Greetings, readers. Today’s Wednesday Words is addressed mainly to writers again. It’s from my second book, From the Porch to the Page: A Guidebook for the Writing Life. My book is chock-full of essays about the writing craft and life, with stories and award-winning poems of my own serving as examples. In this post are five items:
- A selection from my chapter “Poetry and Solitude.”
- A link to an article about the benefits of reading poetry.
- A list of books I like about writing poetry.
- The link to YouTube to see/hear me read at the book launch for From the Porch to the Page.
- An important announcement about my blog.
“Poetry and Solitude” by Charlene Edge
The poet and physician William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) expressed poetry’s value this way in his poem Asphodel, That Greeny Flower & Other Love Poems: “It is difficult / to get the news from poems /
yet men die miserably every day / for lack / of what is found there.”
Poetry is an art form. Its condensed, image-filled language has been with us for eons, devised by skilled and inspired writers who’ve given—and continue giving—readers nutrients for living. For writers, poetry enters
our souls, invigorates our written output, and helps us grow. What poetry have you read lately?
Two of my favorite poets are W. S. Merwin and Adrienne Rich. It’s easy to check in with them regularly because I have a poem from each of them in sight of my desk: Merwin’s “Place,” about the sort of tree he wanted to plant on the last day of the world (one that’s not born fruit yet) and Rich’s poem “Delta,” describing how her life flows in several directions, which I certainly relate to.
Benefits of reading poetry
7 Surprising Benefits of Reading Poetry | New & Used Books From Thriftbooks.com
Books I Recommend for Writing Poetry
How to Write Poetry. 2nd edition. Nancy Bogen. Macmillan General Reference. An ARCO Book. 1994.
The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach. Editors: Robin Behn & Chase Twitchell.
The Poet’s Dictionary: A Handbook of Prosody and Poetic Devices by William Packard.
Poetic Meter & Poetic Form by Paul Fussell.
The Demon and the Angel: Searching for the Source of Artistic Inspiration by Edward Hirsch, author of How to Read a Poem.
Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry (Seventh Edition) by Laurence Perrine.
Charlene on YouTube
My book launch for From the Porch to the Page is on YouTube here.
The book is available in paperback and ebook at major booksellers and indie bookstores.
Important announcement
My blog is no longer taking new subscribers; the Subscribe boxes are deleted from my website. This is my decision.
Also, the Contact page on my website has been removed. This also is my decision.
I can be reached via email if you already have my email address. If you reply to this blog email, your message will reach me, too.
Thanks for reading!
Best wishes from your writer on the wing,
Charlene
Peggy+Lantz
Can you write a poem about being struck by lightning?
Charlene
A poem can be about anything. I might tackle that topic. Maybe.