This past week I found myself with seven others at the knee
of
Gene Hirsch learning “the relationship of a poem’s art and the aim of the
poem to the information from which it is written.”
Those of us
gathered, poems in hand, worked hard, if not struggled to put our minds around
something that was not a tool or technique but craftsmanship. We
dug deep into ourselves and the poems, separating the poem from the poet,
finding the focus, naming the vehicle, the thread that runs through, the
essences and the art with which the poem elicits a reaction from the reader.
Not long ago I took a workshop at
The Writers Circle taught
by
Scott Owens. The focus of that day was meter, not the “ta da ta
da” counting of accented syllables as written, but counting the accents as they
are actually read. They are different and can be tricky to count as you read aloud. This was about a tool or technique
that could improve a poem from awkward to flowing.
Thinking on the two classes, I realize how important it is to
marry the non-technical with the technical, by doing so, we as poets can write
poems that grab the reader and will not let go.
There are many places available to writers who want to learn
how to write the best they can. We are fortunate to have The
Writers Circle. Skilled writers come from near and far to teach
for one day or several days. A full range of classes is available,
including poetry, memoirs, writing your ancestor’s stories, publishing, essay,
fiction and others. Take advantage of this resource.
It is the best in this area.
