Where do I start with poetry?

[Anonymous No.14699695]

>Get inspired by a very picturesque scene
>Try to translate it into poetry
>It turns out to be elementary school-tier

[Anonymous No.14699713]

[Anonymous No.14699949]

>>14699695
describe in more detail. what was the scene and what was your thought process.

[Anonymous No.14701255]

>>14699695
Look at the scene and write down exactly what comes to mind. Don't even think about what it is your writing. Kinda like free association. Then when you have it written down you can add to it or take some things away

[Anonymous No.14701535]

>>14699949
The perfect Christmas Eve. I imagine a family of Caucasians in the suburbs. The children played in the snow, the parents watched on, and so on and so forth.
>>14701255
I guess I'll try this next time.

[Anonymous No.14701678]

>>14699695
Pretty much all poetry post-WW2 is absolute garbage tier IMO. I'd just try to write short prose. If you absolutely insist on doing poetry, I recommend using drugs, especially stimulants like amphetamines or benzedrex inhalers

[Anonymous No.14702067]

>>14699695
"For those of you interested in writing poetry, as a teacher, preacher, and fan of poetry I ask that you do two simple things:

1. Know and appreciate form.
2. Read more poetry than you write.

Otherwise, I can guarantee that you will never write a single piece of redeemable poetry in your entire life, regardless of whether you write free verse or not. Reading is the single most important part of writing. Try to set a standard of some sort; for every one poem you write, read ten. I promise you that over time, the quality of your work will increase parallel to the amount of poetry you read (and more importantly, understand, as simply reading a poem does nothing for you if you fail to understand what's going on and what makes it good or bad). "

- Anon

https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki/Poetry

[Anonymous No.14702096]

>>14699695
If you don't understand meter than just describe what you saw in prose. Learn different meters.
>>14702067
>2. Read more poetry than you write.
This. This applies to all styles of literature. If you're unable to write anything worth half a shit it's because you aren't reading enough great literature.

[Anonymous No.14702098]

anons, can you recommend me any decent "intro to poetry"-esque books?

[Anonymous No.14702110]

OP your problem will be solved if you read enough Mary Oliver. I promise.

>>14702098
The Ode Less Traveled

[Anonymous No.14702114]

>>14702098
If you're reading in English just start with iambic pentameter
Things to Google:
>what is iambic pentameter
>poems in iambic pentameter

[Anonymous No.14702145]

>>14699695
I started buying the Poetry Handbook and a collection of Poems by one of the Greats/reading some of Shakespeare's Sonnets. It would usually come about randomly in the creative moment and through effort I became better and directed these moments into something more worthwhile than personally. But I never would of really "got it" if I hadn't started getting into philosophy and the arts as well. Poetry is a much more sentimental thing, it is best for the old but you must start young. And you must judge it objectively as you would another, as with any art form, take between its beauty, as its core, and a given necessity and you will be fine.

But you'll never be great without the in-born creative fire. But this in turn can never be made its full thing if you are not ever opposing oneself in his movement through this world. Just as Mishima said art can only be made by the maintaining of opposites in ones mind, within the unconscious in deep respect to that, but it cannot be a mere psychological thing, but of course the experience itself for something.

You either will/or wont be a Yeats from birth, but you can write good poems either way, as say a philosopher may. Oh, and definitely read Pounds ABC of Reading.

[Anonymous No.14702148]

>>14702067
>>14702096
I thought everyone new this?

[Anonymous No.14702160]

>>14702098
Poetic Meter & Poetic Form by Paul Fussell
Western Wind Introduction to Poetry by John Frederick Nims
A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver
Rhyme's Reason: A Guide to English Verse by John Hollander

[Anonymous No.14702220]

>people actually use form rather than aesthetic judgement

[Anonymous No.14702236]

>>14702160
if you had to pick just one of those, which would it be?

for context, if it matters, i have very little exposure to poetry.
i like victorian era stuff but all i've read is some rudyard kipling, william ernest henley, and peter dale. idk if they're normie-tier but i like their work

[Anonymous No.14702241]

>>14702110
>The Ode Less Traveled

It's written by Stephen fucking Fry...can I trust that faggot to know what he's talking about?

[Anonymous No.14702251]

>>14702148
Browse literally any /crit/ thread and you'll find your statement to be incredibly false

[Anonymous No.14702259]

>>14702241
He probably knows a great deal more than you. Practically speaking, that's sufficient

[Anonymous No.14702287]

>>14702236
Probably the Paul Fussell book.
I'd also strongly recommend picking up some anthology, Oxford has made some really good ones, Norton also has a good one, Harold Bloom has one too.
Anthology is great to skim through to broaden your horizons and get exposed to different periods and movements, since an anthology ideally would cover everything from beginning to contemporary.

[Anonymous No.14702318]

>>14702287
appreciate the assistance anon

[Anonymous No.14702377]

>>14702251
I just gathered it through intuition so no blame I guess.

[Anonymous No.14702453]

>>14702287
Out of the anthologies you mentioned, which one would you recommend for a beginner to read through? Is there one where each poem is accompanied by a short intro/commentary? I've looked at the Norton anthology and it's immense and daunting. As a midwit novice, I feel I need some handholding through this.

[Anonymous No.14702543]

>>14702453
Definitely the Norton anthology, it is huge, like you mentioned, but it does have helpful annotations to give you context. Does not overexplain anything though. Skim through, find a poem that interest you, and read it, really read it, trying to understand it, what does the poem tell you, what was the author trying to say.

Reading poetry is not easy, so don't get discouraged. As a novice, multiple readings is something I would definitely suggest. Reading aloud to yourself or looking up readings from the internet can be helpful.

Some people might hate me for the next suggestion, but looking up interpretations of other people and comparing them with your own might help too. Discussing definitely helps if you can find someone to discuss with, hell, maybe posting a poem here to be discussed wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Now that you have a better understanding of the poem, read it again. Maybe it makes more sense now, if it doesn't, don't worry. Mastering poetry is a journey you’ll take in a lot of small steps. Just keep trying, keep talking and thinking about poetry, and most importantly: keep reading.

And here's a bonus resource: https://literarydevices.net/
Most common literary devices used in poetry are alliteration, metaphor, imagery, personification, assonance, consonance & simile.

[Anonymous No.14702758]

Don't cage your inner world with the shackles of meter or standards others have set. Try to find your own voice. Surely /lit/ will give you the answer any academian will give you but being a poet is about being an artist. There is no guideway to that. Go into yourself, reflect upon what you want to express and then find your own voice to do so. If poetry doesn't come sincerely from your heart like leaves to the tree, then what is the point? Don't be a machine in hope to produce something others will approve of. Be passionate and things will come by itself.

[Anonymous No.14702772]

It’s pretty rare that I’m ever able to write about surface reality.