For Sam

[Zondrae]

Of CourseTom,
I understood that you 'felt' the message.
I think it is because we are becoming more and more aware that the whole world can read our posts that we are being more hesitant these days in what we say. I know that, where once upon a time I would make a comment on almost every poem that was put up, I am much more careful in what I say and to whom. I have become aware of my shortcomings in both writing poetry and grammar in general. For example; I doubt my urge to insert commas in my general posts, so you can imagine my hesitation in including commas in a poem and as to the correct use of colons and semi-colons .. it is a complete mystery to me even though I have been offered several very good sets of instructions from John, David (Campbell), Neville and others. So 'if in doubt, leave 'em out'.

Even when I want to give a positive comment I am not sure whether I am using the correct terminology. I do want to learn but it is a bit repressing when someone uses a 'school teacher's' tone when offering a suggestion or correction. Yourself and John Peel have a way of not sounding to 'headmasterish'. So these days, if someone asks me for my thoughts on a poem, I suggest pm. At least there it is not so public.

How are things on the home front. Some days I struggle. It is expected. But then there are the great days with lots of good ones in between. All the best.

[Neville Briggs]

Zondrae, William Blake's poetry has grammar, punctuation and syntax all over the place and he is regarded as one of Britain's greatest poets. ( yes he does rhyme and metre, sometimes " right " sometimes "way out " )

A couple of days ago I was watching a film of the Last Night of the Proms in which several thousand people and a great orchestra raised the roof of the Albert Hall with enormous feeling as they sang a song with the words by William Blake. Think about it.

Punctuation and grammar are only means to an end. Clarity, we hope. If you can be clear by bending or even breaking the rules DO IT. The rules are not an end in themselves. ( These opinions I have taken from teachers who know much more than me )