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Local Rebel
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since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767
Southern Abstentia

0 posted 2001-07-06 01:42 PM


A natural outgrowth of the conversation of late, my own ten commandments of poetry;

1)Thou shalt use intense imagery

2)Thou shalt paint a thousand pictures with the fewest words possible

3)Thine poem shalt be as a woman's skirt: short enough to be interesting but long enough to cover the subject (and the shorter the more interesting)

4)Thou shalt write in multiple layers

5)Thou shalt leave room for the reader

6)Thou shalt use language not found in daily discourse

7)Thou shalt invent words as required

8)Thou shalt write with beauty even when writing of an ugly subject

9)Thou shalt write of the human condition

10)Thou shalt evoke an emotional response in the reader

That ought to stir the pot a tad

© Copyright 2001 Local Rebel - All Rights Reserved
doreen peri
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since 1999-05-25
Posts 3812
Virginia
1 posted 2001-07-06 06:17 PM


i disagree with #2

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

brian madden
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since 2000-05-06
Posts 4374
ireland
2 posted 2001-07-07 01:38 PM


I used to follow these ten, but I think it depends,

intense imagery? if it suits the subject matter.

I knew Doreen would disagree with 2 lol but I can see the point, a short poem can be too long and a long poem can be short. If it is necessary, self indulgent poetry is the worst.

LR, thanks for sharing. Amen to them all.

"Like Sand underneath the snow, I make you mine." Kristin Hersh

Sven
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Member Laureate
since 1999-11-23
Posts 14937
East Lansing, MI USA
3 posted 2001-07-07 06:17 PM


mounting these on a wall. . . thanks!!!

------------------------------------------------------

To the world, you may only be one person. But to one person, you may be the world.

Local Rebel
Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767
Southern Abstentia
4 posted 2001-07-08 01:33 PM


doreen.... I suppose a long skirt CAN be interesting ... if sheer... or if there is a slit all the way up...  

thank you brian

sven.. hope you'll write your own...

White Wolf
Member
since 1999-09-18
Posts 371
Somewhere in the vast wasteland
5 posted 2001-07-10 12:16 PM


I have only one commandment.  Local Rebel I don't know anyone who could even follow most of them if we tried to, myself included.  And so my one commandment would be as follows.

Thou shall write in the language of the heart from the heart.
The White Wolf

If life is just a game, when does it end cause I want to get to what is real.

RSWells
Member Elite
since 2001-06-17
Posts 2533

6 posted 2001-07-10 11:00 PM


I'm in.
brian madden
Member Elite
since 2000-05-06
Posts 4374
ireland
7 posted 2001-07-11 03:01 PM


I have a few...

Thou shall let your poem flow.

Thou shall show not tell

Thou shall not over use any one word in a poem.

Thou shall not use slang terms and abbrevations unless they suit the style.

Thou shall have knowledge of what THou write,
Thou must know and believe thou subject.

Thou shall not preach in order to get thou point across

"Here I am in prison,here I am with a ball and chain There is whiskey in the jar-o" Traditional irish song.

Honeybee
Member Ascendant
since 1999-12-26
Posts 5372
Ontario, CANADA
8 posted 2001-07-30 10:42 PM



AMEN to that!  

hush
Senior Member
since 2001-05-27
Posts 1653
Ohio, USA
9 posted 2001-07-31 01:49 PM


What if somebody writes with ugliness about a beautiful subject?
Local Rebel
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since 1999-12-21
Posts 5767
Southern Abstentia
10 posted 2001-07-31 09:27 PM


rofl@hush
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