I don't get why some people are such a butthurt in the comment section. He's right. The advice to start poetry is reading. Trust me, I was that one person who didn't care about reading poetry from decades ago, who just wrote what I want, who just read the most hyped up poetry books nowadays. I was wrong. I started to read poetry from decades ago. Walt Whitman, William Shakespeare, etc. I started reading more of their works. It's true. By reading more, you expand your 'intuition' in writing. You familiarize yourself with the real beauty of poetry. That's how you get better with writing. If you only write, and not read much, then you're going to be that arrogant bad writer who only thinks of her own style of writing.
The reason people are butt-hurt is because an extremely small number of modern activist-academics decided to throw away 2000 years of written word and the education practice of being versed in all the greatest writers that built the very ideas you depend on - because we've decided that those people were wrong, stupid, or -ist. Now, we in our infinite wisdom, do not understand that everything people experience today is something countless people in the past lived with - and lived with under far, far worse conditions. Plagues, famines, wars, social unrest, political upheaval, love, joy, the speaking of the soul for that which is longed for. We traded all of that so that we can be ignorant and re-tweet the vapid 120 words of some celebrity (written by his/her publicity team). We no longer realize the greatest hearts and minds of our past have also written and spoke of these very things - and did it much better than most of us could ever hope to do. It's modern arrogance, academic backwardness, and educational blindness. A blindness that refuses to teach the past - which we will soon now be doomed to repeat.
Writers read, I was reading a poem by Walt Whitman called the Open Road and it helped illustrate that first statement. I saw the road as all the writers before, now and yet to be. That as writers we step onto that road so without reading we refuse to take our place amongst our colleagues.
Nicely said. I'm aged 47, and it's only during this past year that I've truly been enjoying poetry. I found it totally uninteresting at school. I'm not yet familiar with any modern poetry, but like you, am greatly appreciating the classics. I was enthralled by Paradise Lost last year, I found the descriptive language to be stunning. I'm amazed at how someone can combine words to express something so beautifully. The period in which it was written seems to have been a golden age for literature. I think Collins gave a wise, concise answer to the lady's question. It good to hear wisdom and experience sum up a matter.
I think reading is part of it. Another part of it is trying. You must write knowing that you will fail, that you will create a bad poem, because the path to good poetry is bad poetry. Secondly, if you’re writing poetry just for fun, and you don’t care how good it is, don’t let others opinions of it bother you either. I believe that everyone needs a creative outlet, but not everyone needs to be an artist. If you want to be an artist, then you must put in the work. Additionally, you can still express yourself through poetry, and write good verse. You aren’t going to write bad things just because you haven’t spent hours writing or reading. You are going to have good lines and bad lines, good verses and bad verses, good poems and bad poems. The trick is identifying each line for what it is. Identify the bad lines as bad, so that you know what they look like and you can avoid them. Reading does this inadvertently because it feeds you constant good lines - or at least good enough for someone somewhere to want to publish them.
@@alexm8859 Pretentiousness is a hard one for the poet to overcome and words can be a place to hide. If the poet is shy they will present palatable offerings for, never telling you to go fuck yourself, because they aren't mean they can't explore kindness, they can't see how mean we all are.
I think a lot of people here seem to misunderstand what he means with this. Of course you need to read poetry to be able to write good poetry. If you wanted to learn how to play rock guitar but you never listened to rock except for a couple different songs, your view on what rock music can be would be really narrow. Basically you use poetry as a sort of teacher. This doesn't mean that you have to write like Wordsworth and it also doesn't mean that you have to limit yourself to the poets which are a part of the literary canon (a concept which is problematic in it's own right) Theses big classic poets I think are just a good starting point for beginners. At the beginning you know nothing about what poetry really can be. By reading them and also reading about them you gain a much deeper insight into poetry and its history, you gain various tools you would've never even thought of on your own and most importantly you learn to gain an eye for good poetry. This I think is really helpful when you want to read not so well known poets which is an obvious thing to do if you want to gain and even broader knowledge about poetry. All in all while the advice is good I think it's a bit too simplistic, which is kind of expected of 2 minute video. Just reading without thinking will not get you far. You can try to play a few notes on the cello for 10000 hours but that doesn t mean you will become a proficient musician. I think it's important to also understand what you are reading. Read about poetry itself, about the history and the contexts and about the authors. Additionally, I think it should be said that you obviously need to write poetry. You aren't a poet if you don't write poetry. The reading you do will help you gain the tools you need to become better at expressing yourself.
To be honest, writing poetry really and truly can begin for you at any age depending on what's happening in your own life. Writing poetry is really all about your life in words. Describing a certain scenario that you went thru or seeing something that maybe had a huge effect on you psychologically. Most of the proficient poets are those that have an exquisite background and went thru a lot in their past so they end up putting those feelings into words and create a rhyme from it. What is said by a certain person is how that specific individual lived his or her life. Some poets, as a result, get highly recognised by a large audience as others may be able to relate to their emotions and thus it gets interpreted in many different ways which can create some change in our lives. Poetry is about writing everything down about the things you see around you and how you feel about yourself which can encourage us to reflect on change. The more you write poetry the better you get. And listening to music can also help with writing and creating good poetry Ps, reading isn't fully the answer, knowing is.. You can know something these days just by hearing a person talk or looking at peoples body language
Ozair Yahya I disagree. Poetry isn't about yourself, it's about the beauty of language. Sure, sometimes you speak about what you went through, or what's right in front of you. But if you can't show the beauty in that, it's not poetry, just confession.
@@10mimu Yeah but if you haven't lived there won't be real beauty in it. Both statements are true and speaking of truth requires you live some of it and find what you need to say. Otherwise you become a flower poet, you'll be pretty but little else.
Probably just another person who decided to write out of boredom, but wrote something so "different", it had to be capsuled in a whole new form of literature.
THE MOTH by Benjamin Saltman The papaya colored moth flickered in the sun outside the seventh-story window, tapped the window twice going up luring the tan building to unfold and rise, the landscape to flutter. The world was bitten through its cloud wrappings. Moth the color of banana squash, moth in the gusts above sour traffic, I tell you there was a bloom of dust on our faces, an eccentric lurching in our hearts.
I think it makes sense that poetry started as an oral tradition structured over a long time to make stories easier to remember. We are cheating in a sense having access to a long history of poems and meta. That said I don't believe you necessarily need to reada bunch of poetry to write a great poem. If you know the elements of poetry you could conceivably become proficient by writing many poems, getting better at implementing the poetry meta. But there are great takeaways to get from reading how others approach it.
@@isaiahfreeman Or invent your own poetry in your own rhythm. Take for example haiku. How made that up and why does it result in some startlingly beautiful and insightful pieces? Can we use fractal math to create completely crazy word inventions? *_I think I shall make a try._* *_Something to do before I die._*
Due to illness, I couldn't read prolifically like yourself, (or however amount of words should read first), but at age 19 I "got into it". I was an avid reader as a younger person, and this helped I think. The styles of various serious authors all have their own expressive ways of literature development, for example, influences, resources can be made available, shared in a group, library, or even in a different culture - in another country - but your advice could be a prelude to a higher level to professional writing.. It's the ability to produce regular, paid income, to live by our own stuff, for others. Do the reading, and then do some really good writing. It's great advice. Thanks. I enjoyed watching this, and see what the "successful" poet does.
No, not snobby at all. Simply honest -and accurate. Look at it this way: can you name a single serious writer - someone who any beginning writer should want to emulate - who doesn’t know the history of his craft inside and out?
@@NichaelCramer I took offense There are some of us 'jackasses' out there Who believe they were 'given' this skill Who can write words without even trying And sometimes can rhyme them at will . It comes to us almost without effort The syllables are real easy to flow And some of us may write with emotion But some. Just to put on a show . You are obviously a master at poetry You tell your words through the eyes of a pro My poems are much more simplistic But are told from the depths, of my soul . Your words are meant to reach thousands My words may be meant, to reach 'one' Although I have never studied the rules of poetry 'The poet in me' ... say's there's 'none' . So "Congratulations" on all your successes And for this video, and what it has 'taught' I was trying to find out, what to do with this gift And I promptly found the answer I sought . -The poet in me
Poetry 💟 comes from a place of creative its. Not easy: The Dept of reading or writing you must appreciate it, frist 💕😻 the author is not saying whatever; He or she are expressing their deeps expression' And if you can't authers message ' while they made it clear then its on to the next chapter period. With a joyful 💜❤️ ' Moving on!
The River The river began It formed from the earth It slowly began to form a path Growing larger in size The river was content The river was stable But, when It hit a boulder It split into two Half going right Half going left One half encountered Pollution and very little rainfall Whereas the other side encountered, Very little pollution and had lots of rainfall But, When the time came It didn't matter Which way the river went Right or left Both sides Still ended up In the ocean.
Learn how a poem begins (yes there is specific way to enter a poem). I m not speaking of content. Master at least 10 literary devices Train yourself to be an expert in the use of metaphor Observe alot of nature and human life and take notes on anything that you can't get off your mind Get a mentor and takes lots of poetry class Make it the first thing you do, early in the morning and right before you shut your eyes Have your own place or two in your house when you write poetry Get use to using aromatherapy oils that stimulate the brain and encourage focus. Take writing classes that is prose and fiction writing. Do at least one poetry exercise a day Take the advice of some of the most famous writers including Hemingway. Please visit my youtube for more poetry writing tips.
People listened to poetry out loud before there was reading. You can kick poetry around all you want, say you can do it with not knowledge or self-training. You're doing out of a burning need to express yourself, and perhaps out of a desire to call yourself an artist to feel you are important. Go post on All Poetry.
As I bend for that next word that will set me free And reminded how we are all to be The path I will lead will be the path where Jackasses will never be....
I took offence There are some of us 'jackasses' out here, Who believe they were given this skill. Who can write words without even trying, And sometimes can rhyme them at will. It comes to us almost without effort, The syllables are real easy to flow. And some of us will write with emotion, While some. Just to put on a show. You are obviously a master at poetry, You tell your words through the eyes of a pro. My words are much more simplistic, But are told from the depths of my soul. Your words, are meant to reach thousands. My words, may be meant to reach one. Although I have never studied the rules of poetry, -The poet in me ... say's there's none. So "Congratulations" on all your successes, And for this video, and what it has taught. I was trying to find out, what to do with this gift, And I promptly found the answer I sought. -The poet in me
So far, out of all the poets works Ive read, I only really liked Poe, TS Eliot, and Billy Collins ❤ I think its the Imagism that I like and rhyme. I don't like poems that are like diaries.
I agree with reading classics, but ain't no way I'm reading the entire Prelude 💀 Plus poetry that is deemed as quality isn't necessarily based on how well structured it is, for example, but rather the emotions you get from it. Anyone can write a sonnet because it's based on rules, but not anyone can make that sonnet truly powerful emotionally. I think the true essense of poetry is based on that ability to make people feel- not really to tick as many boxes as you can to define quality - that would be quantity.
If you can get a hold of them, the 'Favorite Poem' series edited by Robert Pinsky can be a great starting place -- they are all poems that have been sent in to Pinksy (when he was Poet Laureate) by regular folks because the poems impacted them at an important point in their lives -- it's a great compendium of poems that have meant something to people, not those that have been chosen by English professors (though there are 'classics' in the mix). Billy Collins himself also put together a couple of good anthologies, intended for high school students but they work for anyone -- the second one (Poetry 180 More) is better.
I suggest to start at first with romantic poets and the classics of your country. But if you want some specifics I suggest you to read Legend of the evening star by Mihai Eminescu, The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, 11 Elegies by Nichita Stănescu...
Though I may agree with the underlying intent with the "advice" offered, I also disagree with the take he offers along with it. Any who have innate talent but haven't followed this course is a jackass? I'm certain many other artists would disagree that pejorative judgement. There is quite a large number of bohemian artists whose widely accepted and loved works would automatically discredit the implied attitude held within this discourse. No offense to the artist, but he is wrong. Yes, reading does help. Immensely, i willingly agree! But it is not for the art. It is only for proficiency. I believe the poem which is written from the heart and is naught but the pure expression of emotion does not require an extensive vocabulary. Sure, the language may appear course and the tenses of the verbs may not be precise but does it disqualify the content within? Must poetry be so confined that unless you familiar with Shelly and Baudelaire, any output should be discredited and ignored. A "Go away, kid. You bother the real artists" mindset? To hell with that!!! Bohemians rule!
@@julliusblackwell6239 And then there is the Instagram sewage of Rupi Kaur... I think he is just trying to weed at those that come off as disingenuous...
Exactly what I thought also. It's a good advice to say "read a lot of poetry", but writing your own poems without reading "all the classics" is not necessarily egoistical or jackass-ific. Anyone who can express themselves through words can write poems, and if you have something you really want to say and you write down some words that express that well, you can write a poem. You don't have to have read a lot of stuff
" Timeless Depths" I am a house. Inside a labyrinth. Red brick walls Cement sticks. I know my way I made the pattern exclusively. Though to say; these patterns I saw, I seen, and I’ve been present, Sometimes to my fault of lost. Made so rich, so crimson- A hint of a noir soul. A hint, unhinged. Nevertheless, her naturally haunting beauty remains. When the day remained to be at its will, Filled with strength. Her wall - Collapsed. thank you for your time.
@@ericavarela6754 Sorry you got such harsh "feedback." Dont let it get you down. I was ai a writing group once where all the group leader could do was criticize. It is funny how once he was gone everyone's writing improved. Keep creating!
I wrote this can someone tell me what I can improve? Friends come and friends go Like in winter when the snow, Falls and then melts, Never to stay. Sometimes it hurts, and sometimes the pain just stays in your heart And will never fade away. Someone once told me, That having that pain Means that their friendship was real; and strong, an emotional bond. But once there was more, Than just friendship in store; Firsst a friend then a lover, But, I was soon to discover That it wouldn't last. That I would shatter like glass being hurled to the floor. She slowly pushed away, stretching out my pain, confusing my brain till nothing was left. I didn't cry; I couldn't cry. it hurt too much. I hid in my room, Pulling my hair, wondering where, she was. What, she does. How, she feels. Was she dying inside, crumbling, like me? Or had she already moved on, was I now gone, The remains of a dream? Friends come and Friends go, That I now know. The pain, yes, is real, But you just have to deal with it. because they're not coming back. You can cry, you can plead, But they just won't return, Just leave you to bleed. it's always the same, Where you lose the game, and they forget about you, And the beautiful memories, from that friendship, too.
I wish Billy Collins' interlocutor had followed up with, "Having read poetry, how does one now transition to writing it?" There's got to be a moment when you get alone from all that, even if that aloneness is just a lie you tell yourself.
Then write. He's right about iambic pentameter. It is the natural rhythm of the English verse. That's why I write my formal poems in trochaic - precisely because it's unnatural.
I'm a novice writer a bit abstract hopefully you like my poem.. ❓❓❓ ------------ You hurt me because I can't read your mind I hurt you cuz You think I'm untrue Even though I love you I'm in this world Schizophrenic Atomic clock God's worth Open heart Time to start Bugs bunny Road runner Acme Akers What does it all mean A thousand words with no meaning Juxtaposed thinking Tunnel vision Paranormal dimension All these voices won't listen Atoms split Movies don't make sense Fact or fiction Read a book Subtle Satan Coward God I'm your image No sucide Born to die Tell me why Not a masochist Don't search for pain I'm a vessel labored in vain Except the Lord build the House Fall from grace "Ouch" Perfect time You hold the key Unlocking mysteries Monotheism to the Trinity I'm in You, You in Me I don't have the answers So help me to believe First Corinthians Thirteen Holy Bible Leave this World What's in a dream Perfect inspiration Puppet String Your The Potter I'm The Clay Still sitting here with this stain Writer Ryan K Pendley
How out of touch with the beginner poet could Billy Collins possibly be? Did he even hear the question? His type of response is exactly why academia/ivory tower gets a bad name. It's as if you can't be in the poetry club until you have served your sentence and read 10,000 hours of dead-white--verse. Don't dare read 10,000 hours of modern poetry, that may damage your sensibilities, corrupt your aesthetic, ambush your canon. We wonder why poetry is the least popular form of writing in the USA. Collins' rhetoric is not helping. in 2003 I earned an MFA in poetry and at the time my fellow academics kind of poo-poo-ed Collins because he was "too accessible". I liked him at the time, thought he was my hero even. However, over the last 15 years I have come to find his verse over wrought with allusions to Greek philosophy and other esoteric-TS-Elliot-type-show-offy-stuff. I don't need him to mention Lazarus to like a poem. That does not make him my hero. His blind trust in the power of classical allusions is his kryptonite. I am at the place in my poetry career where I am confident in my own canon. In other words, I don't agree with academia's list of what is "sacred" and "accepted as genuine". Of course, to be a writer it sure helps to be a reader. This is pretty obvious, even if you are reading your own work. But you don't have to say that like Billy Collins just did.
I don’t think it’s acadamia’s “sacred list” so much as works that have passed the test of time. After hundreds of years people still read Milton and Coleridge, which makes me want to see what the hype is. So I read them and I enjoy them, but props to you for finding books you love. At the end of the day we really should be reading what brings us pleasure. Life’s too short to trudge through esoteric writings just to become a “better” poet. Still, I think what he says is great advice. Most writers say this; reading quality and time tested literature is the best teacher.
First, you must dedicate your life to the artistic journey. A journey into the fullness of experience. Trust your subconscious, the power of your dreams. Inspiration will come to you from the world around you. Start with something normal and write as it changes. Read your poetic predecessors, you will collect your favourites, and they will inform your own unique style. Lastly, wake every morning with gratitude.
Collins best advice: Read poetry, just that: Read. Here is a poem by poet Benjamin Saltman (d. 1999) A COOL PLACE Benjamin Saltman I go out in the morning and rub my eyes. Who knows what to tell the day? Some know what to order immediately, they recognize each other, what is to sell. I walk under the peach sky on Aura Street and my thoughts stick from leaf to post in happy webs. For those who are like me it’s clear the bells have outrung themselves. For a while there’s room in the city. Who knows the nature of this pleasure must know me. A corner of being neither fence nor tree nor peach sky. My young children know it every day but it’s hard being older to keep from holding all of everything in a blind embrace. I want to hold a single thing. It’s time to enter a cool place where only a piece exists, a beer, a chair, the intimate hands of one person dangerously one person. To ask, will you sit near me? To say, you’re not everyone.
Did he not understand the question? How do you get started in poetry? His answer: Read for 10,000 hours. Well I guess there’s different kinds of asses, him being the Pompous Ass kind.
Poetry is art, and art is subjective. I disagree with his statement on having a pen and paper not being enough. Not everyone can be a poet, but some people are poets, they just don’t know it.
Poetry is more then expressing yourself. I express myself right now, that means this is poetry? No. Poetry, like any art has guidelines. That's why there are art schools. Because it can be taught. Some are naturally incline to poetry, some develope a taste for it after they read it or hear it. His advice is very good. Reading and analysing good poetry helps you as a poet greatly.
