I concur that some people are born with the verbal ability
to assimilate lessons quicker and, once done, to produce better
poetry than others. The greats had such innate ability, I'm
sure. As long as "born poets" is short for "born to become poets
after learning the fundamentals of language and the art form" I
have no objection to its use. Applying it to any individual
before they have learned the basics or produced noteworthy
poetry FREE OF THE FLAWS THAT YOU MENTIONED seems more than a
little presumptuous.
Yeah, THOSE FLAWS will have to be purged, from my older poems through
re writes, and the new ones, from the get-go.
I see room for improvement in the poetry I've written over the last
twenty or so years, and the new poems will be improved, at least to my
eyes.
I can'r and don't expect to change any opinions of the trolls here
such as Gamble and Sherman, but I'm completely unconvinced they're
what they claim to be... I clearly see them, and several others as
ignorant trolls propped up and goaded on by their friends.
Poets write poetry. Until you write some you aren't a poet.
I've written dozens of poems. I'm a poet. You don't like them, so
what... repeating over and over that they're *not* poems will not make
this so.
They're poems.
We can waste as many years on this as you care to, but I'll continue
to correct you. I'm a poet, I write poetry.
Inspiration doesn't make anyone a poet (or anything else).
But lack of inspiration makes lousy poetry. No amount of book learning
and clever craftsmanship can help a poem that lacks inspiration.
Heh, I'll go to my grave *knowing* that. It's a universal truth of
poetry. Of *everything* in life.
If I have a great idea for a building am I suddenly an architect?
Nope, but maybe you can build a hut in the backyard.
I think that's a point you make, perhaps in a roundabout way: I've
been trying to build skyscrapers when I should be working on a simple
woodshed.
I've been reading your poems some lately, and am changing my opinion
of them... no wasted words, to the point poetry. That's what I meant
when I wrote earlier about chopping down, editing my older poems...
too many words, too much *filler*, basically.
You have shown no evidence of it yet.
I don't agree, of course.
So, you hate the poetry. Tell me something new, Colin.
There *are* themes in my poems,
Too many themes. None of them cogent.
Your task will be to write a poem on ONE clear theme.
That's what I was getting at a few lines ago. Some of the older poems
just might splinter into two, three or more poems. It looks that way
at this point, and I want to post some of these edits when the flames
die down again.
That said... I anticipate *at least* two or three weeks of all manner
of attack on me from practically every corner.
I intend to keep my cool as best I can and keep my focus on my life
and poetry/music.
Keep studying and read a lot of poetry.
I will, and thanks for the comments.
You're welcome. For what little it is worth, I applaud
your amibition/determination to become a poet.
I already am a poet, and have been for some years now. I do intend to
become a better poet, though.
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Art, music, poetry of Will Dockery:
http://www.lulu.com/dockery