Why I Write Poetry

I always have, even when quite small, and that’s thanks to my father who made my brothers and myself learn poems by heart, which was no chore because we loved doing it. He also read or recited poetry to us as a change from bedtime stories. I don’t know what he thought of my early written efforts, but he encouraged them. I suppose I now write because I can’t not do so.

 My method, such as it is, is founded on the fact that my poetry comes sporadically. That’s not something I wanted and was something I railed against when younger, but now accept that it happens when it happens. I know a ‘holiday’ from writing is needed when poems get word-clotted and the innovative process or theme that started off a particular writing period dies away or is beginning to stale. I don’t have a particular working method, so write randomly or when fired up by something or when ideas and images seem to associate freely, but poetry is always on my mind. If I’m not writing it, I’m reading it. I do keep notebooks, but quite often notes don’t get used or they segue into another kind of writing. These days, I mostly write on the computer, but used to hand write them and then type them up. They are always revised and that’s often the slowest part of the writing process, but I most often know when the first drafts need a lot of revision. Very rarely does a poem come almost complete at the first draft.

 My first ‘published’ poem appeared in the usual School Mag. when I was eleven. I’ve kept that one because it’s dire and keeps my feet on the ground. But about four years ago I decided that those I’d written needed a thorough weeding. Out went all the juvenilia, teenage angst stuff and early bad poems; there were about 500 that weren't up-to-scratch. After serially re-reading them and deliberating for months, I then steeled myself to bin them, telling myself that binning comes to us all in the end, in one form or another. I was left with about 200 poems, plus notes, themes and odd lines from perhaps 200 more. The latter may or may not get used in future poems. Finished poems go on my poetry blog, which acts as a kind of archive, I suppose. Even when up some are still liable to the odd tweaking session.

 As for the publishing route, I went for the usual mag. publishing, attending workshops, book launches and various gatherings, but by the late 70s/early 80s I realised that becoming known enough for book publication would mean embarking on a third career. I was already in full time work, doing a part time PhD and running a home; all that was tiring, so something had to give; it was poetry publishing that went by the board. Interest in exploring the poetry-making world, from themes to forms, continued, as did my writing then and now. I didn’t regret not publishing and still don’t, so just write, mainly for this blog, and I’m happy with that.