Poetry to Me

Horseback riding, in America, developed into two major disciplines, English and Western. Within each of these categories lays numerous, more specific categories. English, to name a few, hosts: hunter/jumper, dressage, park, saddle seat, etc. The same concept applies to Western which hosts: roping, reining, pleasure, trail, stock seat, barrel racing, pole bending, etc. I find this concept applies to poetry. To accomplish a certain effect, one uses a couplet, tercet, or even a combination of stanzas. Even within the Sonnet, there are two main types. A solid foundation remains the leading cause of success. As aspiring writers, it is essential that we learn and practice the rules before trying to manipulate or disregard them. No one gets on a horse for the first time and jumps six feet in good form just like no one writes a perfect pantoum their first time. On that same note, once the rules and foundations are established, a certain amount of liberty may be extracted. I've run barrels in a hunt seat saddle, and I've jumped in a trail saddle. I recommend neither. In both arts, a very select few people are blessed with a shred of natural talent. It happens, it's rare, it's nothing to fret over. People who spend thirty years in the saddle have accidents the same way authors who write their whole lives still find themselves overwhelmed with writers' block. At the end of the day we're looking at two beautiful, remarkable arts. This is how I make poetry make sense to me.