In a recent interview Ted Kooser (U. S. Poet laureate: 2004-2006, Pulitzer Prize winner) said “I often start with a metaphor and build the poem out with that association.” So, not until he’s found the right metaphor does he begin. This makes sense to me, for I would hazard to say that all good poetry is metaphor—poems mean something more than what the words denote. The ability of poetry to stretch itself beyond the page and into our lives with … Read More »

Lately there’s both a lot of shoulder shrugging, and a lot of fear around generative AI making inroads into creative endeavors. Everybody seems to have some opinion about it, from Wow, so cool! To  OMG! It’s going to take over! So of course, I had to try out a few things to see how well generative AI could reproduce one of my creative loves, poetry. Below is a very shortened run-down of my wrangling with ChatGPT and poetry. I started … Read More »

Recently I was Zooming with some lovely poets. One of the poets read a prose poem that went on and on without stopping to take a breath. Not only did I feel a bit overwhelmed—and not in a good way—but I was saddened, because I could not get a moment to take in and reflect upon her many great images and wonderful word choices. Everything rushed by in such a blur I lost the emotional impact as well. I just … Read More »

I generally do not write to specific forms, and always have to look up the “rules” for villanelles, Shakespearean Sonnets, sestinas, and the like. What I truly love is free verse. However, there are many times that working within a form is liberating in that you’ve already got a set of parameters you don’t have to worry about. And, sometimes, when you’re forced to conform to a certain structure the little creative geniuses in your brain run off into territory … Read More »

During my years of teaching, this was the time of year when I unrolled a favorite laminated poster and taught my students this lovely poem by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers: Keep a poem in your pocket And a picture in your head And you’ll never feel lonely At night when you’re in bed The little poem will sing to you The little picture bring to you A dozen dreams to dance to you At night when you’re in bed So … Read More »

If you’re a lover of poetry—writer or reader—one of the things I’m sure you’ve noticed is that the world of poetry is full of idiosyncratic punctuation. Sometimes we poets follow the rules of prose, sometimes we don’t. And fashions change—even in what is popular reading/reciting/writing material. Some of us are stuck in classic mode (chinos and tucked in shirts), some of us are out there trying on 4-inch stilettos and feather boas despite the initial discomfort, or response by those … Read More »