A SLICE OF POETRY

HAVE A SNACK 

MAN

Time bond fragile clay

Destiny’s soldiers

Stabbing the icy heart of time

Though you reign triumphantly

Ashes is your end 

By Cheryl Griffith

POETRY SPEAKS! ARE YOU LISTENING?

Here is a poem written by me which illustrates the hope of every parent, to protect their child from the cruelty of this world. And this is the power of poetry, giving voice to the heart.

LOSS OF INNOCENCE

Give me your hand child

This world is filled with too much weeping

More than you can understand

Oh child

I watched you sleeping and I cried

Then you awoke and embraced the world

With joyful greetings

Smiling sweetly as you play

Bouncing and leaping

Oh child

In your innocence you hold tomorrow

Wrapped in tiny fingernails and toes

So much I need to tell you child

But I must wait for you are young

And we both speak in a different tongue

Oh child

You see everything through unspoiled eyes

And time is not kind

So sorry that now you must learn

 This cruel world tells lies

By Cheryl Griffith

The singer Alicia Keys shows the power of Poetry

Yep, she is not just a singer but also a poet. But then song is a relative of poetry or a form of poetry so it's easy to switch between the two. 

"These are my most delicate thoughts. The ones that I wrote down just so I could understand what in the world these things I was thinking meant. It wasn't until going through my journals and notebooks that I realized how ready I am to share these secret thoughts. Some of them are painful; some of them are just observations, some silly, some that have affected me so deeply and with such frustration that the only way to express the confusion was to write it down."
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So if you haven't yet, check out her book "Tears For Water" 

Here is an excerpt from her book for you to enjoy!

PROSE VERSUS POETRY

Hi folks, so in my previous posts you got an idea of what poetry really is. Now, how does it differ from prose? Well, Poetry differs from prose in its conforming to meter, rhyme and music. Poetry is condensed and musical thought which technically can be fully developed, paraphrased and extended into prose. And prose can certainly be edited and condensed into poetry by skilled hands.

HOW DO YOU TELL THEM APART?   

HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE PROSE FROM POETRY?? 

 Great question! There are many similarities and differences.

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Let me make a list for you:

Both prose and poetry are literature that seeks to express a point. They are both artistic and require skill and lots of practice. So, from the point of view of creativity, artistry, and other literary points of view, there is much in common. So, we can say that there is very fine line between poetry and prose. What separates poetry from prose generally speaking are the followings:

The major difference is that poetry has line breaks. Another difference is in the form, or "rules", of poetry, such as meter, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, etc. poetry is governed by meter.

Poetry also tends to follow certain patterns, whether they be couplets, rhymes or other artistic conventions. Prose does not follow patters or better yet does not have to do so. Prose uses sentences and paragraphs while poetry uses lines and stanzas .Prose can be explained as words in their best order while Poetry is the best words in their best order!!

Poetry is about the isolation of feelings while prose is about accumulation. Amongst other things, prose is mainly an ethical project, while poetry tampers with truths which the world of prose takes for granted. Moreover, poetry is more expressive and attractive compared to the opposed usual dull quality of prose. And poetry is written in verse, while prose is written continuously.

There is something about poetry beyond prose logic, there is mystery in it, not to be explained but admired. — Edward Young

HERE IS A GREAT VIDEO THAT EASILY CLARIFIES THE TWO

Well, wasn't that interesting and exciting??

Oh no wait a minute! So what about Prose Poetry?

Prose poetry is neither prose nor poetry but a hybrid of the two. Prose poetry is poetry written in prose instead of using verse but preserving poetic qualities such as heightened imagery and emotional effects.

Hello everyone and welcome to my Blog 'LIFE BREATH POETRY'. This Blog aims to breath life into the beauty of poetry as an art form as poetry breath life into my Blog. Because Poetry is Life and Life is Poetry. With this blog I aim to draw you into the passion of the art form as I illustrate the magic and power of Poetry and entice you to embrace.

A POETIC MOMENT

Raining Thoughts

Thoughts drizzle from my brain 

Like rain daunting the sun

seeking to introduce his presence

Offering promises

And I, lingering in the moment

wondering, what he had to offer

Will he wash away my pain 

and bury my yesterdays in his out-pouring? 

Or storm my mangled emotions 

hurling out hurricanes

leaving me broken in his calm

Perhaps, he'll drizzle poetry

His breath warm and fragrant like the wind

whispering in my ear

caressing my mind with liquid fingers

Telling me to forget yesterday

See only today

And water it with change. 

BY CHERYL GRIFFITH

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE POETRY

ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW HOW?

HERE ARE TEN THINGS EVERY POET SHOULD KNOW!

If you want to be taken seriously...

Poetry is a craft. To be a serious poet means you are a craftsman, you have studied and mastered the essentials of poetry. Do you know the art of Picasso? Most of us are familiar with his crazy, wonderful, modern paintings. But did you know that he could also imitate one of the old masters impeccably? Yes, there are famous poets out there that flaunt all the rules of poetry, but believe me, they were masters of the craft first. So your first step in becoming a respected poet is to know some of those rules. My purpose here is save you the embarrassment of throwing out to the public a poorly done poem, so here goes!

10 Essential Things to Know:

Here is a list of 10 of the most basic things you should know before writing any poetry you intend to share with the public. It took me hours and hours of studying to figure out where I was falling short when I started to learn to write and I am still learning after so many years, but I hope to save you a lot of time and effort by putting these things into a neat little package for you:

1.Know who you are writing to. 

If you write about the crush you have on Suzie, "Roses are red, violets are blue, Suzie has beautiful eyes, Her heart is true..." Well, this poem is for Suzie, and if you want to give it to her to read, well, please do. But why subject the rest of us to bad poetry!  If you are writing for the public to read, then you have to be able to write in a way that any stranger can understand it and want to read it.

2. Poetry is based on meter and rhythm. 

You can have poetry without rhyme, but you cannot get away without having meter, meter is the beat of the poem or rhythm. This will take some study on your part. You need to know the basics of meter, which is based on syllables, emphasized or not emphasized. The basic building block is an "iamb", a word that begins with a non emphasized and ends with an emphasized syllable, the beat reads: duh-DUH. Example: a-wake, a-buse, a-fraid, etc...I cannot go into depth here on all the acceptable forms of meter and substitutions. You must study meter to master the craft!

 3. Have a theme

 An underlying message you want to get across. Rambling on in pretty language will not leave your reader with any impression they can take away from the poem, so have a clear idea of what you want to convey to the reader, what message you want the reader to get and what emotion you want to convey.

4. Avoid clichés!

Clichés are words or phrases we have heard a million times: my heart burns for you; it is written in the stars, etc. We have heard these so many times our minds no longer stop to think about them. Try to give your message to the reader in a new, fresh way, using new or unusual phrases to carry your message.

5. A picture is worth a 1,000 words. 

OK, that's a cliché, but imagery is important to poets. Beginning poets especially, need to use word pictures in their poems to give the reader the ability to experience your poem along with you. For example: "A man with dark hair followed me." Abstract, no details. Now think about this: "A huge hulking shadow, with hair like strands of liquid coal, trailed my footsteps." This is more of a word picture and it gives the reader a way to visualize the feeling you are trying to get across. Using figurative or poetic devices helps.

6. Use a Thesaurus and a Dictionary. 

A Thesaurus gives alternate words you can use to convey the same thought. When you are searching for a new way to say something, this is invaluable to have. A Dictionary will help you with the meaning of words and also with how the word is broken into syllables and stressed. This will help you with the meter of your poem. Also, it may be worthwhile to have a rhyming dictionary.

7. Less is more. 

Poems are meant to be distilled literature. You should try to condense your poem by removing unnecessary words and lines. This makes a poem more powerful and the vision you are creating more intense. So look your poem over carefully and see what words or lines may not be needed to convey your thought. Remember to maintain your rhythm though; you don't want to remove words that will destroy the meter.

8. Grammar. 

That means spelling, punctuation and proper use of words. Oh, I know, you probably thought you left all that behind in school, but no, it is essential in writing any kind of literature. You can see how important it is in this silly example: "I helped my uncle jack off a horse" vs. "I helped my Uncle Jack, off a horse." It makes all the difference... A poorly spelled, or incorrectly punctuated poem, will cause your poem to be dismissed by the reader as if the writer did not care about it. Or get a completely different meaning. Of course, there are instances where poetic licence is used but that’s another story.

9. Rewrite. 

Do not post a poem as soon as it is written. Step away from it for a day or two, then go back and read it with a fresh mind. I guarantee you will see issues with it and things you want to change. It may take several rewrites to make a poem effective, and it may take putting it aside for weeks at a time. I have read that E. E. Cummings revised some of his poems 175 times. Get the picture? Not to mention Derrick Walcott.

10. To write good poetry you have to read good poetry. 

Read, read, read. Read some of the classics, but also spend time reading current poetry. And I don't mean just what people throw out on the internet, much of that is bad poetry. Read the published poets and read collections of poems, they will inspire you to write and help you see what makes a great poem great. Try a Grace Nichols or Martin Carter or Maya Angelo for example.

Write!

Somewhere in you lies a great poem, waiting to be written. For a poem to sprout and grow, it needs contemplation and thought. Everyone finds their inspiration in different ways, but take time to allow yourself to delve into your inner thoughts and feelings. Usually this means time alone: take a walk; work in the garden; sit somewhere quietly. Take the time to chew on different ways you can make your thoughts and feelings live. Think, study, write! Above all, write. With effort and time, you too, may become a great poet.

Learn the Craft!

A DEFENSE OF POETRY

THE POET SPEAKS

I’ve had a very difficult childhood and I have to say it was poetry that brought me through many difficult days and impossible situations that I can stand here today. From very early in my life, poetry became my very close friend, always there when needed, hugging me, loving me and giving me a voice to speak when I could not speak. Poetry understood my tears, my grief, my pain as well as my laughter and always offered me an ear or a smile. Poetry has helped me get into relationships, deal with break ups, absorb deaths, loss and other feelings. To state plainly, I was abused as a child, and poetry helped me un-bottle all those emotions and feelings that I had bottled up inside from that period of my life.

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I believe poetry is a necessary part of our lives because poems can inspire and make us think about what it means to be human, without poetry, the world would be like un-salted, unseasoned food very bland and tasteless. Poetry is art and Art is communication and Communication is essential for life to continue. Another word for communication is intercourse, so the reading and writing of Poetry is very involved with the interplay and dialogue between humans. Poetry allows us to dream, to let off steam, or even express our madness, our regrets, our desires, aspirations and our beliefs.

 We complain and rag about the state of the planet through the voices of our poets because poets are a way of advising the world. Poets are also teachers and doctors and lawyers and waiters and labourers because poets speak for all.  Yes; poets even speak for the dead and poets don't cry they bleed. The fact is, poetry teaches us about life. It say in a fewer words than we can speak, it deliver messages, points of view, comments with words that ignite our mind, our imagination and even reason in some cases. And make us think in a different way, a deeper way than just simply speaking or talking. It has helped me deal with anger, frustration, heartbreak, headache, hopelessness, isolation, depression, and more. It’s helped me be human. That’s the true value of poetry as far as I’m concerned. Everything else is icing.

In the last few years I have spent much of my time writing poetry. Sometimes, while sitting alone in front of my computer, I had sometimes wondered whether I was wasting my time. After all, the world is in trouble, society is falling apart surely there must be something more useful, more pressing, to give my time to than reflecting on poetry?  But that thought did not last long and over the years, I’ve kept writing because I knew, I understood that great poetry has the power to start a fire in a person's life. It can alter the way we see ourselves and can change the way we see the world and if the world will listen, perhaps even change the world.

You may never have read a poem in your life, and yet you can pick up a Walcott, Neruda or Grace Nichols on any page, and suddenly find yourself blown into a world full of awe, dread, wonder, marvel, deep sorrow and joy, poetry does that and more.  It is a magical art, and always has been-a making of language spells designed to open our eyes, open our doors and welcome us into a bigger world, one of possibilities we may never have dared to dream of. Poems honour the unknown, both in us and in the world. They come from an undiscovered country; they are shaped into form by the power of language, and set free to fly with wings of images and metaphor. Imagine a world in which everything is already known. It would be a dead world, no questions, no wonder, and no other possibility. Poetry, above other art form, comes closest to fulfilling the goal of art.

The magic of poetry, is how it uses common everyday speech. It uses words that are known to all of us, but in a sequence and order that surprises us out of our normal speech rhythms and thought processes. Its effect is to illuminate our lives and breathe new life, new seeing, and new tasting into the world we thought we knew. Poetry bids us eat the apple whole, it allows us to smell anger, inhale joy or taste a thought. It opens up our senses, I feel that everything I know about being human has been deepened by the poems I've either written or have read.

Conclusively, like air, like water, like food; I think poetry is also a necessary in our lives. But, Poetry can be dangerous as well as necessary. Because we may never be the same again after reading a poem that happens to speak to our own life directly. I know that when I meet my own life in a great poem, I feel opened, clarified, confirmed somehow in what I sensed was true but had no words for.  Anything that can do this is surely necessary for the fullness of human life hence poetry is very necessary to the world, to society and more directly, very necessary to our daily life.

POETRY HAS ITS OWN LANGUAGE

When Poetry speaks, it does not only have a voice but also its own language. Poetry is emotive and communicates human emotion; it is the voice of the heart. Some Say Poetry is a separate language or more specifically, a language within a language. If we take the idea of a poetic language seriously, it can be defined first as a language in which the sound of the words is elevated to an importance equal to that of their meaning. Poetry language is figurative language which involves a number of techniques called poetic devices which may include Rhyming, Metaphors, Similes etc. Through the use of poetic language a poem is more emotionally intense and is also more open to interpretation.

THE VIDEO BELOW GIVES SOME EXPLANATION

           POETRY STRETCHES THE MIND         

TO EXPLORE THE DEEPEST DEPTH OF OUR HUMAN IMAGINATION

FAMOUS POETS AND THEIR VIEWS OF POETRY

'I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is prose; words in their best order; poetry; the best words in the best order.' S.T.Coleridge Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.'    William Wordsworth 'I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering.' Robert Frost WHAT'S YOUR VIEW OF POETRY??

 HAVING FUN WITH POETRY

COFFEE AND A SLICE OF POETRY

Poetry is for lovers like you and me
Who marvel at the artistry of the pen
The skill of the verses that rhyme
And the mystery in between the lines

Poetry is for lovers
This is true
For lovers like me and you
Those who are not afraid to bare their soul
And spill with careful words
Their heart's content

For those who dream of nature scenes
Flower beds and wild green grasses
Moon-lit skies, quiet walks
And goodnight kisses

Poetry is for lovers
If it is not so
Then why do lovers cling
To poetry things? 

By Cheryl Griffith

      HI EVERYONE THIS IS A CD COMPOSED OF MUSIC AND POETRY PRODUCED BY ME THAT TELLS A STORY OF LOVE

EROS IS THE GREEK WORD FOR (ROMANTIC) LOVE

A MIND THAT EXPERIENCE POETRY CHANGES FOREVER

WHAT IS POETRY??

QUESTIONS ANSWERED? WELL I HOPE SO BUT DON'T WORRY

 MORE ABOUT POETRY COMING SOON…