Writing a Sestina-fixed forced and unnecessary inversions that we discussed in meeting)
The beginning: always a blank page.
The white screen fills me with fear.
The pattern is all too new.
No rhyme seems too easy, right?
I find many examples describing love,
as my mind races about where to start.
Come on, you really must start.
I visit another web page
and read one from a poet I love.
I need to prevail over my fear.
Maybe if I focus, I’ll get it right.
Maybe if I focus, I’ll get it right.
The various techniques seem too new.
I decide to embrace all the new.
Mindset, now ready to start
I allow myself to not get it right,
choosing to grin at the no longer bare page.
choosing to grin at the no longer bare page.
Slowly, I focus on conquering the fear,
knowing I will survive even without love.
I consistently crave the professor's love
When I fall, I start anew.
Crawling out of that pit is what I fear.
How many times will I repeatedly start?
Again, I crumble up a page,
and throw it violently to my right.
I embrace my creative license as it is my natural right,
hoping to share my thoughts with whom I love.
Skimming through a novel, I read more than a page.
Oh no, distracted by the television news.
These disturbance hinder a positive start.
Perhaps a bit of procrastination to ignite my fear.
Finally, I have crushed the looming fear.
I stand triumphant and upright.
I have found sight of the finale to my start,
discovered a way to convey the necessary love .
I learn a life lesson-embrace the new,
as well as a naked intimidating page.
I do not fear my peers and I love my sestina now.
I strived to reach the right form and prevailed over what was new.
The start was a struggle, but I no longer bear an exposed page.
This is my favorite poem of yours thus far. I like how you write about writing and procrastination. I love how the author gets distracted by novels and tv and tries to avoid cliches. Many of the lines in the second stanza felt forced because you had to repeat the word. In particular, lines 4 and 6.
ReplyDeleteYou could call this poem, "Self-Conscious Sestina." It's clever how persistently the poem addresses the site of its own creation. A lot of these kind of poems don't work, because the actual act of writing isn't as interesting as the actual act of, say, making music, or dancing. Yet this poem is notably patient and devoted to its own premise.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is shaped like a writer having a conversation with herself. This is effective for you, as it allows you to dramatize your thoughts without it seeming phony. One exception to that might be the part about learning a "life lesson" from the poem. That seemed a bit much maybe. I mean, of course I would like it if this is true, but it almost sounds more forced for the words scheme than the truth value.
Writing a sestina is quite a feat of mental juggling. You lived up to the structure of the form and pulled it off. I enjoyed reading this!
Hi! I enjoyed reading this sestina!! It perfectly depicted the struggles that I have every time I try to write a poem! You took inspiration from that writing process and created something that comments on its own creation. Although the poem is great already, I think it could be improved by changing the wording of a couple lines that seem a little forced due to the end word- for example, "to this creativity, I am new" seems like it was rearranged just for the sake of the end word. Just a technical comment- I think you might have meant "crumple" instead of "crumble"- both words work but crumple seems more fitting for paper :)
ReplyDeleteOverall, really nice poem!
Hey! Great choice for using this poetic form to describe the repetitive and exhausting process of writing. I liked the way your repetition of the last words brought new meanings or uses each time. I only did not like one of these repetitions because it seemed forced, though it did make me laugh because it was creative: "I throw it violently to the right." It seemed forced because why not throw it to the left?
ReplyDeleteI particularly appreciated your original usage of the word "right" because it shows the vulnerability of the author in her questioning tone (especially noted by the question mark). I also liked you description of craving a professor's love because it is something that can be felt by many students in the non-traditional "love" sense- wanting his/her attention and appreciation for hard work. Great poem! I really enjoyed reading it!!