Source
r/OCPoetry•
Florestarosa

Unwanted Poems

Poem

True Poetry

Written and unwritten

Given and taken

Told and untold

Why take away

From the journey not set in stone?

I was instructed once

On how to write poetry

How to follow rules

Words acceptable to use

How many syllables to count

My very nature was tamed

My essence unrecognized 

As a poet I was named

By someone else

Who cared only 

For such rules

But I began my free journey

From a place of passion

As I wrote it would flow

I would write and revise

Without altering my meaning

After I had discovered 

Who I was

Only then could I

Follow such rules

And guard myself

Because I was secure

And knew who I was

Inborn talents and capabilities

Why art draws in my soul, in swirls

All I needed to know then was:

What a rhyme is and 

that my poetry is whole 

regardless of whether

I use one or not

What poetry truly is to me:

A journey where both

mistakes and successes

are defined and appreciated 

by the creator 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/x4umpj/behold_the_fabled/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/x4mcco/to_be_found/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Posted Sep 4, 2022, 12:09 AM UTC

814
Crossroadsfare•

This one resonates heavy with me, it can be a struggle sometimes to actually enjoy the process of writing when constantly conflicted over the technicalities of it. Thank you so much for sharing and reminding me that poetry is art and always has room for a personal interpretation.

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aspiringalways24•

I really enjoyed this. I am new to poetry- but I am an old musician (the piano). I’ve always found music theory to be a bit constraining and the rules of how to play and how to sit at the bench to get in the way of the true joys that music can offer.

I appreciate the theory, but I hope to never lose sight of the joy that actually playing music brings and the journey of creation — just like you describe about poetry.

The way you break your lines is perfect.

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FlorestarosaOP•

Thank you 😊 I also appreciate the theory, and the formats, though I do not want to become them, I want to use them as shapes that don't limit the meaning of what I write. I consider them as a guide and in themselves have a purpose and can be beautiful, but I don't want the rules to prevail, I want my message to rise beyond.

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aspiringalways24•

Totally understand!!

Rules are rules—are important. But a powerful message is powerful sometimes because it exceeds the rules. It is unimaginable with rules.

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FlorestarosaOP•

Yes! With a certain message being fully embraced the rules are often totally disregarded and of no importance outside of their own concern- the message is beyond the rules, but the rules still remain to keep structure and order where structure and order are necessary, if they belong.

This reminds me of how my room is totally disorganized (at least it seems to be to others) but I know where everything is even if no one else does. But if it's organized it will be easier for someone who is not familiar with my room to find something. Some people prefer or find keeping things neat and tidy to be practical and useful. Others don't assign much value to or find it necessary to keep things too organized and just focus on their main priorities or what they consider more significant and worthwhile.

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aspiringalways24•

Perfect analogy!!!

2
hipporro•

It's natural that sometimes we get writer's block.

Don't let the rules tame your poetry. It should run like the wild spring. Though I'm no one's master. Just a product of nature.

Keep it coming.

2
Quoias•

I love the juxtaposition here at the beginning, though admittedly it is hard for me to fully understand. Specifically, it’s somewhat difficult for me to understand how some of your earlier lines tie into the rest of the poem, but I think I can see how those initial statements are trying to set the mood for the rest of it. Some of the lines even later in the poem are not clear in their meaning, and so I think this could also be improved on, but besides that, I really like it, and I hope it has nothing to do with me 😉😝

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FlorestarosaOP•

I think I may skip in the meaning of lines because I'm connecting ahead or I am making separate yet connected points but I can't be sure.

Oh, no, not you. The person was just my teacher administering an assignment!

The beginning. Back when I was 9 years of age my elementary school teacher made me write a haiku. It was supposed to be about nature and 3 lines and 575. I did it without a second thought. I liked the assignment and the poem I wrote though.

That experience shaped my view and understanding of poetry until I was a little older, and I was questioning why I had to do certain things. So I decided to write in my own fashion, in the way I felt most comfortable. Shapelessly yet with shape, the shape I decided and for my own reasons. This is how I wanted to do it.

This is what poetry means in my life. I can still appreciate all kinds of poetry, but these are generally my standards. A poem free of standards. Even if it is imprisoned or shaped, it retains its original unblemished message and spirit.

As for being secure, I meant that when I was a child I did what I was told in regards to writing. When I finally did what was true to me I was free of the perceived bind. I was then certain of what I wanted and of my unique style of writing, so I could follow rules and format when they are required without it affecting my view or style of poetry. The only way I want my poetry to change is through natural development and improvement as I keep writing poetry overtime and if I decide out of my own free will and reason to write poetry using a format.

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Wonderful_Process_93•

It is relatable and i love that you are able to fit your own way of poetry and able to overlook the rules and standards you were force fed. I love the poem

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Ambitious_Goddess•

I love it

2
Snoopy222•

Very clean and great flow. No jarring, and clear relatable emotion. Deep yet easy to swallow. You have communicated well here my friend. I love the varied punctuation with occasional changes to wake up the reader.

2
Educational-Nail7583•

I can relate to the message of the poem. Sometimes I follow the defined and widely accepted structures for poetry and sometimes I don't.

The most important thing, in my view, is to write something authentic to your own life. It has to be something you think is important or there's no way the reader will ever think it is important. That's where my creative juices come from. And sometimes you have to take raw ideas as a starting point and adapt them to get it to be a good poem. Those raw ideas don't really start out as a good poem by themselves you have to think about how to present them in thematically appropriate styles and other considerations to make a poem great.

It's easy to lean too hard into rhyming and gimmicky structures if the poem isn't coming from an authentic or important place to the author. But it's also important to practice those structures anyways, because if you practice enough you can have more tools in your rhetorical tool belt to use when you do need an effective rhyme in a piece. A lot of the time I just write poems for practice instead of like a fully realized piece.

Even poor writing is still gaining writing experience. It's very hard to learn to write well. It takes a whole lot of practice. To write well and also be one's self at the same time is a rare thing indeed.

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