Poems
 

It doesn't seem like many of you like poetry. I was just curious if I should stop posting them here at Pixie's since they aren't being viewed much anyway. Do many of you like poetry or just not content with reading in general? I know, life gets busy....just wondering how you all felt about the Erotic Poetry section.

while i'll agree that the poetry section is the probably the least viewed, i wouldn't let it stop me if i were you. :)
post them here and on a poetry forum. no need to deprive those of us who enjoy reading them :), but you do deserve to be able to give them to people who would be more responsive.

When's A Poem A Poem?
 

I confess, I hadn't dabbled much in the poetry section but I like the majority of your additions - I'll look more. I think the reason for my hesitation is that my views on poetry are quite strict. I just don't like 'poetry' that doesn't rhyme. In fact, more than that, I genuinely don't think a poem is a poem unless it rhymes. Your rhyming erotic poetry, however, is an interesting twist. Definitely keep it up.

I've heard the opinion fro both side....rhyming and not. Not sure which one wins out the most. I seem to like rhyming because it's like a game for me. On the other hand, I try to cater to those who don't like rhyme so much. Either way, I would absolutely be thrilled if more people read my and other peoples' work.

The Difference?
 

The thing I've never understood is what differentiates 'non-rhyming poetry' and normal prose? Unless there is a definite definition that can make one thing one and the other something else, they are indistinguishable and can't be considered separate genres.

Do you write just poetry? Or other stuff too? I'll promise to read yours... well, the stuff that rhymes anyway!

From what I've learned in my poetry class, the only difference between nonrhyming poetry and prose is the line breaks. Prose tends to have complete thoughts in each line while poetry has the lines broken to prevent complete thought in each line.

Ummm... that would, at least, be a definition. Though I suspect it is one that isn't strictly ahered to by those who write 'non-rhyming poetry' and I suspect many such poets would disagree with it.

For me poetry will be the rhyming stuff - there's a real art to it (and like you say, a bit of a game) and when someone gets it right it provides some of the best forms of expression we know.

I think the people who visit the site came here originally looking for reading materials. We have not always had a seperate poetry section. I believe the poetry most likely got more views when it was not a category on it's own. While I may enjoy a poem that I stumble across, I do not typically seek out poetry when I am looking for something erotic to read. I have enjoyed all the works you have posted.

Don't worry, I like to break the rules. My definition of prose is as follows:

Complete thoughts in each line, both rhyming and not rhyming (line breaks be damned, lol).

As for poetry:

Poetry is the ability to capture thoughts, images, and emotions on a page. Rhyming or not, it is how well the "poem" depicts how the poet is feeling and can inspire others to give more in depth thought to just words on a page. I've always believed that the best poems are written from the heart.

Thank you very much!

Whilst I hate to risk spoiling things by being a pernickety bastard... your definition of poetry could include just about anything. "I love you" would, by your definition, be a poem. In fact, "FUCK!!!" could also be a poem.

And some of the most famous poems in the world could, in fact, not be poems if what they portray is not what the poet actually intended them to be.

On a less picky note might I advocate that the best poems are not written from the heart - though this is probably true - but rather speak to our hearts. The poems I like the most are those that instantly make me feel like they've expressed something profound about my thoughts or feelings - even if I didn't write them. And the medium makes it feel succinct and well expressed - as if it were capturing the essence of that thought or feeling - unlike my writing style which, as you can tell, tends towards the long winded philosophical ramble!

True.....sort of. Although your chosen examples do convey a message, they don't capture the emotions behind them. Poems tend to attempt to explain (to an extent). Some people think they a poem can consist of a few words (those kind of poems drive me absolutely nuts!). I also like poems that are open to many kinds of interpretation. However, I wouldn't get much out of a poem if it only included such vague expressions.




Just out of curiosity once again, do you believe that a poem written from the heart is the only kind that can connect/speak to other hearts? That's the way I look at it. A poem that can grab my heart is one that will grab and keep my attention.

Wow....who knew I could start such a intellectual debate!

If "I love you" doesn't capture an emotion....!!



Interesting what you say about interpretation because I can't say that what speaks to my heart from one poem is what the poet had intended to communicate - even if they were writing from their heart (if that makes sense).

What I'm trying to say is that what appeals to me in a poem may not be what the poet was getting at. I could get something from poems not written from the heart, I could get something from a heartfelt poem that wasn't what was originally felt or the poet and I could be on the same wavelength and it could be more direct.

The beauty of most poems is that you can interpret them however you want in a way that speaks most effectively to you. As for capturing emotion, the whole "I love you" scenario.....I meant to include that I would like to know WHY this love is felt...not just be told that it IS felt.

Ah, but your original definition didn't claim you wanted an explanation as well! You're very demanding!

Besides, now we're getting into further complications. What counts as sufficient explanation? Why, for that matter, do we have to explain emotions? What if, for whatever reason, it's not possible to explain your emotions in such a manner? It's all getting very vague.

I'm sticking by my definitions... poetry rhymes... prose doesn't. No confusion.