Next time you're getting ready to write a poem, think about who's actually writing it. 

It doesn't have to be you. 

Any number of famous poets, from Shakespeare to Sylvia Plath, (and virtually everyone in between) experiment with poetic personas, masks, disguises, and  characters. Shakespeare is the most obvious example, given that most of his work is overtly written for the stage.

But If we learn anything from Shakespeare, it's that everything (and everywhere) is a stage.  And that holds true for a poem. 

Imagine if Sylvia Plath,  Anne Sexton,  Robert Frost,  or Emily Dickinson didn't  use poetic disguises. 

Or consider your favorite rapper or hip-hop artist.  For the most part, the art they create reflects a persona, or a variety of personas, and this is a good thing.

In his youth, James Dickey was a middling poet, average running back, and all around unremarkable guy at Clemson University. That is until one of his writing professors told him it was OK to lie when writing poetry.  In Dickey's words this realization caused "the dam to break,"  after which, book after book of daring original poetry (and prose) poured out of him. 

In fact , Dickey's use of personas was so successful that he fooled critics as wise has Robert Bly into mistaking poems such as "Slave Quarters" or "The Firebombing"  as works of authentic imperialism.

What I'm saying is: when you write a poem, choose to be anyone, including yourself, but not limited to yourself.

If you'd like a bit of secret friendly help for your poems contact me through the Poem Polisher button below,  or email me at [email protected]   

One of the best things about being a poet is that every poem gives you a chance to get things right. If you don't like what you did in the last poem, or the last 20 poems, this poem is your chance to get everything in place.  Whatever mistakes you may have made in the past are only pointers to use to get better.

There's just basically something inherently hopeful in writing a poem. Even if the poem itself is a poem of grim and unrelenting doom. The very fact that you're  writing a poem means you still believe in a few basic things such as human communication, artistic expression, and the capacity of language to conform to your emotions and thoughts. 

So when you face a blank screen or blank piece of paper or simply sitting alone with your creative thoughts, consider every moment and  Act of Hope. 

Every poem you write ( up to a point)  helps you write the next poem better. 

But what happens when that's no longer the case? Is it possible to reach your Peak as a poet?  If you do, will you know? 

Can anybody tell you?

You probably will reach a peak as a poet, but you probably won't know when it happens, and neither will anyone else. If you happen to write a very popular poem, or a very popular book of poems you may still write better poems even if  they don't gain as much instant popularity.

So I guess I'm trying to tell you to look at every poem  you write (or try to write) with the belief that you're still getting better. 

Don't let doubt or fear stop you; don't let the past or social media stop you.  the worst thing you can do as a poet is to stop growing.  As long as you're writing your growing so just keep writing!

If you'd like a bit of secret friendly help for your poems contact me through the Poem Polisher button below,  or email me at [email protected]