 Plath's early work, prior to 1956, gives very little indication of the dynamic poetic genius she would later unleash on the world. That said, there's one poem, "Sonnet to Satan," that really stands out and shows just about all of the elements that Plath would ultimately use to construct masterpieces.
There's a lot going on in this poem, but the first and most obvious element is, of course: surprise. A general rule of thumb with Plath is, if the poem doesn't start with a surprise, it probably won't be a very good Plath poem. Most, if not all, of her best poems like "Daddy," "Ariel," "Lady Lazarus," "Candles," and the like are based on hitting the reader where they least expect it. Here, in her college years, Plath decided to shock the grown-ups by writing a poem to Lucifer. What's even more shocking is she chose to do so in a sonnet. A demanding, exacting form that moves fast and demands facing contradictions, and immersing in often violently contrasting emotions. In other words, the definition of a Plath poem. Note two additional fingerprints: an almost-rigid attention to meter and a bold identification with myth. These are elements that Plath uses in all of her best work. Later, when she learns to fuse myth with the elements of her personal life, we'll see how and why her contribution to Confessionalism is different (and more important) than Sexton's or Lowell's though they also combined myth with personal experience. The first lines of the poem are bangers and show us a lot about Plath's poetic identity: In darkroom of your eye the moonly mind somersaults to counterfeit eclipse These are probably the best lines of the poem and also the lines that most clearly foreshadow the poet she would become. Strong verbs, bold metaphor, and an intense focus on psychological landscapes help Plath go straight inside Satan's head here, not to fix what ails him, but to see what's in there. The word "moonly" is brilliant and shows the witchy side of Plath that, like her mathematical mind, is more inborn than learned. Plath had a burning desire to see behind the veils of everything, including the devil. That's the most important thing to take away from this early gem. The thrill of the poem is not that she dared to write about the devil, but that she dared to go inside Lucifer's imagination. What she finds is order and pride. No-one, not even Dante or Milton, had gone quite that far, at least not while dressed in a schoolgirl's uniform, half-waiting to be a doctor's wife. Click the pic above and read the poem for yourself. See what you think of it and let me know. Next Monday, we'll take a look at "Black Rook in Rainy Weather" which is a poem that surprised Plath when she wrote it and changed the way she looked at poetry, and the world, for good. Meanwhile enjoy the full moon and consider listening to one of my new songs, linked below. I've been blowing off steam from writing by making music. Have a listen and leave a like or even subscribe to my YouTube channel! I recommend "Tornado Jam" which is a song I wrote about the tornado that ripped through our area a couple days ago. I made a cool video for it. Also, if you need a hand revising and /or polishing your poems. I've helped lots of poets. If you order in July, you'll get a free copy of my 7 Secrets of Poetry pdf!!!
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 Sylvia Plath is probably most well known for dying. That's no small trick in a universe where, so far as we know, everyone and everything eventually dies. If you can manage to die in a way people remember over a half-century later, that's certainly some kind of an accomplishment. In Plath's case, poetic fame and death are so closely wedded that it's a test to all of us, from literary critics, to casual readers to see if we're willing to follow her, not into death, but into the depth and richness of life that poetry celebrates and, in some cases, reveals. We can get so caught up in her death, that we forget her artistry. But this artistry is the true essence of Plath as a person. That's what many people fail to see. As it is the true essence of any worthwhile poet, and that's what I'll be digging into in the upcoming series of blog-posts on her work. I want to show you not only why she's one of the most important artists of the twentieth century, but how she was able to give voice to the poems we all know and love. Along the way you may find new elements in her work, and you may also find great inspiration for your own work and life. Monday held profound significance for Plath, and I'll point out that Monday is "moon day" and, also, that Plath died on Monday, February 11th, 1963. Her last poem "Edge" features the moon prominently, and the last four lines she ever wrote are intently focused on the moon. So, we'll kick things off on Monday by taking a look at "Sonnet to Satan," written when Plath was a student at Smith college. This early poem brims with inventiveness, daring, and rebellion. It also stands as a convenient model to spotlight some of Plath's "tricks" and techniques that created a foundation for her poetic genius. Be ready to meet the devil on Monday, but don't sweat it because even Satan himself envies and admires this incredible poet! No "tally" today because I've been working on music. Please have a listen to my latest song, "Freedom (Le Chime)" which is a ballad with a poetic video. At least I hope it's poetic, you tell me! If you prefer something you can dance to, check out my song "Funk the Princess"-- it's a lot of fun. Categories All  AI is writing poems. Lots of poems. So many poems that the already overflowing sea of poetry on the Internet and elsewhere is the literary equivalent of Biblical deluge. Anyone can now write a poem literally just by tapping their finger. Sure, the poems (for now) aren't very good. And, sure, they are brazen pastiches of copyright trampled "samples" based on wiki-prosody and plebian twangs. But AI is only going to get better. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but right now, I want to know what you think. Do you fear AI? Do you use AI for writing? Do you scoff at the idea? For now, I'll just say this... I watched this happen with chess. One day people were laughing at computers, next thing you know, the ten best players in the world combined, led by Magnus Carlsen, would be lucky to even survive a middle game against super-crushers like Leela and Stockfish. Carlsen is the highest rated player in history at 2800, while Stockfish is rated at 3600. A human being will never beat the best AI at chess. Never. But imagining that it could happen would make a great story! Or even a poem. And, so far, no AI could have thought of that. If you click the John Henry portrait up top, you'll see how I've been leaning on AI creatively. No "tally" because I'm taking a quick break from poetry to work on music. Please take a moment to check out my new song "Wyld Heart" over at YouTube. Or click over to my Soundcloud page! Categories All  My recent post on "Bitter Enders" received a nice response. Thanks to everyone who read the post and replied to me about it. Your comments and ideas are deeply appreciated! It's a privilege and a pleasure to share thoughts with each and every one of you!
Never be shy about reaching out to me to talk poetry! Just my email or contact me through Facebook. One of the most powerful insights on the topic of emotional well-being came from poet Cindy Creel, who wasn't actually responding to my blog post, but to a poem I posted. She wrote: "describing the way something made you feel is a place of strength." Words to live by! This is another way of saying: poems heal. Reading a poem, writing a poem, dreaming a poem. In each and every case, poems provide inspiration and -- often -- hope. People have written poems in concentration camps, mental wards, country jails, deserts, and on rafts lost as sea. It's natural to go through bouts of bitterness, alienation, doubt, and envy in your life as poet, but don't let these emotions define you or your experience with art. Poems, offered by anyone, at any time, are acts of love. Or should be. Even when poets write with deep anger and bitterness like Rimbaud or Plath's -- poetry, at its most destructive -- remains an act of creation. Poets grow things like ideas, moods, spirits, themes and, sometimes, myths. Cindy also notes the deep relationship between physical well-being and emotional well-being, starting right from the earth up. You need to literally get your hands dirty. Soil contains minerals that are essential to your mental and physical well-being. I overlooked these priceless insights in my original post. So let's state it clearly now: You need to eat right, you need to get outside, and you need to put your hands in the dirt. So hike, bike, garden, jog, or just sit on a blanket under the stars. Take a sip of puddle water off your fingertips, touch a spiderweb, eat a blade of grass. Rub some dirt on your face. Suck a pebble. Inhale the reviving scent of the earth. Keep yourself, healthy, sane, and inspired so you can joyfully share your creative works with all of us for many years to come! Tally Poems Written: 313 Submissions: 51 Rejections: 21 (13 tiered) Acceptances: 0 Poem written today: "n/a" Mixing song "Global Rain" If you need a hand revising and polishing: 1) Have me do it for you! Click the "Poem Polisher" button below. I've helped lots of poets. 2) Use my 7 Secrets of Poetry pdf as a guide for revision.  Nowadays almost everyone has fans of some kind. It may be Twitter or Facebook followers, TikTok or Instagram likes, but whatever the platform or content, we all seem to have our share of followers and fans.
Notice I didn't say our "fair" share of followers and fans. The reason for this is because nothing about fame or having fans is fair. That is, there's no logical correlation between quality of content and number of fans, I think we all know that. I'm not saying there's no connection; I'm saying it's complicated and ambiguous. Fame is also fleeting. Fans are very fickle. If you change your hairstyle or gain or lose a few pounds, expect seismic tremors to shake your fan base. If you go "dark" to catch your breath, many will find someone new to follow. Say something -- just one something -- that offends enough people and you'll be cancelled. So, how should we deal with the bright lights of fame -- or even the phone-screen gleam of niche fame? Luckily for us, a great answer was recently offered by the poet Michael Dwayne Smith. I crossed paths with Michael at Facebook and during a great exchange about poetry submissions and readers, Michael observed that for poets, "close attention" is much more important than "massive eyeballs." I think this is brilliant. It should be the focal point of every poet's dance with fame. What you're looking for are people who love and need your poems. Not just eyeballs. Sure, it's nice to get likes and shares, and if you want high numbers, you should try to get them, but never let chasing them weigh you down. Never let the lack of Big Fame keep you from fully experiencing the joy your art has brought to the world through your small fame. As a poet, you're a performer and it's part of your job to inspire people. Even if you write dark and sad, you want people to feel your work, not just hear about it. So remember Michael's words and value "close attention" and not just "massive" attention. Tally Poems Written: 313 Submissions: 51 Rejections: 21 (13 tiered) Acceptances: 0 Poem written today: "First Days at Half Moon Bay" If you need a hand revising and polishing: 1) Have me do it for you! Click the "Poem Polisher" button below. I've helped lots of poets. 2) Use my 7 Secrets of Poetry pdf as a guide for revision.  I've met an awful lot of poets. Most of them make my heart soar and do something to bolster my faith in humanity. Some even take my pain away, or explain it to me so beautifully I don't want it gone. But a few leave me feeling truly sad and frustrated. Who are these few poets? I call them the "bitter enders." Poets who, for some reason or another, seem to feel as though they've been jilted by the muse, or by fate, and they're out to let people know about the injustice. The first sign that you're dealing with a bitter-ender is when someone says something like: "You know, there's a lot of poets out there and they all suck. What they're doing isn't real poetry!" If you look at that statement closely, you'll see the poet has taken on two extremely heavy burdens: the first is, they are apparently the world's best poet, no easy job; second, they are an accomplished critic, a similarly Herculean task. Outside of Poe, I would have thought the odds were against such a pairing. Bitterness is always lurking in wait and once it gets hold of a poet, it turns them into something snarly and pathetic. So if it starts to hit you, fight back fast! Here are some things I think you can do to shake off bitterness when it bites: 1) Go out in nature and be quiet for ten minutes. Do this every day if needed. 2) Try writing about an entirely new subject. If you've never written a poem about pogo-sticks write one now. 3) Watch a stupid movie that makes you laugh. 4) Set more realistic goals. Yeah, you may not win that Nobel Prize for Poetry, but can't you still be happy? 5) Consider taking a break from creative work. If necessary, a long break. That last one may seem harsh, but seriously if it's not fun anymore, if you're really angry and frustrated and resentful of other people's creative doings, it might be better to just put down your brush. If you're not over-brimming with passion when you work and see other poets' work, you may not realize it, but this is a sign that you've probably just stayed too long at the party. Or showed up at the wrong house. What won't work is stalking people down one by one to tell them how great you are (or were) and how lousy everyone else is -- trust me, no-one's listening. Speaking of listening, why not check out my new song "Coming Home" at YouTube? Tell me what you think of it. Just click the button below!!! Tally Poems Written: 312 Submissions: 51 Rejections: 21 (13 tiered) Acceptances: 0 Poem written today: "Meandering Poem of Magick" Categories All  Each time you write, submit, or publish a poem, you risk rejection. Believe it or not, rejection from editors is not the worst kind of rejection. It's rejection from readers (and critics) that stings the most. When an editor rejects your poetry, you can at least comfort yourself by submitting the same poems elsewhere.
If a poem is published or posted and people slam or ignore it, getting a mulligan can be problematic. Not impossible, just challenging... Another thing is: you're going to get rejected no matter who you are. You could be Shakespeare and you'd still get your fair share of rejections. So what do you do? Well, I've had hundreds if not thousands of rejections and I can offer the following insights: 1) Expect to get them. Just like you accept getting sand in your stuff when you go to the beach. 2) Never answer them. Not privately by messaging the editor, or publicly, by whining to your social media circle. You can post an update as in "I was rejected today..." But resist the urge to defend yourself or criticize. 3) Take a close look at your bio and cover letter. Can you make improvements? If you have a dull bio (I do!) or a rambling (or sloppy) cover letter, it will likely influence editors' decisions. 4) If a poem has been rejected by more than 5 venues, see if it may need improving. Sometimes it's just a single line or even a single word that's putting people off. 5) Move on. Resubmit. 6) Only submit your best, most fully polished work. When an editor asks to see more work from you, they really mean it. If they don't make that specific request, you shouldn't read much else into the rejection. It's important to guard against the hurt of rejection because you can really get sidetracked by the glums. I'll talk about how to deal with online rejection, social media hate, and critics in a future post. Tally Poems Written: 311 Submissions: 51 Rejections: 21 (13 tiered) Acceptances: 0 Poem written today: "N/A" Still mixing song, "Coming Home." If you need a hand revising and polishing: 1) Have me do it for you! Click the "Poem Polisher" button below. I've helped lots of poets. 2) Use my 7 Secrets of Poetry pdf as a guide for revision.  Being a poet means engaging in a process of lifelong learning. No matter what you do, or how hard you work and study, you'll never master the art of poetry. But writing poems can help you master yourself. Believe it or not, this has something to do with the topic of rejection. When people ignore your work, reject your work, or criticize it, you're on the road to learning. Usually that road is very painful and involves a lot of frustration, soul-searching, maybe even swearing of vengeance. The point is, you'll be a different person for the experience no matter what. Whether you're a better person is up to you. The important thing to remember is that being a poet means embracing growth and change, both in your writing and in your life. Writing poems can help you connect with others and that's a wonderful feeling. But never forget the power that writing poems has to help you connect with you. Both who you are now, and who you might become. Tally Poems Written: 311 Submissions: 51 Rejections: 21 (13 tiered) Acceptances: 0 Poem written today: "n/a" Mixing music track "Coming Home." If you need a hand revising and polishing: 1) Have me do it for you! Click the "Poem Polisher" button below. I've helped lots of poets. 2) Use my 7 Secrets of Poetry pdf as a guide for revision. Categories All  While writing a poem can be a very tough challenge, getting people to read even the best of poems is almost always tougher. Poets face a serious "no win scenario" with marketing. If you don't market your poems, nobody will ever know they exist. If you market your poems, you risk looking desperate or self-absorbed. What's more, marketing is a very stressful, rough and tumble world. It's a shark tank mentality, while writing poetry is more of a Zen, one-with-nature and inspiration feeling. The difference between writing poetry and marketing it is as big as the difference between eating a nicely cooked steak or trying to eat a live cow. So what do we do? Actually, I was hoping you'd tell me! It's a very problematic obstacle and it's probably only going to get worse with the rise of AI platforms. Not because AI's will write good poetry, but because even more wannabes will flood the market cheekily devising a masterplan to use their AI word-salad to get rich and famous. It's going to be very, very ugly. And it's already pretty bad. Here are a few things I think may help:
Poetry for the most part only self-markets for dead poets. Something about being dead makes a poet more interesting. Unfortunately, you can't bask in the glory from six feet under and the light from your halo up-top past the Gates will blind you to earthly success. So, I leave you with these famous words, slightly paraphrased: "Do you know what it takes to sell poetry....?" One thing you can do is to have really solid, polished work. If you want some help with your poems, email at [email protected] OR [email protected] Or click a button below. Tally Poems Written: 311 Submissions: 51 Rejections: 21 (13 tiered) Acceptances: 0 Poem written today: "n/a" Mixing song "Coming Home" for release! Categories All  Tell me if you agree with any or all of the following:
In my personal life, I like it best when I'm not being told what to do. Freedom and self-determination appeal to me a lot. But with creative works, I often feel drawn to traditional rules and modes. Not exactly old fashioned, but I'd say I'm more reluctant than some poets to get into wild experimentation with form or language. How about you? I, of course, have copious thoughts on each of those points above, but I'm more interested in your thoughts. Do you think rules are made to be broken? Or do poets need them? So let me know at [email protected] OR [email protected] OR just leave a message through the form below. Tally Poems Written: 311 Submissions: 51 Rejections: 21 (13 tiered) Acceptances: 0 Poem written today: "Elm" If you need a hand revising and polishing: 1) Have me do it for you! Click the "Poem Polisher" button below. I've helped lots of poets. 2) Use my 7 Secrets of Poetry pdf as a guide for revision. If you order a polish in May you get the 7 Secrets book free!!! Categories All |
