A Poets View ~ Series of Perspectives VII

by Ivy Alvarez

Being a writer of poetry is rarely financially rewarding, not to mention maddening and terrible. Compared with other writing media, it does not garner the same excitement as a new film or fiction blockbuster, nor does it have the same cachet.

While many might protest, citing a current resurgence of interest ('What about slams?' they might ask. 'What about all these poet laureates?'), poetry still feels marginalised. So rare does a book of poetry break through to the Best Seller glass ceiling of novels and non-fiction that it's a big deal when it does. It's an aberration, and people must call attention to it.

But there is a good side to being overlooked.

You have freedom to create what you like, with no mind as to what's sexy, or hot, or what the public wants at this very moment. Very few eyes are on you. Anonymity is sometimes delicious. There is less pressure, and even then, it is of a different sort, usually self-generated.

Writing poetry doesn't answer to deadlines, or agents, or fans, or three-picture movie deals. Imagine the sort of poetry that would result if it did.

The compulsion to write poetry, like any creative impulse, is inexplicable and ...well, Sylvia Plath said it best when she wrote:

The blood jet is poetry,
There is no stopping it.

~*~

Ivy Alvarez is the author of two chapbooks, Food for Humans (reprint forthcoming) and catalogue: life as tableware, available from The Private Press [theprivatepress at zoo dot net dot au]. Visit Ivy Is Here for more writing thoughts.