Monday, October 12, 2009

"Every Word was Once a Poem"

- Ralph Waldo Emerson


(photo by alexey05)

I've been having a harder time sleeping lately. So I've been getting out the old books of poetry. I wish that I could weave words like those.

I find poetry so relate-able. It's all the things I've always wanted to say but never knew quite how. Some people think poetry is dumb. I get it - there are certain voices in writing that get on my nerves too - they are too dramatic or fluffy - not entirely honesty.  But not the poem. Poetry is honest.

I think my love for poetry is rooted in the same that holds my love for music. Don't you think that music and poetry are so similar? Not to mention the fact that poetry put to music is awesome - i'm thinking patty griffin and ani defranco here. but also, the way that simple individual notes are woven together to create something entirely new and honest - something that could touch you deeply forever. Words are that way too.

What power, what privilege to create such beauty with words or notes. These tiny creations that are such unique portraits of the author, outlasting time and fashion. It's amazing, really.

Take a minute today to read a poem. If you don't have books of poetry at home, here's a simple online resource. Or you can check out the "labels" on my side bar and click on the poetry category. You'll see past poems that i've posted here before.

2 comments:

Erin said...

Hey cutie pie,

A beautiful post. I think poetry is wonderful also. As you say, there are large thought expressed in poetry that I too think about, but love the way it is expressed.

As a song writer of about 80 songs and more workshops and classes than I can list. I don't think poetry makes quality lyric for songs. Good poetry is usually written stand along and relies on the line before and line after or the general form for the rhythm of the reading or narrative.

Song lyric is carried by the music, in the movement relationship of the melody notes, and the rhythm of the length of the notes. It also relies on a marriage of the music to the concept of the lyric.

Some of my favorite song lyrics don't rhyme perfectly. I enjoy not anticipating the next line based on perfect rhyme or being trapped into writing a line that is forced to rhyme.

Thanks for your wonderful thoughts today and allowing me to share mine as well. Keep writing - you are great!

Erin said...

That is supposed to be stand alone, not stand along, in the second paragraph.