnets or villanelles you find), there are still some magazines and websites dedicated to formal poetry. Personally I feel that before one plays guitar, one should learn the notes first -- same with poetry, learning the forms will give a poet greater foundation for their free verse work. It may not be necessary to learn how to write an ode or sonnet before declaring oneself a poet, but it can only serve to help one become a stronger writer and more educated in the history of verse, not hinder. Whenever I can't remember the rules of writing a particular type of formal verse, I reach for Rhyme's Reason by the poet John Hollander. The book covers all the major types of formal poetry, and it does it in a way that is entertaining and not just educational. John Hollander teaches the rules to a form within the form itself, for instance he presents a villanelle that teaches the rules to the villanelle inside of the poem. When I forget the difference between the rhyme schemes of different types of sonnets, I simply read his examples and learn the rules of the sonnet by reading sonnets about writing sonnets, which are written in playful fashion. Rhyme's Reason is a great learning tool for poets of all ages, from the teenager just discovering poetry to the veteran published poet -- a must-have reference book for all professional and aspiring poets. A book worth keeping close by.
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