On prettiness and clever metaphor: In the beginning with writers and readers of poetry, there is an over-emphasis on prettiness and metaphor, which are often used as a mask for, or are sure signs of, lack of content.
If you are writing for beginning readers (which there is a good market for) by all means emphasize prettiness and metaphor- they will be duly appreciated and enjoyed. Do not then make the mistake of taking your writing or thoughts seriously, for prettiness and metaphor only serve to mask and obscure thought. Any writer with a worthwhile message to convey (or emotion, as in romantic writing) avoid these devices. If you are writing for the confectionery mind, with said thoughts and emotions, then sure, heap on the prettiness and cute, clever metaphor. All hail sugar! (and don't get me wrong, I love sugar-highs as much as anyone! )
On rhythm: rhythm's best application is to clarify- sometimes it is the only way to make difficult ideas and their accompanying passages readable and palatable, and even enjoyable; otherwise such complex thoughts read like staggering, stumbling, incomprehensible gobbledygook with thought-overlap and image-bleed (my terms), especially if there is cuteness and metaphor present to mask and obscure the message further, and diminish the direct emotional impact.
On meter: this is not rhythm. If you are writing for meaning, keep the meter loose and subservient to the message and images. Writing to strict meter only serves to scramble and outright destroy any meaningful thought and emotion when phrases are bent to fit the form, and almost always then renders the piece unreadable and incomprehensible, as well as barren- stripped of the associated original emotions.
On metaphor and symbolism: a writer may fall into these when dealing with hard-to-grasp issues or new perceptions and thoughts. Even if it is still incomprehensible in the end, the reader will sense there is a deep issue being grappled with, and grapple with the reader. To use metaphor and symbolism for their own sake is academic, which trivializes and abuses them, often poisoning the devices for those readers subjected to such treatment- having spent time unraveling only to find cliche, shallow messages that have been given no effort or thought.
On unraveling metaphor and symbolism: a reader is 'spending time' with the writer when unraveling metaphor and symbolism, make sure you have a core message that is worth the effort- if all that is left after unraveling such devices is an obnoxious writer's ego, then the time spent unraveling was not only wasted, but distasteful, and the writer has only succeeded in poisoning the reader's mind against such devices, however well applied by the next writer.
On Concrete Imagery: I call poems that employ this "Ebay Poems", "Department Store Poems", "Shopping Spree Poems", for the 'things' used to 'concrete' the image usually serve to do nothing more than stimulate our shopping impulse. 'Shopping' readers love 'things', and that is what concrete imagery is all about, 'things', which usually come about in the 'showing and not telling'.
When it is badly applied, the writer endeavors to 'show it' rather than 'tell it' for no other reason than principle. Since 'showing' is extremely difficult, many writers do not spend the effort there, since there heart is not in it, and end up losing that which would have been perfectly clear in its abstract form.
At its absolute worst, concrete imagery becomes a name-brand, name-dropping game, playing to people's petty envies, and totally destroying any initial worthwhile intent or content.
On the Creative Process:
On Magic: There is a certain 'magic' inherent in a good work, a magic that the artist cannot control or predict. Not all works will have this magic, indeed, most works will not. Such magic (along with 'brilliance') comes in spurts. An artist might have a slew of 'dead' pieces, and then all of the sudden create a handful of magical or brilliant pieces.
On Highly-Worked-Out Pieces vs. Quick Pieces: There is no guarantee that the public will like an artist's highly-worked-out piece. Indeed, they may prefer a rattled-off piece, being the 'fresher'. The artist has no way of knowing which pieces the public will like. The artist can only keep creating, hoping for a spurt of magic or brilliance.
this column is part exasperation, part vent, part coming to terms with our fragile human nature (of which I am not excluded from having, for I like 'things' in poetry when I see them, and fall victim to petty envies too)...
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