01-11-2013, 05:59 PM
There has been quite a few references over the time I have been with this forum, from both newbie’s and existing hogs, who either started off writing prose and then wandered into poetry, or others who actively choose to write both. (I fall into the first category).
My experience has been that when I write prose I can fully explore an idea and fill in as many details as I like, and I suppose I view it more like a form of padded out free verse. (Which in “poetic” form I normally struggle with). I find that if I stay too long in poetry mode, my writing, in my desire to concentrate and distil my thoughts down to the finest point of effectiveness, can either become one dimensional and wooden or it goes to the other extreme and becomes overly obtuse (and thus un-accessible to many).
I’m just wandering if anyone else has thoughts on the need and interplay between the two creative processes. Is prose needful as a skill, to be honed and used in the quest to enhance the effectiveness of our poetry…and visa versa concerning prose. Or, is this just something that will remain peculiar to individual writers and the ability to write prose has no definable relevance one way or the other?
…and whilst we are on the subject (I know it was discussed at length not that long ago on these boards) I loved TOMH submission arbil gave appreciation for beautiful poetry…I thought it was beautiful prose…sometimes it is very difficult to say where one stops and the other starts. (Should we have a board specifically for pieces of prose?...at the moment we are free to post this type of work in the misc board)
My experience has been that when I write prose I can fully explore an idea and fill in as many details as I like, and I suppose I view it more like a form of padded out free verse. (Which in “poetic” form I normally struggle with). I find that if I stay too long in poetry mode, my writing, in my desire to concentrate and distil my thoughts down to the finest point of effectiveness, can either become one dimensional and wooden or it goes to the other extreme and becomes overly obtuse (and thus un-accessible to many).
I’m just wandering if anyone else has thoughts on the need and interplay between the two creative processes. Is prose needful as a skill, to be honed and used in the quest to enhance the effectiveness of our poetry…and visa versa concerning prose. Or, is this just something that will remain peculiar to individual writers and the ability to write prose has no definable relevance one way or the other?
…and whilst we are on the subject (I know it was discussed at length not that long ago on these boards) I loved TOMH submission arbil gave appreciation for beautiful poetry…I thought it was beautiful prose…sometimes it is very difficult to say where one stops and the other starts. (Should we have a board specifically for pieces of prose?...at the moment we are free to post this type of work in the misc board)