Ars Poetica
Short Essay On Writing Poetry by Taya Boyles
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For a poem to stand on its own, I agree with Jacques Derrida in his essay "Signature Events" that successful communication is effective if it can exist in the writer's absence. Even if we attempted to enforce restrictions, the reader's perspective outweighs the author's. Tommy Pico adopted text language into the traditional written form of poetry, not having sentences in horizontal succession. He used a lot of metaphors and extensively focused on images relating back to the central theme. However, it is not enough, at least in my belief, to spew out random observations without any intention of giving them a tent stake.
As far as the creative process goes, jotting down ideas as they unfold is the key. Then, get far, far, far away from the draft. Push it deep down where all your repressed memories go and let them search for air. I learned from a classmate, Mac, to begin with, a concrete setting. The poem is then told backward, giving the reader the illusion they are unearthing something, an equally accomplished gravedigger. Poetry relies less on little pebbles being placed super close together and more on placing intentional boulders. It is then the job of a poet to provide structure close enough, not close enough where one can't fall in, but providing life preservers for those who can't swim (and being okay if they drown).
It is that voice that is inherent in all of these principles. The culmination of one's experiences transforms ordinary moments into cosmic reflections. We can use all of the techniques in the world, but you cannot create something out of nothing. There is conductive magic in poetry, where vulnerability is the conductor.
Taya Boyles is a writer based in Richmond, Virginia. She is currently a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English at Virginia Commonwealth University. Taya's publishing journey started at just eight years old and has come a long way from misspelling glue.