Creative writing

Members Of The Workshop :

BERGHOUT Amina

BENAFIA Ahlam

BENABES Okba

BENKHELIFA Meriem

Supervised By :

GHODHBANE Nacira

Group: 02

Workshop: 05

Chapter 02 / Poetry

Matthew Sweeney: As Robert Frost said : “ Poetry is a fresh look and a fresh listen.”

A new way of seeing: some thoughts on writing poetry.

The quote that Matthew Sweeney and Robert Frost opens this chapter with talks mainly on the
thoughts of poem writing " poetry is a fresh look and a fresh listen " which means we can right about
something new and something fresh in terms of how the subject matter , language and the different
literary devices that we use . some people find poetry easier than other forms of fiction and non
fiction short poems ,need to be revised in terms of the form the language the rhyme and other
literary devices as Brian Moses reflects even though it's quite difficult to know when to edit a poem ,
there's always something that has to be done in order to improve a piece here are 3 expert poets and
their way of seeing poetry Brian Moses thinks of poetry as an aesthetic and easy Art as he mentions
"What i enjoy about poetry is that you can create a poem quickly and it’s there you feel like you feel
good that you ve done something good that day tho poems can take from five minutes to a year to
have it finished . and he also talks about performances he sees them as a way of helping him to see if
there are any flat points .

For Brian Moses Poetry writing requires a lot of patience compared to prose writing be it fiction or
nonfiction as much as details are concerned in poems we concentrate on words and phrases lines
and stanzas and he even mentions that the language should not be that of an ordinary one the
audience or the reader has to be unfamiliar with the language that is used.
Tony Mitton : concentrates on the language and the type of words as he says “ if you want to write
well you need to be expert with words and language . he insists on the use of words we need to be
like painters and composers we paint what is unseen or what is not usual to make it clear to the
reader when he reads the poem he or she can see the picture in their mind just by following the
words of the poem The language has to be playful and mostly musical by using the appropriate
literary devices and techniques like repetition of sounds in the beginning of the first stanzas or lines
and alliteration it is all repetition in different forms and shapes Rhyme is the main ingredient of
poetry as Pie Corbett clarifies in this chapter about rhyme “ Children rarely create successful rhyming
poetry and it goes back to their lack of linguistic skills to generate good end rhymes. Free verse would
be the perfect medium for children to adopt for writing because it can help them speak up their
minds and express their emotions and feelings Also Michael Rosen about poetry : he recommends in
his book of Dia I Hear You Write ? ( 1989), young writers must be encouraged to use their own voices
in their poems , their own everyday , colloquial speech In contrast to fiction and nonfiction which
have mainly genres , Poetry hats its many forms from modern to classical , oral to ordinary we can
say that the image of poetry according to Benjamin Zephaniah – that of a tree – is most apt . 3
Benjamin ZEPHANIAH views Poetry as a Big tree with so many branches . This chapter considers a
range of poetic forms including free verse , haiku , kennings and shape poetry. Many poets advise
pupils to start writing free verse and non rhyming forms because rhyme is of a challenge and
obstacle to those who lack the appropriate vocabulary . In libraries We can find poetry alongside non
fiction books that’s because it is based on real events , real lives and real aspects of the real world .
Back then Poetry was used as a vehicle for telling stories _ for instance to recall myths and legends .
What is so good about poetry ? most poems are short , featured with musicality of the language ,
poems can come in so many different forms and they cover a range of subject matters and range of
tones they are considered to be perfect for learning and performing in class they are ideals for
displays and publishing Poetry is also one of the best literary media for children to write themselves
and discover their literary voices finally poems can be written anywhere art or galleries and museums
.

Here , Pie Corbett takes into account fundamentally the way children perceive their literary
experiences :

In Pie Corbett’s Point of view schools and Poetry do not make a good couple . as he said “ i don’t
think schools recognise how important Poetry is to children.”

To Corbett Poetry is the main source of learning how to be a writer because when writing a poem
one has to master the linguistic skills as he mentions “it where you learn how to play with words “
and the words don’t follow up their real and literal meaning as Corbett explains it The beauty of
words which means words mean another thing that is intended by the word itself like he said “ with
Poetry you can do all kinds of things - Boast , Lie , Imagine , Imagine , Wonder , wish , Hope and
Dream. .

Every Poet has their own interpretation of what Poetry is .

Here are Few Poets responding to the question What is Poetry and What is it good for ?

Pie Corbett : a way of capturing recreating our lives : here Pie sees Poetry as something that is
inspiring and it is what makes of nothing something it brings back to life by its beauty of language
and if not the language that is appropriate then it’s destruction .

Jan Dean : sees that Poem is a mixture of Strangeness and recognition to form what is known with
the beauty of Poetry To Jan Poem is what makes us connect vividly with the world and respond to
everything around us . it’s responding vividly with recognition as he mentions “ Oh yes it is like that “
and wonder in strangeness as he mentions “ i never thought of it like that “

Michael Donaghy : To Donaghy it’s all about words and their structure as he says “ with Poetry , we
use words to go beyond words “

JOHN FOSTER : words patterned on a page that’s what FOSTER comes up with every time he is
encountered with the question of what is Poetry ? he also admits that Poems can be about any
subject matter there are no limit the Poet himself has written about toothpaste and what
distinguishes Poetry from Prose is that they both differ in the elements of writing that is Poetry
doesn't have narrative elements like in Prose and it has different pattern than prose .

ROGER MCGOUGH : Poetry as MCGOUGHER sees it is a highly codified language that seems to cme
from another way and type of thinking it is good for Unconsciousness it’s not normal in terms of
information because most information of normal writings lead us from A to B but Poetry is the
wandering off , it is perceiving everything from different angles .

TONY MITTON : in a nutshell MITTON sees Poetry as language dancing and his perspective comes out
from the experience that he had while he was a teenager , he happened to read T.S ELIOT’s comment
that language is the dance of the intellect he didn’t see it as intellect instead he perceived it as the
language that is dancing everytime he reads a poem he thinks of its language as if it’s dancing
Language.

BRIAN MOSES : BRIAN is attracted to rhythms of poetry and language since he is in love with Music
he sees that mixing the language with the rhythm is what makes a harmonious piece of poem . here
it’s all about Musicality of the language and the choice of words that allow the readers picture the
world in a different way and understand it from different angles.

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH: To BENJAMIN Poetry is good because it’s the most democratic Art Form
which the reader can get . it’s good because it’s concise and precise it’s the capturing of big emotions
into small, it’s what makes of tiny things stretched items it’s good because Ted Hughes can do it , Bob
Geldof can do it Benjamin Zephaniah can do it But also Mr Brown at the allotment can do it. to
Benjamin not any person can be a Poet only genius or mad persons who are Poets as he thinks.
Benjamin sees that the best way to know if it’s a good poem or bad is by performing it out in front if
the audiences . it’s a simple philosophy and rung true for him until this day . poetry is also about
having peace all over the world and having unity and love as the world’s anthem .

How do Poems begin? Poets examine the ways in which their poems evolve

in this section Poets reflect upon some of the ways in which their poems evolve

JOHN FOSTER: JOHN here elucidates how poems begin it’s about the 5 Senses he mentions and
concentrates on 2 senses as he mentions “ something i see or hear“ and also tries to let us that not
only the 5 senses but also we can start a poem by a common experience he gives an example of
waking up in a totally strange room and wondering for a split second where you are , or the
experience of being afraid in the dark and when editing he tries to come across a form of poetry that
he wants to imitate and he mentions the imitation that he once has done he imitated the title by
Tony Mitton called ‘ Ten Things You Never Thought To Ask About Elephants ‘ to ‘ Ten Things You
Never Thought To Ask About Hippopotamuses’ . As teachers he claims “we should present poets as
models”. he also talks about the techniques and the way to insert them properly so that children are
aware of the use of the techniques as he says “the children can have a go at the writing in the same
way”. and it’s the children’s job to analyse their writings not the teachers’ job and for them to look
objectively at their work. JOHN FOSTER sees the way to be a writer is to critically evaluate analyse
one’s work so to improve and develop to the level of writers.

ROGER MCGOUGH: the key to starting a poem is the words themselves as he says “words
themselves lead me to and idea often.” he just frequently starts doodling with a few words , the
subject matter of the poem is to be known when it’s finally finished. As Gertrude Stein once said “
Poetry is a process of discovering” it’s not about describing the known MCGOUGH thinks of the way
that having a whole idea about what the poem is going to be is rare so he finds that it’s exciting to
figure out what a new poem is about . and the tricky way to pass from one creative idea to another
to create a harmonious unity that the poem emerges from to have its own life.
BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH: Most of his poems start in his head with a rhythm

“ i luv me mudder and me mudder luvs me “ it can be just that for a while and then he might go on
we cum over de sea . he states that he sometimes feels like he is dancing and admits that a lot of
poets do that . For ROGER the most important thing is how poems are said when he read them out
loud and the words come out from his mouth nicely and smoothly , it’s then that he realizes they’re
ready to be written down. ROGER feels like he is writing like all the time , and he is always collecting
ideas and he states that there is a difference between creating a poem and writing poem in
ROGGER’s case he is creating poems all the time like when he is jogging but the actual writing
happens in the office.

MasterClass : Poets respond to questions often asked about writing a poetry

What is the right beginning for a poem ?

JAN DEAN: the line that allows you to move to the next line until he is happy and satisfied with the
first line. it’s all about the first line if it’s a good one then the newt lines will just go with the flow n
come as the first line is established but if it’s not good then it should be moved to find more suitable
line .

BRIAN MOSES: the first few lines or the opening of the poem ,which is considered to be the three
lines of the poem , has to mark an impact on the reader so he wants to go on with the next lines it’s
like the first page of a novel if the reader is intrigued somehow he’ll find himself in the last page just
because of curiosity and the end might be either something expected or unexpected.

How does the rhythm of a poem become established?

COLIN MACFARLANE: according to COLIN if you have written the two first lines , or even short
verse , repeat it over and over again if it’s good it will be fixed to the whole of the following lines that
make up the poem if it’s not good then it doesn’t fit the poem , it’s all about repeating the rhythm of
the first stanza .

TONY MITTON: TONY tries to establish the rhythm from the first stanza , he’ll find a better rhythm
from the first shot to see if fits the following lines or not .

what advice do you have on writing free verse?

PIE CORBETT: though it’s called free verse still it has to be carefully structured. When writing free
verse CORBETT is very much led by the sounds of the words, it’s harmonious unity the words are led
by the rhythm .
BRIAN MOSES: free verse in not just a prose, free verse must look like a poem on the page right from
the start, because it makes it much easier to insert a rhythm into it. In free verse, the
rhythm has to come in some ways for example repetition of certain lines or phrases.

To rhyme or not to rhyme?

JAMES CARTER: generally speaking there are no strict rules

if the poet is to write about life, memories, and experiences it’s better for the poem to be served it
by non-rhyming form. And if the oet is to write about something updated and comical, the rhyme
might serve the poem all well.

how can I write good rhymes?

VALERIE BLOOM: For VALERIE Rhyme is something that is very hard to do well, Rhyme helps the
poem to be more memorable especially for children when learning something new. you have to stay
in control of it also can be taught, one of the main ways is imitation looking at other poems with
good rhymes . And poems should be read out loud by teachers or children, because children learn
very quickly!

JAMES CARTER: The advice that JAMES advises us here is to avoid using lazy or random rhymes , if
you are using a word because it rhymes, but doesn’t make sense, try to use half or near rhyme, or try
to rewrite the poem in a free verse.

JAN DEAN: if you start using rhyme from the beginning, you must use it to the whole piece. Try to
use internal rhymes and play around rhymes and put them in irregular places.

JOHN FOSTER: Here , FOSTER talks mainly about the children’s perception to Rhyme . “young
children do enjoy rhymes and like writing their own rhymes “, he mentions . but rhyme is difficult .
In my workshops I will tell children that if they want to rhyme, then fine, but they will find it much
harder than free verse. Once a very bright child said “ don’t give up” as a rule for writing rhyme. and
the rhyme must fit the sense and the meaning of the poem .

TONY MITTON: one very good way of learning how to rhyme is a way that Michael Rosen has
shown in his ‘Down Behind The Dustbin’ poem in that he advises us to take a nonsense or humorous
form in which it doesn’t really matter what you say if it pathetic, or funny, it doesn’t matter. A good
way to learn rhyme is through comedy , nonsense rhyme, doggerel, or limerick. The important thing
is that you are learning to work the rhymes out and don’t you ever try to rhyme if you are
inexperienced .

what stages can a poem go through ?

TONY MITTON: two drafts can be taken as TONY thinks , then type it up onto the computer and
print it and work on it again, then rework on the poem on the screen. In the final stage you might
make changes, for example having verses, adding lines and spot any weaknesses in the poem.

BRIAN MOSES: BRIAN’s first draft is done either by hand or by dictaphone, BRIAN seems to take
dictaphone everywhere he goes. if he is in the car he and ideas start to come up he will just speak
them out to the machine to save all the ideas and work on them .

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH: when BENJAMIN workS on a page , He writes it out really rough, type it
immediately, then sees whether he likes it or not. Next he performs it in front of the audience.

when is a poem finished?

PIE CORBETT: i think it was Philip Gross who said that poems are never finished they just get
abandoned , as a writer you have to generate ideas, but then you have to judge, choose, select what
works and what doesn’t. if you used to say it in your head as well as out loud to hear as a reader
what is working and what needs some polishing, and each word has its place.

JOHN FOSTER: it’s a very difficult position, but poems are finished when every word counts and
when every word sounds right. If you are writing a non-rhyming poem, say it aloud or in your head,
to see if it’s sounding right.

ROGER MCGOUGH: ROGER helps us to find out the best way to test out a poem by showing us his
own way which is reading it out softly to yourself, the words have got to fit in the mouth well.

what makes a good title:

PIE CORBETT: a title has to take place. It’s the central part of a poem. It is what attracts the
readers and makes them read the poem, also explains to the reader what the poem is about.
 TONY MITTON: the title is the last thing to think of or to come. TONY sometimes regards titles as
unfortunate necessity. The title usually goes for something simple and direct advices on titles is if it’s
a serious poem, try and look clearly at the poem and see what title suggest itself. If nothing is coming
be logical and ask yourself.

is there a difference between a performance and a page poem?

PIE CORBETT: Here, PIE makes the difference and clarifies how performance differs from page
poems. Performance poetry is poetry that is engaging in a live context and will have an impact on
you as a listener, but it will not necessarily work on the page. This is because if you try and read it to
yourself you can only do it in that poet’s voice. A ford poem is not just the words on the page. It will
be memorable because of the conjunction of the words on the page and the sounds of those words,
the combination of syllables, vowels and consonants.

ROGER MCGOUGH: the two are one ( performance and page poem), they go together the poem
can’t be written down if it’s not performed out by the poet.

do you ever say your poems out loud as you are writing them?

JON DEAN: Yes it’s very important to hear a poem out loud as you are writing it, sound it out in your
head. The more you write the more you do that.

what general advice do you have on using words in a poem?

JAMES CARTER: don’t use long or difficult words in poems, just use simple words, but if you want a
poem to have a big influence in your reader. Avoid lazy language and take risks in your writing.

JEAN DEAN: For Dean playing with words is the key using familiar words when describing an
action. words should highly describe the subject matter of the poem.

JOHN FOSTER: every single word counts and matters in a poem. another advice he gives to
children is that they need to spend up to half an hour working on just one word.
 COLIN MACFARLANE: be highly descriptive but be careful of using too many adjectives or adverbs.
Find the right adjective and adverb that you need.

BRIAN MOSES: For BRIAN each and every word is important. There’s that old adage by the poet
Coleridge _ ‘Prose is words in the best order ,poetry is the best words in the best order”

how do I write about images?

VALERIE BLOOM: You Need to show and not tell, which means you need to let your readers
experience things in your poem that is , Seeing or hearing or feeling something (sense words) In this
way you are providing your readers with a clear visual image.

PIE CORBETT: According to Pie he sees that it is all about experiencing, watching, absurving, then
writing down the ideas that come to you. With imagery you need to look, absurve, hold the image in
your mind, find a language to express, feel , than word it to find the truth and the voice of an
experience.

what general advice do you have on writing poetry?

JON DEAN: According to JOHN the process of writing a poem includes three stages:

see it: using words to an image or feeling.

Sort it: draft the poem as the first version is rarely the last.

Sound it: anything that doesn’t sound right will not go right.

JOHN FOSTER: collect words and play with them. Try to do combinations until you find what is good
for the poem and what is good for the way of expressing it’s known as unusual combinations.

TONY MITTON: take a look at lots of poetry, and try to find how many things a poem has,( shapes,
sizes ,types ,forms). Remember the more you write the more you develop a voice of your own self.

MATTHEW SWEENEY: keep your eyes and ears open for anything you hear or you see that’s
interesting or different. Be like a spy.