Every
one of us knows the bittersweet moment that defines our having figured out or
been told what needs to be done in a given situation, juxtaposed with our realization
that doing it well will require some work and commitment. Our poet spills his
deepest feelings onto the page, captures the essence of what may some day be a
good poem, only to remember that the craft requires more than mere spillage, more
than pure emotion gushing forth. He then must choose between abandonment and embrace.
Having allowed that within to escape and manifest in writing, does he walk away
from the page, or do the work the craft demands: diction, metaphor, music, line,
point of view, imagery, form, texture and always, always, revision? Re-vision,
see again where the poem wants to go. So much work! Such commitment to see it
through! As
our poet may abandon or embrace this work, so our self must address the work that
life presents. Given miracles of matter, body, mind, soul and spirit, does she
abandon or embrace her opportunities for ongoing growth and transformation? When
will she be satisfied—to what level of consciousness does she aspire?
Having glimpsed the body, will matter still suffice? Will the body be enough once
she recognizes the mind? Where the mind falls short, dare she explore Soul—and
then Spirit? Is the integration of these realms possible? So much work! Such commitment
to live a life, to see it through! return
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CHAPTER
FORMAT Living
Poems, Writing Lives explores these questions and some prospective answers
for both our poet and our self. Each chapter begins with a basic introduction
to/review of a poetic device or concept: structure, line, image, point of view,
metaphor/simile, drama, diction, punctuation, rhythm, revision, theme, texture,
and completion. The second part of each chapter moves from the realm of the poet
to the realm of the self, and explores the device's or concept's role in helping
her live a conscious life. How
does she structure her life around time, money, vocation, relationship
and other areas? As the line is the basic building block for the poet,
what are the basic building blocks of her life? Does imagery affect her
day-to-day living, and if so, how? To what extent is she aware of who she truly
is: when she expresses her point of view, who is behind her first person
pronoun? Has she chosen her life metaphors, or is her perception of life
as a journey, a gift, or a war, simply borrowed unconsciously from others? How
much of the drama in her life arises from conflict that is beyond her control,
and how much from conflict that she can influence or even eliminate? Is she at
all aware of her diction—her means of expression beyond simple word
choice? Does she live life punctuated by periods, commas, question marks,
colons, exclamation points, or some combination thereof? To what extent is she
aware of and does she influence the rhythms of her life? Does our self
believe there is some underlying meaning, dominant idea or theme to her life story,
and how does this belief affect her living? Given the interrelationships among
these devices and concepts, can she recognize the overall texture of her
life, and to what extent is she able to see her life anew—to revise
her interpretations of events when such revision serves her? Finally, has she
ever reflected upon her life's completion? How conscious of and prepared
for death is our self? Each
chapter ends with written exercises and a brief discussion of some aspect of meditation.
The exercises address both poetry writing and self-exploration; the meditation
section provides simple "getting started" instructions for several approaches
as well as suggestions for further reading and/or experience, all of which are
annotated in the bibliography. The book includes endnotes; two appendices (a brief
overview of developmental theory and a 15-billion-year time line); a 180+ entry
annotated bibliography; and an index. return
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| CONTENTS Introduction 1
Structure: Knowing Our Foundations 2
The Line: Honoring Episodes and Building a Life 3
Imagery: Juxtaposing Words and Deeds 4
Point of View: Who Are We, Really? 5
Metaphor/(Simile): Life Is (Like) a Gift...a Journey...a Trial...a War? 6
Drama: Recognizing the Reality and Theater of Conflict 7
Diction: The Choices We Make 8
Punctuation: Personality and the Sentence of Life 9
Rhythm: Going With (and Controlling) the Flow 10
Revision: Interpretation, Truthfulness, and the Story of a Life 11
Theme: Big Pictures and Unifying Ideas 12
Texture: Integrity, Quality, and the Overall Feel 13
Completion: Illusions, Endings, and the Denial of Death
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