More Ars Poeticas

Since we first began reading ars poeticas for class, I have found myself brainstorming and trying to come up with ideas about how to write one of my own. I go back and forth with ideas, jot things down, cross them out and come up with new ideas. It’s kind of frustrating because I am still unsure of what I am going to write about and how I am going to write the poem. I think it’s a pretty complicated concept, writing a poem about how to write a poem.

However, I have to say that I really like the ars poeticas we are reading this week, and because I feel like I can relate to them a bit more, I am feeling a little more hopeful about my own ars poetica. I really liked “In My Craft of Sullen Art” by Dylan Thomas. It is cool that this poem seems SO different from “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”! The theme and the tone is totally different, which I really like! The imagery of his poem is not overdone, but it’s still powerful and I really like how he includes the idea that his poem is written for lovers, especially the lovers sleeping as he is writing his poetry. I love how the beginning lines “the lovers lie abed/ With all their griefs in their arms” tie in with the later lines “for the lovers, their arms/ Round the griefs of the ages.” Also, the idea that poetry is not written for fame or fortune is refreshing. It kind of communicates the idea that poetry is something everyone can enjoy, an art that everyone can try to create and share. I really like this poem. It’s my favorite of the ars poeticas that we have read so far.

I also really liked “Why I Am Not a Painter” by Frank O’Hara. I liked the dialogue he uses in the poem and the way the lines are unrhymed, giving the poem a very prose-like, story-like feeling. It has a very personal, informal tone, like the narrator is simply telling the reader what happened, which is kind of fun! I also like that O’Hara compares poetry to another form of art (painting). Making a comparison like this is somewhat common, but the way he does it is very clever. I really liked the style and techniques he used in his poem.

Overall, I think that reading these poems will definitely help me with writing my own ars poetica. The more I read, the more ideas I get. Hopefully after all my brainstorming, something great will result!

Can’t wait to discuss these poems tomorrow in class, along with Ron Silliman’s "Disappearance of the Word, Appearance of the World." See you all there!