Style

[manfredvijars]

As rhyming poets are we too hung up on the 'form' at the expense of 'style' and as a result do our our works become boring and predictive? Given that the elements of style are, Diction (word choice) and Syntax (word order), are we limited in how much 'Style' we can inject into a "Seven foot iambic" structure?

[william williams]

YUP

[Neville Briggs]

I think it is a complex question Manfred, difficult to deal with in this limited forum.

I think there is a fault that can occur when we simply put words that seem to fit the metric and rhyme scheme and we don't make enough effort to think out the rhythm of language and the flavour or colour of words and make the revision and editing that is needed to make the best use of all the elements of form and poetic language. I am guilty of this, I am in the long process of going over all my stuff and revising where this has happened.
I would certainly agree with what I take is your concern, tidy metre and rhyme do not a poem make, there has to be more. I'm still learning.

I don't think that one size fits all. Some bush poets manage it, some don't. If we could manage to organise more symposium events to workshop writing I think it would help.

Do our works become boring and predictable. Again, some are some not. But I suspect that dedication to a narrow definition of poetic form will inevitably skew the practice into mediocrity. As you are well aware, I argue for a broader and more flexible approach to form.

We don't need to stick to iambic seven foot lines, that should be easily varied.

The challenge of traditional rhyming is hard because in a sense, the rhymes make the words go in a certain direction. I think we all know the feeling of painting ourselves into a corner with rhymes. But if we want to stick to that tradition, then the challenge remains and if we want to be better than mediocre then we have to find creative ways to meet the challenge.

[Bob Pacey]

Balance in everything


NUP


Bob

[Terry]

Hi Manfred

I often wonder to myself whether we are starting to reach a stage where in general we have very well written poetry, but as you say, perhaps sometimes at the expense of style.
I keep asking myself are we on a sort of nonstop speeding treadmill that drives us on and on to produce more and more poems even if they are boring.

Perhaps it's just me.

Cheers Terry

[warooa]

Geez Manfred you sound like a free verse poet campaigning against "the rhyme crime" there

I recalled someone once describing the seven foot iambic as "bloody boring" so I think there is some credence to what Neville says. Especially the last paragraph in his reply - spot on me thinks Nev

Marty

[Terry]

It's not so much the rhymes with me, more the storyline and the way a poems written, it's more noticeable in longer poems as well I reckon.

But as I said it's probably just me.

Terry

[manfredvijars]

Geez Manfred you sound like a free verse poet campaigning against "the rhyme crime" there

Quite the contrary there Marty, oh "Cyclone Slayer from the North" . These thoughts came out of a recent conversation with one literary type. "Boring and predictive" is a phrase I hear regularly, and I suspect there could be a little truth in it!

By the (shortened)ABPA definition, "Bush Poetry is telling stories in rhyme and metre". And these story poems are favoured in our competitions such that our own critiquing is mainly focused on the 'story' or content, and that it MUST fit into the form.

There are times in written competitions, as a judge, you can see that different poems are written by the same author. The content may vary but the 'style' doesn't. Sadly, many pieces are 'boring and predictive'. I say sadly because when you find out who the authors are, you know they are capable of so much more.

I'm inclined to believe that having a good understanding of the elements of our craft, empower us to shine in our writing. A couple of pieces that come to mind are, "Waltz in the Courtroom" by Glenny Palmer and "My Son" by David Campbell. Both these pieces show a surperb (superior even) diction and syntax (word choice and word order) and the authors are on top of their game.

Even our new-comer from across the dutch is 'on the game' ...
"Requiem for the U.N." by Rod Walford, is brilliant. In fact it would fit into the Graham Fredriksen, "If a picture paints a thousand words - that's Art! However if a few words paint a thousand pictures - that's POETRY", category.

With a little more care, our stuff doesn't have to fall into the, "Boring and predictive" category.