WHY I WRITE POETRY

I can think of no better way to consider the world and my place within it, or indeed to escape the world or create my own world, than putting pen to paper.

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It starts with a few thoughts and evolves into a form - sometimes a short story, or a synopsis for a longer work that never sees the light of day and sometimes it takes the form of a poem.

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Form is important to me when I write. When it comes to a poem, the structural disciplines of verse, whether in sonnet or villanelle form, for example, ensure my thoughts are translated into words with greater care than casual writing allows.  

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Of course a well-written speech, essay or piece of free verse will be written studiously but I usually find that unless I am bound by constraints I tend to ramble and veer off at tangents. In a strange way, I find the constraints of formal poetry liberating because they allow me to pause, reflect and even research in a way no other method of communication allows.

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Words are potent! Words unite us and divide us. Words define actions, thoughts, objects, even nothing at all. Everything possible and impossible can be defined by words. In fact, words govern our lives so we should treat them with utmost respect.

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The law of any land is recorded by words in statute books and these laws, through a most careful application of words, provide us with a template for responsible living.

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There is an old saying that two wrongs don’t make a right but when it comes to the English language the more wrongs there are, the more right something becomes. This is because our language evolves through usage, even if that usage verges on abusive, and a lack of use.

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Some words become obsolete through lack of use, such as costermonger or chapman while others mutate into condensed versions such as bus for omnibus or pram for perambulator. Some words change their meanings altogether as a result of informal use reaching national audiences, often via mass media, such as gay which once meant happy and now predominates to describe a homosexual, ebullient or otherwise. I invite you to consider how long it will be before wicked predominates in meaning as excellent unless it already does by the time you read this.

The evolution of language is inevitable as a result of diverse cultural integrations because the purpose of language is to communicate our thoughts effectively, but we must not confuse evolution with mutilation. 

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It is perfectly acceptable for children to have their own slang and for businesses to indulge in jargon but only so long as it is confined to where such slang or jargon is employed effectively. A carefree misuse of words can lead to ambiguity and this can be dangerous where the letter of the law is concerned; hence the ability of lawyers to twist right from wrong when they come to the defence of people with celebrity and great wads of cash.

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I have no problem with the evolution of language but I detest the mutilation of our mother tongue which abounds in every town and village in every county of our green and pleasant land.

 

I visited an employment agency a few years ago and was received by a Resourcing Consultant. I wasn't aware of such a word as resourcing but rather than enter into etymological discourse I thought it prudent to enquire about a job. I was asked to complete an application form but after entering my name and date of birth I was utterly bewildered by a question that read: 'Type of employment sort? Immediately I feared that I could not be helped by these resourcing consultants. Could they really sort me out a job? I decided against pointing out their error, safe in the knowledge it would be frowned upon if I did, because few of us are grateful for having our errors pointed out.

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My own use of grammar is far from accomplished - as any doyen of linguistic techniques will surely testify upon reading this drivel. I will happily admit to constructing sentences with too many clauses and split infinitives because I am not completely aware of what they are and if ever I am asked to modify a noun with a dangling participle I would assume my interlocutor was being a bit saucy with their cryptic metaphors. However, I would never use the word 'of' instead of 'have', or combine 'a lot' to form 'alot' or say 'sort' if I mean 'sought' or 'draws' when I meant 'drawers'.

 

I had the good fortune to be born in a fairly stable quasi-democratic state, but I often struggle to come to terms with what goes on around me. I have no idea how to deal effectively with the inequalities in our society or how to repair the damage to the natural world around us any more than I can overcome my failings as a human being.

 

Such issues may never be resolved, but neither should they fill every waking moment because it is still a beautiful world. It is therefore essential to find effective means of respite, catharsis and sanctuary to allow us time to reflect and that is why I write poetry.

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