Questioning in poetry

Dear Abby,

I tend to stay away from questions in poetry and let me just explain why. Even though it can create a personal feeling to one's poetry, I find it something that more distances the reader than anything else.

Slipper with spice
Filling and nice
The comfort touch upon my lips

No I haven't. I'll get around to it today : )

If questioning is done right, it can add a nice touch. Maybe if you add additional details and bring out the imagery, when you add a question you can really add some impact to it. Famous poets have used the questioning methoed. I think it just all depends on if someone is making their stand out.

How Do I love thee? Begins with a question:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Well writing or asking questions in poetry, i feel is quite normal. For the way you are questioning about the way you feel or somewhere in that field. But I think that it's fine, your expressing how you feel and that is great. Alos nobody can tell you whether or not it's poetry besides you!

I tend to use questions as well, and address a specific person or object. So, if you figure out whether it's "ok" or not, let me know and I'll decide if I want to agree with that or not ; )

When it comes down to it, I guess, your poems are your poems. You write them for you. If you wrote them according to what others wanted, would they even be yours anymore? They'll only sound "adolescent" if they suck, eh? And yours don't, so I wouldn't worry too much.

I don`t see anything wrong with questions,I used this in my latest poem about drug dealers "Do you cry?,do you feel ?,has your heart become as cold as steel ?,I think it worked ok, I hope anyway.

"You saying that my poetry doesn't suck is possibly the nicest comment I will ever receive on the matter."

Haha! Oh dear.... Maybe all we can amount to is not sucking too bad, eh? I happen to like your poems, because they seem unique and unpretentious. : )

"That is the reason I posted this- I want to be a better poet because in the end I will read my 'poetry' as one of you."

Yeah, I understand what you mean. I'd like my poetry to be better too, of course. But I think... what works for one person won't work for another, and there's no way you could please everybody. So what to do? Listen to advice, accept it or reject it, and in the meantime just work to refine your personal style?

Ok, I'm kind of BSing now, because... it's something I'm good at. And because I don't really know.