Interview with a poet: Melpomene

- Thanks Mel for answering these questions! First off, tell us where it all began. Can you remember the first poems you wrote? Was writing something you always did, was it a gradual or sudden process, and what prompted you to pick up the pen in the first place?

* Pleasure! The first poem I wrote was rubbish; I don't even want to think about it really, it's cringe worthy. I've always written things down, thoughts, words, and sketches and when I was younger (11-12) I had a visual arts diary filled with little sketches and what I thought at the time were clever poetic phrases. I guess you could say that it was a gradual process. I've always had a love for drawing and as a child it was my escape into a fantasy world. I recall sketching something and wanting a quote to go with it but none really fitted and so this is where I was originally prompted to pick up the pen.

- Your pen name is Melpomene, the Muse of Singing and of Tragedy. Firstly, what draws you to mythology? We see it permeating your poetry quite often, how do the ancient stories inspire you?

* Mythology has no right or wrong; the stories always differ. Nothing is set in stone and I like the way the myths have a little bit of a life lesson in each of them. I've always had a love of mythology however when I reference Greek mythology it has a little bit more of a special connection for me, my best friend/ex boyfriend is Greek and so while mythology is a love of mine it always has a link to him in my work.

- Related to the above question, we see a wide variety of poems from you, but would you say 'sad' poems are your most common? What do you think you write about most often, and is there anything or any genre you find difficult to write in/about?

* Sad poems do seem to be the most common, which is actually kind of sad... I write from emotion and the realities of my life so at this time I'd say lost love is a common theme in my work. I have a few things that I'm struggling to write at this time, I suppose they're things that I need to get off my chest but aren't able to find the words to do so. I think the thing I find most difficult to write about is childhood and of course happy poems. If I'm happy I don't have the urge to write, unless of course it's about love. Happy poems are something I really want to challenge myself to do.

- I asked Britt, our last poet of the week this same question: Has P&Q influenced your writing? To what extent? Do you think your writing would be much different if you were living in the pre-internet era?

* PnQ has definitely influenced my writing because of the feedback. I now create visual artworks from my writing but I don't think I would have had the confidence to turn poems into visual representations if it wasn't for the support I've gotten on this site. I'm a little more open with my work now, I'm proud of writing instead of hiding it. Not only has the support been great but the constructive feedback extremely helpful. If I was living in the pre-internet era I'd still be penning my "poetic thoughts" in art diaries and I don't think they would have found a home in poetry.

- I see you are very high up the list of best critiques in terms of praised comments. Do you learn from commenting? Do you think reading and analysing poems is essential? What poets, (either on PnQ or not) do you enjoy most or think may have influenced you?

* I love to pull things apart, it's in my nature. Being that I study a lot of artworks with symbolism, I tend to analyse a poem in a way that I'm always looking deeper: more meanings, abstract images and so on. It has become second nature. Reading other members work allows me to learn about technique and about how people are able to write so strongly in a specific genre or on a specific topic (especially when I'd have no idea how to do so). I'm not always right about symbolism or how I interpret an image, I'd say I'm more wrong than right but I like being wrong as it allows me to use these wrong idea's in my own work. Poets who have influenced me? Back in the day Australia poets Dorothy Hewett & Bruce Dawe however now I'm more influenced by Australian poetry champion Omar Musa and other writers such as Alysia Harris, Jasmine Manns and Miles Hodges.

- How do you go about writing a poem? Is there a routine you go through when writing a poem, does it take you a certain amount of time to generally write poems or is the process of each poem different?

* I was speaking to Britt a few weeks ago about this and it may sound strange but I generally sit for half an hour and think about what I'm feeling before I write. My poems just stem from thinking and feeling and as for timeframes they're always different. I can take 5 minutes to write a poem, I can take days to pen another. It depends on what emotions I'm working through in the process.

- Is there one of your poems that you might consider as your favourite or best?

* If I did it probably wouldn't be one posted on PnQ. I tend to keep a lot of the poems closest to my heart locked away from the world.

- You write a variety of formed poems as well as unformed poetry. Is there a place for formed poetry in today's poetry landscape? Do you have a favourite style/form of writing?

* Most people who know me will tell you that I cringe when I write formed poetry, except for the good ol' haiku. I like letting my words be free so that they can fall on the paper any way they want to. I never think about structure. Formed poetry teaches technique and structure, even discipline. It's constraining and difficult (at least for me) but it's definitely still got a place in today's poetry landscape due to the learning foundations. Novo Otto and Terza Rima are two forms I've tried and really enjoyed.

- You became a moderator here a few months ago. Has it changed your PnQ experience much? Is life hectic balancing time as a moderator, a member of a poetry club, as a critique and a writer on this poetry site?

* Being a moderator has changed my PnQ experience from a poetry perspective in the way that I don't have as much time to comment anymore. I can't completely blame my lack of commenting on moderating, I'm always reading but I'm generally busy with University as well so when I get on PnQ at night I take care of mod duties first, then I access MM and then it's late and bed time! As a co-manager of MM it can be hectic to make sure we've got enough activities and such posted (before I was a mod I had more time for this) however we MMs are like a jigsaw really and if I don't get a chance to post anything the other members pull together and keep MM alive and fun!

- And finally, what advice would you give to young poets just starting out with their writing?

* That's a hard one, I don't think I'm really all that qualified to give advice on writing. I'd say be honest, honesty is a quality that will seep through your work. Be honest about how you feel, about what you want to say and be in honest in the way that your work is real and all yours.

Hey Melissa. Ever thought of publishing a book? A divan? Or your biography?

Hi Noura,

I've actually started working on a book for a university class based on portfolio presentation. It'll contain my poems along with sketches that will compliment the poems (I hope). Apart from that nope, I've had no interest in getting published. It'll be purely for university sake.

I quite enjoyed reading your answers. :)

And I always wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful face, haha :$

Along with that, some of your metaphors remind me of Arabian poets that write as abstract as you.

-- One question:

Apart from poetry, do you write anything else? like lyrics? stories? novels?

And yes...

are you in college? what is ur major?

are you married?

(you have the right not to answer because those are private information)

do you play an instrument?

Thank you Abed, that's sweet of you :)

As for Arabian poets it's a shame I'm unable to interpret their work, I would have loved to take a look.

I've tried to write a novel or two and gave up when I realized they weren't any good.

EDIT: I'm in my second year of University. I'm a double major, Visual arts & Graphic design.

Nope, not married.

I played the piano as a child but now I'm rather hopeless at it.

Cool! I like novelists especially if they are PnQ'ers!

So please complete writing them. You may think they are not interesting or something, and that is because if you reach the middle of the road, you'd think that you have lost it. But no. Try to finish them. I'm sure they would turn to be out great.

I kind of envy Art students :P haha I want to be like them, but Art is belittled here.

Thanks for answerin Mel! Once you get fed up with my questions, just tell me. ;)

How many languages do you speak? Apparently Greek, Latin and English. Any other languages?

Oi and I'd be the first to read your book.

Abed, I'll try give them a read over again. I know I have them saved onto an external hard drive somewhere so I'll dust them off and give it a go. Thanks for the encouragement. It's a shame art is belittled there, a lot of people here don't take art seriously however we've got quite a culture for it so I'm lucky.

Noura, the questions are no problem. Whatever you want to ask feel free to do so.

I don't speak those languages fluently, Greek I have a very strong understanding of but I'm not fluent. English is my first language. I also speak Maltese (it's my background). I adore Latin however I only have basic knowledge from high school.

Mel is my dream woman ya'll. she along with Alysia and Jessie J.

since she's the poet of the month I just thought I'd say this. I have a crush on her mind. and then her eyes are just a bonus.

I adore your answers Mel boo, I'm surprised at how open you are being. I see so much improvement in you. you're coming out of your little shell and I love that. not only because of what its doing to you poetically, also as a person.

you're amazing, I hope you know that.

I wanted to ask a question, but I forgot.

anyways, ya'll keep digging into her mind.
She's a box of sweet surprises I swear.

xoxo

What poem that you've written (and posted) are you most proud of? Why?

What's your favorite metaphor/piece of symbolism to write about? (you don't have to explain the meaning)

Your structure and overall style is starting to change quite a bit - do you know why?

Mel,

What are your top 10 favorite poets over here?
How far do you believe in your writings? As much as we do?

And I would like to second Britt's question, yes, why is your syntax starting to change? You think it is changing for the better or the worse?

Thanks Yaki :)

Britt:

What poem that you've written (and posted) are you most proud of? Why?

`I think that would be Paris. Simply because I opened up a lot more, I moved away from my usual abstraction and I was more free with my emotions.

Your structure and overall style is starting to change quite a bit - do you know why?

`Funny you say this, last night I was trying to write in my older style. It's changed because my emotions have changed, I'd describe my older style as light and the style I'm now writing in as heavy which matches my emotions quite well.

What's your favorite metaphor/piece of symbolism to write about? (you don't have to explain the meaning)

`That's difficult and I think it could change daily to be honest. At the moment anything to do with transportation and traveling, (maps, atlas, roads, certain places in the world, planes and so on).

Noura:

What are your top 10 favorite poets over here?

`This is such an unfair Question, Noura! It would definitely spill over 10 but here are the first 10 that came to mind: Nor, but she technically doesn't come on here anymore so I should be able to include one more, right? ... Melissa, Danny, Jordan, Jane, Sibs, Yaki, Lu, Britt, Nicko, & The Poetess.

How far do you believe in your writings? As much as we do?

`I believe in my writing in the way that it's honest. Apart from that I don't really consider it poetry, it's purely my scribbles and thoughts.

And I would like to second Britt's question, yes, why is your syntax starting to change? You think it is changing for the better or the worse?

`Worse for my heart and better for my soul?