My Poetry

I consider poetry to be one of the finest art forms there is. It has something of an uncool image – though try going back in time and saying that to Byron’s face. But like any art form, poetry can be whatever you wish – angry, funny, sad, happy, weird, thought-provoking, dramatic, good, bad, avant-garde, lovey-dovey, dark, light, brainless, stupid, intelligent, uplifting or depressing. Most people will be able to think of examples of music for all of the above. No different with poetry.

I began writing poetry back in my University days. I have to admit that I left a lot to be desired as a bard – a working knowledge of metre, for a start, though I was okay with rhyme. Yes, I know poetry needs neither – but that’s the sort of poetry that I generally prefer to read or write. I think it’s something to do with the puzzle element – trying to shape your thoughts so that they fit, as if it was some sort of lexical jigsaw puzzle. See this sestina of mine, for example.

My poetry was greatly improved a few years ago by the purchase of The Ode Less Travelled, by that lovely Stephen Fry. The book is written very much in his spoken style, with characteristic humour, but is also a very engaging tome upon metre, rhyme and form – and the understanding and practice thereof. It has exercises at every step – which I found very useful, some of which are now included in the body of my work.

I’ve been much more fruitful poetically since reading that book. I now have seven sonnets, which makes me a 21th of the way to being the next Shakespeare. Hopefully, there’ll be a few more poems published here in the future.