In the first four weeks of April, Shelf Talk published the series An April Quartet in honor of National Poetry Month.
Each blog post was centered around an accompanying resource list, An April Quartet: In Alto, Poets Face that Discordant Sound, An April Quartet: Some Soprano Sops Up a Poem’s Bread (the Rising), An April Quartet: Bass Note of Blue, the Flowering and An April Quartet: Tenor, in the Tenor of these Times, Raise Your Voice High. While framed in music, the posts highlight the unique voice and range of expression each poet brings to their work as they “talk back” to life in all of its moments.
You can experience these poems in several ways. They can be read and heard. You can, also, watch poets read their work.
What if someone, perhaps you, wants to do more than read, listen and watch? What if you are so inspired that you want to take the next step and begin to write your own poems?
It happens! Some people are happy to just to relish the reading, not only the content, but are keen on the myriad forms and techniques by which poets write a poem into the world. Others, respond by beginning to compose a few words in their minds eye. Maybe they’ll write them down. Many people become overwhelmed at the idea of trying to figure out the rest of their fledgling poem and abandon it.
The thing is, if you get the poetry bug in your ear, it doesn’t matter if you fall anywhere north or south of seven and seventy that inner voice will persist until you say, yes, ok, ok, “I’ll try.”
Do more than say you’ll try, give yourself a gift. Begin. You, Too, Could Write a Poem. Say yes, as many times as it takes because now is the perfect time to begin your poetic journey.
Where to start? Right here! What more perfect place to place yourself on the path to writing your own poems than the library? Learn how to Unleash the Poem Within. Discover Writing as a Path to Awakening. There is, up ahead, The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch and gathering, along the way, techniques, ideas and, especially, courage. You may find yourself on the road to The Ode Less Traveled: Unlocking the Poet Within.
There, at the fork in the road you’ll find the resource list First Line, First Verse: Transforming Your Thoughts into Poetry, pointing you in the right direction.
This may be the end of this year’s National Poetry Month, but we’re nowhere near the end of the possibilities of poetry. The season of beginnings is, always, in season. May your poetic journey begin, right now.
~ posted by Chris
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