| Week 4 Chapters 6 |
Timeless vs Melodramatic Language
Okay, I admit it I am prone to the melodramatic. Here are a couple of my famous lines:
"The sea was seized with sadness"
or
"How well I know this body,
each raw curve, each withered line
this mouth which has known a thousand kisses
these arms with their withered scars."
Would you say just a bit overdone? I hope so because they really do show what melodramatic verse is. That's not to say there isn't a vitality here or a play of language; however, these lines try too hard. Writing like this pushes people away, as it attempts to force itself on readers, and when it does so, it is almost comedic, which of course is not its intent.
Facing up to your own predilections early on will help on your journey. Of course that doesn't mean you will stop it, only that you are aware of it. I know I'm prone to overstating, being overly dramatic, so after I finish writing a poem. I check myself. Usually I catch those places, though not always.
 | Other predilections to avoid;
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With that we venture onto one of the last elements we will discuss: sound. I cannot stress how important sound is to the poet. Your book talks about it, but let's experience it. Go to
http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/poetry/antholog/aaindx.htm
and choose two poems. Read the poems before listening to them. Then listen as the poet reads. Repeat this as many times as you would like. Does the poem's meaning change? Does the sound echo the sense of the poem? Tell us your experience on the Discussion Board.
Okay click here for your exercise for the week.