Comments on: The Little Things, The Night http://www.timothy-green.org/blog/2009/08/the-little-things-the-night/ Poetry Editor and Struggling Poet Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:27:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: ilisesen http://www.timothy-green.org/blog/2009/08/the-little-things-the-night/#comment-720 ilisesen Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:11:25 +0000 http://timothy-green.org/blog/?p=1019#comment-720 It makes me feel empathetic. It touches that part that reminds you that terrible things happen all the time and that these things are so terrible that they might cancel out any happiness that is also in the world. And it reminds me of bibliotherapy because it isn't about writing great poems; it is about helping the person, helping people. Sometimes, though, certain pieces or certain people also end up being or finding out that they are actually good at writing, too. It makes me feel empathetic. It touches that part that reminds you that terrible things happen all the time and that these things are so terrible that they might cancel out any happiness that is also in the world.

And it reminds me of bibliotherapy because it isn’t about writing great poems; it is about helping the person, helping people. Sometimes, though, certain pieces or certain people also end up being or finding out that they are actually good at writing, too.

]]> By: Tim http://www.timothy-green.org/blog/2009/08/the-little-things-the-night/#comment-719 Tim Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:35:46 +0000 http://timothy-green.org/blog/?p=1019#comment-719 Thanks, Shaun. It's good to know my wife and I aren't the only ones who don't like workshops. Actually, I shouldn't even say that -- I really enjoy sitting around critiquing poetry, giving them feedback and seeing their reactions to my own poems. But it's like taste-testing a new recipe -- you don't go in with a knife and slice the almonds out of the pie...you just leave out the almonds next time you bake it. Thanks, Shaun. It’s good to know my wife and I aren’t the only ones who don’t like workshops. Actually, I shouldn’t even say that — I really enjoy sitting around critiquing poetry, giving them feedback and seeing their reactions to my own poems. But it’s like taste-testing a new recipe — you don’t go in with a knife and slice the almonds out of the pie…you just leave out the almonds next time you bake it.

]]> By: E. Shaun Russell http://www.timothy-green.org/blog/2009/08/the-little-things-the-night/#comment-718 E. Shaun Russell Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:04:00 +0000 http://timothy-green.org/blog/?p=1019#comment-718 I hear you on that too, Tim. I've tried my best to workshop, but I just can't do it -- I can't get into it, and at the core of me, I have no desire to alter a work of mine as reflected through another's eyes. Arrogant? Perhaps. I certainly don't feel most of my work is beyond reproach, but I want it to be <i>my</i> reproach. As to the poem itself, I think the explanation serves the poem well, and I have to wonder if I'd appreciate free verse more if the poems had preambles like this. Having read your description of the poem's impetus, I find the poem itself very powerful and very compelling...to the point where I don't know if the preamble modifies that impression, or merely complements it. Nonetheless, I'm moved, and it's refreshing to see a good poem come directly from a real experience, rather than a imagined one -- something which I think agues many poems these days. I hear you on that too, Tim. I’ve tried my best to workshop, but I just can’t do it — I can’t get into it, and at the core of me, I have no desire to alter a work of mine as reflected through another’s eyes. Arrogant? Perhaps. I certainly don’t feel most of my work is beyond reproach, but I want it to be my reproach.

As to the poem itself, I think the explanation serves the poem well, and I have to wonder if I’d appreciate free verse more if the poems had preambles like this. Having read your description of the poem’s impetus, I find the poem itself very powerful and very compelling…to the point where I don’t know if the preamble modifies that impression, or merely complements it.

Nonetheless, I’m moved, and it’s refreshing to see a good poem come directly from a real experience, rather than a imagined one — something which I think agues many poems these days.

]]> By: Inside birthday cards, what other words can you use instead of ‘From’ or ‘Love’? | Short Love Poems http://www.timothy-green.org/blog/2009/08/the-little-things-the-night/#comment-717 Inside birthday cards, what other words can you use instead of ‘From’ or ‘Love’? | Short Love Poems Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:33:00 +0000 http://timothy-green.org/blog/?p=1019#comment-717 [...] The Little Things, The Night | Timothy Green [...] [...] The Little Things, The Night | Timothy Green [...]

]]> By: Tim http://www.timothy-green.org/blog/2009/08/the-little-things-the-night/#comment-716 Tim Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:36:59 +0000 http://timothy-green.org/blog/?p=1019#comment-716 Maybe I'm just not a poet like other poets, but I have absolutely no drive to do things like that. I should write about this topic in a longer post, because no one seems to really understand it. Channeling mental energy into a creative experience is something that I enjoy, and something I'll always do when I have that mental energy to expend. Having a product at the end of each experience is completely irrelevant. I just don't care. So once a door closes on that creative moment, it's closed for good; I have no desire to go back in whatsoever. Maybe I’m just not a poet like other poets, but I have absolutely no drive to do things like that. I should write about this topic in a longer post, because no one seems to really understand it. Channeling mental energy into a creative experience is something that I enjoy, and something I’ll always do when I have that mental energy to expend. Having a product at the end of each experience is completely irrelevant. I just don’t care. So once a door closes on that creative moment, it’s closed for good; I have no desire to go back in whatsoever.

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