Comments on: poll “dance”: do we tell the truth about our own talents?

By: carolee

carolee — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:39:36 +0000

thanks, jo!

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:15:14 +0000

Wow, what an interesting piece and poll (I was hovering over the link on my site to yesterday’s poem and saw it, missed it first time round so never voted). I’m not sure how I’d have voted, but all the answers here gave me lots of food for thought. Well done Carolee, ….Deb.

By: carolee

carolee — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:02:34 +0000

thanks for the summary, deb! that’s a great idea to do before posting the new one. and good for you for claiming your answer (and your talent).

By: ...deb

...deb — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:24:42 +0000

Wow, this has been a great conversation. So many thoughtful and articulate responses.

Before I switch the poll to a new one, here are the final counts on the most-answered question we’ve even posted:

Check the belief that dominates your view of yourself as a poet (only one):
I write poetry, no matter how I feel about my talent or work ethic. (57%, 51 Votes)
I am not talented at all. (I don’t know why I do this poetry-thing anyway.) (10%, 9 Votes)
I have more talent than average and I work very hard. (10%, 9 Votes)
I don’t have any more talent than anyone else, but I work extremely hard. (8%, 7 Votes)
I am a natural and it all comes easy. (8%, 7 Votes)
I have an exceptional gift, and I work hard. (7%, 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 89

As for me? I went back and forth for a week on how to answer. Truly. And because I put the poll up I didn’t want to be the first one out of the gate. I simply could not be that public (even though no one but possibly Carolee would have guessed it was “my” answer). I ended up saying I have more talent than average - but, boy howdy, was I uncomfortable with that little nebulous word “more”…it reeked of smugness and self-satisfaction (see how I am?) and I have always been average – and work hard, too. That part is clearly true. Rarely does a poem come flowing off my pen or on the keyboard that I like just as it is…so rare I can probably count that experience on one hand.

The thing I take away from this exercise in self-awareness is that my view of myself changes weekly, daily and maybe even hourly. So when I am in the dumps about how bad I write, or how non-productive I have been I can more readily tell myself this too shall pass…and just keep writing. No matter how I feel that day.

Nice poll and dance, Carolee!

By: Christine

Christine — Sat, 10 May 2008 01:24:34 +0000

Great conversation going on here. I forget what I chose for the poll. I remember thinking about a few selections. I can say that right now I work hard because I’ve learned how hard it is to write a poem that goes beyond the mere descriptive, to enter the world of honesty, truth, epiphanies, experiment, and discovery.

I’m also studying other genres– essays and stories, and it is all hard. It’s not hard to put words on the page, it’s hard to find the words that make people say “Jesus,” as Dorianne Laux said in Dana’s interview. That’s what I want. I want to write so that people turn off the TV, put their forks down, and say “damn, that is so true.”

Since that hasn’t happened yet, I keep writing. But then again, mostly I write because it’s a lot of fun. I enjoy it, and I’d keep writing, even if the Pope told me my writing sucks. I’d be happy he read my stuff! Even bad publicity is good publicity, right? I ramble.

By: carolee

carolee — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:44:04 +0000

very true! there’s a reason i’m NOT so many things in this world. no interest. no aptitude. no natural ability. we forget that so many people feel that way about writing. they don’t think they can. they just don’t do it because they have no interest. etc. maybe just in admitting that we’re writers and giving it a try from time to time hints at some sort of natural inclination. or a natural affinity at the least.

By: Singing, practice and expectations « Words that sing

Singing, practice and expectations « Words that sing — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:47:38 +0000

[...] recently commented on a poll over at readwritepoem, comparing the pleasure and naturalness of my experience of singing and of writing poetry: The [...]

By: Katherine

Katherine — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:27:05 +0000

I think that I have an above-average talent, and I work my arse off. I would have liked to say that I’d still write poetry no matter what my talent, but … I wouldn’t. If I had a gift for playing the piano, like my father, I’d be doing that. And if I had a gift for higher mathematics, like my sister, I’d be whipping through her multi-variable calculus homework the same way she does (I know, what a freak). But I suck at math and piano. I balance my checkbook and hammer out the chords to random folk songs when I’m feeling so inclined, but I spend my effort on writing poetry.

Because I AM somewhat above average, darnit. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

By: jan

jan — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:24:07 +0000

thanks for that, carolee. you are right, i am too hard on myself! (in many ways, we are all like that, i think!). i was re-thinking what i wrote after i submitted it. i’m at a point where i’m just starting to write poetry again, after years of ‘not writing’. so i’m kind of just getting my feet wet. i am finding that i’m having fun participating in the various sites that give prompts. i don’t have to worry about winning a prize or being great or anything…and i like that. it allows me to get experience and have fun, and meet others who like to do the same thing. i agree, it’s better to write than NOT write…for who knows what gem might show up in the writing process when you least expect it?!

By: Carolee

Carolee — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:57 +0000

thanks to everyone who’s chatting about the poll. it’s great that the site can be interactive in this way: “true” blog/”true” community/”real” conversation. love it!

jan–it sounds like you’re super hard on yourself. (i am also.) i get good advice from people like, “be kind to yourself.” “other people will beat you up so don’t help them.” that kind of thing. it’s all true.

what’s also true is that if you can get a poem to express you, it’s not “lousy.” it may not be the key to your nomination for poet laureate but being poet laureate takes up too much time anyway. simic let the “job” go recently b/c he wasn’t finding enough time to write.

AND (last thing), don’t spend more time thinking about writing than actually writing. i did that for years. i felt like a poet and knew i could write poetry but i had “nothing” to say so. it can be a little bit like an identity crisis. so stop thinking about it and write! b/c you are so right — it’s a poem as soon as the words come out.