Poetry and the Poet

Let’s Talk Poetry!

This past year I joined a book club and one of the members said to me ‘I don’t think we should read poetry because I don’t understand it’. Is this the truth for many? Just the mention of poetry and they cringe because they cannot find the meaning in the words. The secret to reading poetry is not in trying to find the poet’s meaning as much as it is to find your own meaning from the words. Once a poem is out there in the reader’s realm, it is lost to the poet. They are the author, the composer, the performer of their work and with that comes a sense of letting go once they have published, spoken or given their words to the world. Although the words on the page mean something to the poet, of course because they would never have written them, they are hoping that the reader finds something in the compilation that will spark emotion - a feeling that they can relate to. So, if you are on the cusp of poetry-itis (I think it’s a word) and just need a push, then take it from me there are some amazing poets past and present, whose work is profoundly beautiful and remarkedly raw.

Poet’s I Love.

I just rummaged around in my bookshelf to find the poet’s works I love. Amongst the fiction, non-fiction and cookbooks, I have a great stash of poetry that I think you will love too. First, I conjure the past to find the very best poets. Their works transcend time and space and are richly loved throughout the poetry world to this day. Of course I could wax-lyrical about the romantics of 19th century such as Keats (my favourite), Byron, Wordsworth, Shelley, Blake and Poe but they have been done to death. I start with Sylvia Plath and her husband Ted Hughes. Both giants in the field of writing and of course poetry. Ariel by Sylvia Plath was her last book before she committed suicide on 11th February 1963. It is profoundly stark and mystical. You can here the pain in her words. I think it is worth a read by any reader, despite the apprehension toward poetry. Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes is a tribute to Sylvia Plath post death. Hughes broke his silence about his relationship with her not long before he too passed on the 28th October 1998. It is confrontational and brilliant, almost a love letter for the soul. Worth a read especially if you read Sylvia’s Daddy poem. It is a raging bull on the page - a pathway to Hughes’ own words and their sometimes volatile relationship. My favourite of Hughes’ is The Tender Place. It is like reading an explosion of despair, anger and love all rolled into one. There is a kindness that subtlety comes through and you feel every word as if it was a heart grenade for the senses. Both these books are worthy of anyone and you don’t have to understand the context for the poem in order to read it. I suggest maybe finding out a little about their relationship before reading them both but just like the amazing writers they were, you can read their work as if you knew nothing of their dysfunctional marriage.

Moving on to Margaret Atwood, everyone is aware of The Handmaid’s Tale and the series that has entered just about everyone’s home but did you know that she is also a prolific poet with an amazing selection of poetry books? I recently picked up her book called Dearly and I loved it and to be honest this is the first book of her poems I have read. My favourite poem in this book is of it’s namesake, Dearly - absent of fanciful words, just plain and poignant strands of richness and sadness. It makes me think of all those we have lost, the simple things of life and how to explain them to the next generation.

Social Media Poets

Finally, I want to talk about the internet. Yes that place somewhere out there that is all encompassing and overwhelming. Let’s talk about social media. I am not going to bag it or run my mouth about its dangers. What I am going to talk about is its good bits. Yes, its good bits! I have a Facebook page, an Instagram page and a Twitter page, and it takes time to build an audience in these realms of space that no one knows where or how it exists, yet I have been able to connect with the most amazing poetry communities and writer’s communities and the authors, writers and poets who inhabit the endless handles that live there. Yes it is a great networking tool.

Some of my favourites pages are as follows:

@northpoet - Instagram and Twitter

@lostsoulpoet - Instagram

@verselevine - Instagram

@poetsanonymousink - Instagram

@the_rtg - Richard T Gonzales - Instagram

@24.mournful.penguins - Instagram

@joesteele401 - Instagram

@philthewriter - Phillip Wilcox - Instagram

@zoe_the_author - Instagram

@tjswritings - Instagram

@brian_filson - Instagram

@reha.232 - Instagram

@atticuspoetry - Twitter

@HereIAmAgainXO - Twitter

@InvictusAssassin - Twitter

@ScotTrebor - Twitter

@antsared - Twitter

@FiredrakeFervid - Twitter

So, get out there and connect with the poetry community. These are just a few that are worthy of a look and don’t forget that poetry is readable. Just give it a try. If you love being on social media, check out some of these amazing writers and more for great content and great poetry. I follow thousands of poets from around the world and I follow great wordsmiths.

Let’s eradicate the negativity behind poetry and give it a voice. Support indie writers and their work by purchasing an eBook, kindle or paperback version of their words. You won’t regret it.

Poetry Lives!