Poetry workshop

29/6/11

Martin Locock

Outline

What is poetry?

Poetry as a thought tool

The haiku in theory and practice

Death of Chatterton Thomas Wallis

What is poetry?

“Emotion recollected in tranquility” William Wordsworth

“Memorable speech” W H Auden

“Poetry is just the evidence of life.  If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.” Leonard Cohen

“The poet doesn't invent.  He listens.” Jean Cocteau

“Carefully chosen words” Martin Locock

• Authentic• Humorous• Intellectual• Reflective• Structured

What can poetry be?

What poetry isn’t*

• A private language• Unedited thought or feeling• A definitive or balanced view• A puzzle or word game

* according to me

Managing creativity

• Leadership and creativity• Creation is easy• The creative paradox (or, “There

was a young man from Hong Kong”)

Poetry and reflection

• Capture moments of transformation• Capture feelings and texture of

experience• Jack Mezirow – critical reflection

transformational learning re-thinking past experiences

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Flow : Optimal experience, the combination of absorption, effort, and discipline

Seeking to transform experience into poetry can trigger flow at will The flow of thought finds its own path when you cease trying to direct it.

Poetry and flow

The haiku

Charity and trust

She resists the man

Panhandling for a pound coin,

Doubting his motives

Rules

• Japanese tradition

• A title

• Three lines

• Five, seven, five syllables

• Words can be omitted

• Changing moment: external > internal, describe > feel/think; two aspects of something

Examples

Charity and trust

She resists the man

Panhandling for a pound coin,

Doubting his motives

Kijo Murakami

First autumn morning:the mirror I stare intoshows my father's face

Haiku exercise

• Topic: a discovery or insight• Content: context and event• Focus on how it felt, how it

changed you• No room for irrelevancies

Having a go

• Find a thought 3 minutes• Write it down as a phrase• First draft (title last) 5 minutes• Write it neatly• Pairs: swap and read partner’s aloud

– What was best, what needs work 5 minutes• Quick revision 2 minutes• Final version: reading

Judging a poem

• Does it contain a truth?• Does it express that truth?• Does it communicate that truth?

Irrelevant questions:• Is the idea new?• Is the idea one you are committed to?• Would someone else have written it

differently?

More words

http://changingmoment.blogspot.com

The Great Wave, Hokusai (1760-1849)

mlocock@gmail.com