Beginnings

Talk about poems' beginnings. I think all poems should start originally or engaging-ly. I usually decide whether I will read a poem from the first couple of lines.

It is similar to story beginnings. Take Darren Shan (which many teens seem to like, but is really bull) - his first book starts with him in the toilet.

One amazing beginning that was so powerful that I read in a poem once that I forget, was 'I cannot write'. How beautiful!

Talk about beginnings. Name, shame and fame.

And how do you start/write a poem? Not the stimuli or motive/cause for writing, but like the first few words or lines.

I agree - I think the beginning of a poem is completely essential. But I think the closing is JUST as important, if not more. It can either make or break a poem. I've had plenty of poems where the beginnings might seem promising, but they peter out into lameness at the end. A strong beginning sets the stage for the whole thing and grabs attention, and the ending determines whether or not that attention was worthwhile.

So, it's like when you're writing '3-point' essays... your first and last points ought to be the strongest.

Usually my first line is the one that is my inspiration for the whole poem. I'll be thinking, mulling things over, when a compelling phrase will bubble to the surface. Usually I start with that line, and the rest of the poem unfolds from that, as I add things after (or sometimes before). I seriously don't write poems in order.

Good topic!

I agree with you, that is fairly interesting. I couldn't write a poem in an unchronological order. Probably because most of my poems are autobiographical.

Reflecting on my beginnings, most of them fall into one of the following categories:

1. A kind of Gillian Clarke 'setting the scene' beginning. Usually a dull statement.

2. A kind of B.B.King high-note beginning; I like to start with one word that gives the reader interest and incentive. That sort of beginning is curious and the rhythm invites stanzas below it in a very fitting way.

3. Straight-into-the-poem effect; it launches right into the poem without any prior introduction or stimulus for the reader. I like to take my readers for a ride!

To be fair, most of my poems on here are crap but this is speaking for my general norm which is a standard or two higher than what's on here.

I feel very conscious about so much first person speaking now. Here endeth my song.

You got me thinking about specifically the way I start my poems... so I looked through, to see if there was a pattern. I generally just make a statement... sometimes the whole poem is one statement... but that's not really anything original. I mean, what else would you do? Ask a question, I suppose... erm. So, here's a smattering of first lines:

We danced in broken waltzes,
a cup, filled with the stuff of life
If I silently go past, then know-
Yesterday, when the sky was blue like hope
I’m parched from craving you.
We are stretching now, and separating, like taffy and
the livid rays birthed by an angry sun
They say the rain is light like kisses.
I speak the ecstatic sun derailed
I don’t need your hands;
shyly
Because the words hung heavy in the air
It’s because I can’t write
I once bought my friends some sea monkeys.
In the sunbeams where I used to glimpse God,
“little nymph,” you call me
There rests the soft horizon,

Ahhhaha, I particularly like "It's because I can't write." I should have just left it at that and called it a poem. So, I kind of see that I sometimes tend to start a poem as if it's in the middle of a thought- like the one stated above, or "because the words hung heavy in the air." So, most like yuour number 3, nuovo

^I won't post much of my poetry because it is too personal and some are very open to plagiarism which I intend to send off to a publisher one day. This site is a venting site and I gave in to it a long time ago. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Here are my favourite beginnings from Sibylelrmelm's list:

'If I silently go past, then know-'
A reader can't just cease to read the poem after that line.

'I’m parched from craving you.'
Not original, but a nice, fitting and creative description. Very apt and suited to its meaning, and that is where the beauty lies in that beginning.

'They say the rain is light like kisses.'
Quite beautiful. Has some interesting connotations and gives you, the poet, a myriad vistas of opportunities for the rest of the poem.

'I don’t need your hands;'
Simply put: why?

'Because the words hung heavy in the air'
Nice use of abstract...looks like it will be a dreary poem. Which is not a bad thing.

'I once bought my friends some sea monkeys.'
Original/unexpected. Good.

'In the sunbeams where I used to glimpse God,'
Far from original, but a beautiful image that appeals particularly to me nonetheless.

'I hate analysing my poems so I won't discuss them.'

You hate analysing your poems or you hate broadcasting the analysis? Hmm. The former is a mistake.

Hmm. Agreeable. I feared the subjective notion of the whole reason you/we actually write would come into the equation, which it inevitably has. Analysing your poetry only matters if you want to write good poetry, which is not a matter for many writers.

I know what you mean though. I hate most of my poems as soon as I have finished writing them, but I have also found that this happens to a lesser extent with more time and experience. Perhaps we can conclude from this that our 'high' standards (although I believe that adjective should be substituted for rational - and it is with more rational people) belittle our little poems.

"I know what you mean though. I hate most of my poems as soon as I have finished writing them,"

Not so with me. Often when I'm writing, I'm clouded with illusions of literary grandeur:
"Brilliant! Mwahaha!"

It's only after I've given the poem some time and space, and look back at it again....:

"Did I seriously just rhyme 'storm' with 'shorn?' wtf?"

I know slant rhymes can be acceptable... but the rest of the poem didn't make up for it.

I tend not to rhyme in general, because I can't avoid sounding terribly trite, at least in my own mind. In the moment of writing, though, it's all flowers and rainbows, of course.

(I've always been a vain creature. Might as well admit it. Saves me the trouble of rationalizing later.)

Haha. Honesty is noble subyleelrjenmr. (Sorry, I just can't be bothered to check how to spell your name.)

'I know slant rhymes can be acceptable... but the rest of the poem didn't make up for it.'

'Slant' rhymes in my opinion are awesome, and much better than plain normal rhymes. They feature prominently in my poetry.

abby, you sure sound confident ; )

All this discussion is making me wonder about the nature of humility... To have too much pride is looked down on, because most people understand that humans can be fairly ridiculous. But then... too much degradation of your self can be a kind of pride, can't it?

So in poetry... is it better to assert what talents you might have - possibly even exaggerating them, or to downplay them? Both of you other two in this discussion seem to take different sides.

heh heh heh

I'm beginning to think that humility is something that can only exist in it's purest state unconsciously. Can somebody really say "I am incredible humble," and have it not be a paradox?

Or, maybe you're humble if you accept that you're not humble? Grar.

The reason that I personally will never be humble, is that I am too conscious of my self. Er. Self-conscious. It's also behind why I'm so indecisive - I have trouble finding my real motivations behind things, because they change once I examine them. The old conundrum of the scientist.

But, this no longer has anything to do with poetry.

well, i suppose it can get to be like that, yeah. the more I -try- to write a poem, the more stilted it gets.
"constipated writing." : ) That's from some movie or other.

Two things:

'I had to write a new poem to combat my last one.'

I can completely relate to that. It ocurrs with most of my sports too, particularly cricket. I once said that 'we don't play sport to have fun, we play it to settle the anger from the last match'.

Second, humility and humbleness - I mean it when I say I'm a crap poet and my poetry is crap, because my standards are normal, just like most people - the people on this site have very low standards in comparison to the norm.

^ the low standards have actually been beneficial to me, I think. : ) This is going to sound so terrible, but: this site has taught me some of what NOT to do in poetry. Or at least what I don't like. I've learned that I can't stand poems with pretty-sounding words but no meat or originality. I've learned that I hate the word "mellifluous" (see point one) (actually, I may have known that before). I've learned that quantity never, ever trumps quality. Basically, this site has cemented some preferences in me. The most important lesson was probably this: Even if 10 gajillion pubescent girls think your poem "rox," it still doesn't mean it's a good poem. (In fact, if I ever get more than my usual 2 comments on a poem, and they are comments like "greatjob5/5," then I start to reconsider the worth of the poem at all...)So stop listening to the 10 gajillion. Find the people whose opinions matter to you, and listen to what they have to say.

^The latter points I think go without saying, though your first points were very agreeable and laudible.

Yah primacy and recency effect as in psychology.

^it's like... if you're given a list of numbers to memorize, you'll recall the first few (primacy, like primary) because they are the first to fix in your memory, and the last few (recency) the best, because they are the most recent.

aaaaaaalright. I'm glad you have dictionaries. They are very special...

welcome to the site!

heh heh... "david with double D's."

yes, I'm immature. I accept it.

oh, and ddavid, when you responded to my comment, it showed up as another comment on my poem. which it wasn't. that is just cruel! got my hopes up...

mm, I'm despondent and distraught for devouring your d. it was deliciously dandy. that is my decisive declaration.

and hops would be delightful - I just demand that they're distilled ; )

hey, I might be demanding...

(oh, yeah, that was sure assertive)