To write great poetry, invariably you have to know at least some great poetry, or classical poetry, and understand it-- that is to appreciate it, and be able to share what you gain from it and from life. Of course it is possible, and there had to be some first examples built on human experience and the bits and pieces of human expression established before, but if you look at great poets and learn about their lives, you will consistently see that they took the time to learn the great works of literature, music, and art which was established before them. Talent is not born with a babe, though one might argue, pointing to the examples of Taliesin and other Wunderkind. Yet I say that in all likelihood,poetical talent is earned and honed through careful listening and observation, through study and craft, through experience and effort.
In the libraries, book shops, walls of the ancient and modern cities, and in song and sound recordings are many different kinds of poetry, of course standing to reason, but it does make sense, (does it not?) that some poetry has stood the tests of time and popularity of rigourous criticism and analyses, to last in the esteem of people the world over. Classic poetry is what I would call that fine art of poetry or poesy which conveys the best of wisdom, love, beauty, valour, truth, nature, or whatever wisdom or passion or thought there is to be developed from mind and expressed through language, whether spoken or written. This is my own definition of it. Classic poetry can be so diverse as to include the sonnets of Shakespeare and Petrarch, or the modern or 20th century verse of e.e. cummings and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. While there is very good post-modern and contemporary poetry, such as Stephanie Strickland's "V" (2002) and Anne Waldman's "5 Female Poets Next to a Block of Ice," (American Poetry Review; May June 2006,Vol 35, No.3 http://www.aprweb.org/issues/may06/waldman.html ).
Some of my favourite classical poetry are the Psalms translated into English or Spanish. (I wish I could read or comprehend through listening in the Hebrew!), the ghazals of the Bedouin and Moors, the Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayam as translated into English by Fitzgerald. If possible, read the poetry in the original language not just in English. I enjoy poetry in Spanish, French, German, Russian, even in Arabic though my Arabic is very weak still.
Here I give you the link to the Rubayyiat by Omar Khayyam, who composed I believe in an old Farsi or Persian language, probably the classical literary Persian:
http://www.okonlife.com/
To begin with, a person reading or working through this site could find some good poetry on Oldpoetry.com the sister site, which has a link at the bottom of this page. Happy reading and recitation!
JP Creighton, a.k.a café ground zer0
To write great poetry, invariably you have to know at least some great poetry...if you look at great poets and learn about their lives, you will consistently see that they took the time to learn the great works of literature, music, and art which was established before them. I hope to make the case in favour of each serious or soulful poet to strive to learn from the great poets who have arrived before her or him to the halls of fame of poetry, song, and recitation.
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