Plagiarist

Plagiarist

bored linguistics

even my commas are running away

in ennui

i have no adjectives

to retaliate

just passive verbs

and lots of conjunctions

connecting

siphoned semantics

with polluted paraphrase

erin-cilberto

9/10/24

Reviews

[Soren]

I was taought in school that plagiarism was the worst type of theft and was punishable by public humiliation. I am of the belief that there is nothing new under the sun and anything I write has probably been said or written before. Loved your poem Jacob and I was on the same track two days ago with my poem Thirsty Dream. I often think that we think alike.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Isn't that strange...I feel exactly the same way...I always question a new phrase I come up with and wonder if it is really an old phrase I heard or read.
thank you, Soren,
j.

[Marie]

I like this thought provoking write very much, J... I feel that there is nothing I can write that has not been written about before many, many many, times over in as many different ways. That is because we are all human beings with different thought patterns but the same hunger to write and when we write we say what has been said before, in our own way and that is definitely NOT plagiarism, dear J... Plagiarism is taking the work of another poet and putting one's own name to it as if they wrote it. This happened to a dear friend of mine on Poem Hunter quite recently, sadly... Great write! Thank you for sharing, dear J...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes we say what has been said before...and those who do steal...must live with themselves and their fake creativity. I often feel as a plagiarist because I am just a conduit...and never really know where the words come from...I just get into a zone for about an hour or so and then it disappears.
thank you, Marie,
j.

[Marie]

I am like you, J... Especially when I am in bed at night, fully relaxed, words just flow and I say I will definitely remember those beautiful words in the morning and of course, next morning the words have disappeared with the night. I have lost so many beautiful poems that way, J... Thank you again for sharing. Love your poetic works of art, dear friend...

[Jon Mahaffie]

I don't think what we do, as poets, is necessarily siphoning, as that depletes the original source, which is, in itself a finite amount, but rather glancing at the source, making a graveyard drink out of all brain contents at the drink machine, partially sourced from glanced at materials, sipping it slowly, and dumping it out, over and over and over, until the graveyard drink tastes good. Reading new poems is like collecting new syrups. But the synthesis of the drink is of our own making. Pollution is definitely a good word for what CAN happen though, yes. An unclear, murky synthesis with sediment at the bottom, perhaps containing intellectual microplastic.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your most interesting review, Jon,
j.

[Desert Knave]

I have always been one to err on the side of caution and even give credit for things that inspired me that I did not quote, because the language obviously only has so many connotations, and sometimes somebody else says it so well that all I can do is tip my cap to them. Thought-provoking words as always. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your words, Jim,
j.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

I never do the title you write of
I was lazy then didn’t want to spell it

Ha ha

Anyway a clever write Jacob

I shudder to think of AI just wish it was not invented

[jacob erin-cilberto]

me too, on the AI....
thank you, Julie,
j.

[andrew mitchell]

Sometimes it happens without rhyme or reason. Many ideas are reruns I think particularly if you are influenced by another poet ,one tries to emulate such works. Many a title I have done appears again elsewhere and visa versa without either recipient knowing until latter.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Titles have no rights to infringement....so they are okay being used over and over.

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

“ siphoned semantics“
Poets have but a finite box of tools and you wield them like a true Word Master my friend. Sculpt, re-sculpt, etching in the references and ideas we have absorbed…to birth ” new” creations- metamorphosis of sorts… Necessary influence of the world around us remains pure. Deliberate plagiarism is a tool of fools. You have here mastery of all the poetic elements of message,metaphor, alliteration, cadence, sibilance, and triumph of clever wordplay, always. Your words love and revere you Jacob, and so do we. Brilliant write.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

You are too kind with your review, Annette. I am but a conduit...I don't even think I can take credit for anything I write.
Thanks so much for your kind review,
j.