Thoughts Expressed to My Creative Writing Professor, Fall 2014

I

I must admit...

there have been times, in this class,

when the emphasis you have placed on

the importance

                      --the necessity--

                                             of images

in poetry

--on images, rather than the ideas themselves--

               has made me feel as if

my creativity is being suppressed

(I mean, let’s be honest: how is this stanza not an effective snippet of poetry?)

 

II

(but let me see)

             --has made me feel as if...

each individual spark of brilliance,

extinguished before it has a chance...

my mind’s depth, shallowed; its reach,

the one thing I knew could have no boundaries,

suddenly confined...

                             restrained--

                             contained--

like hot air wrapped in cellophane

(...I guess? because...I mean...cellophane is artificial! and...oh, I don’t know)

             --and forced to shed

my manner of self-expression;

dragged away from it, kicking and screaming

(...I’ve just used the word like! I’ve used the single most clichéd word in all of poetry!)

 

III

I need the conceptual, Julie;

my thoughts are how I work;

they are the genuineness in my writing--they are me--

 

concepts are my images;

and a poem (is) (can be)

 

                                       a thought                                      a mind-

worm                            just waiting for                              an escape

hatch                         a means of release                   to be expressed

 

 

IV

the image,

a technique;

 

sharpening the language,

a lasting impression...

 

...ah, but you do have a point;

and I am willing to try it.

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

"the image,
a technique;

sharpening the language,
a lasting impression...

...ah, but you do have a point;
and I am willing to try it."

It never fails to try things even if we fail for at least we tried. Excellent...:)............

[charlie]

I can empathise with the writer here. It does seem, after all; that without the idea to drive it, what makes the vehicle of imagery so significant?

But yet (to be fair to Professor), how else can ones ideas be transported and still pertain to poetry?

Atleast you found a creative outlet in this piece during your quest, Joshua. Surely that must have charmed Professor ?