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Review #4652875
Viewing a review of:
The Fall  [E]
This is a short poem about falling in love and the fear that comes with it.
by Flower
Review of The Fall  
Review by Dave's gone...
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  
Rated: E | (4.0)
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*LeafO*  Welcome to WdC from the "Newbie Welcome Wagon"  *LeafO*



Greetings, Flower!

Welcome to our global celebration of inspiration. I noticed your introduction on the "Noticing Newbies"  forum yesterday and wanted to offer a few observations in the spirit of friendly hospitality and constructive support. Of course, they are nothing more than one man's opinions, so take them or leave them for whatever you think they may be worth.

TITLE:

Unless your name is Emily Dickinson, or that of some other famous poet, whose reputation is enough to attract a fawning audience, the title is one of the most important elements of any composition, because it is the portal through which a prospective reader must pass to enter the realm of your imagination. It sets the tone and prepares the reader for what is to come. If that entrance does not spark some sort of interest, chances are he or she will move along to the next item, or maybe even the next author.

The title applied to this composition appeals to that browser's sense of compassion with its reference to some possibly catastrophic event.

FORM & STRUCTURE:

Poetry weaves an intricate web of aesthetic effects with threads of lyrical language, vibrant imagery and organizational form. As poets, we select a pattern for any particular composition based on the contributions the specific characteristics of that form will make toward enhancing the shades and nuances of meaning.

Dividing the composition into several stanzas helps to control the pace and sharpen the focus on each impression before moving along to the next.

The consistent pattern of quatrains (four line stanzas) projects a tone of orderly contemplation.

POETIC TECHNIQUE:

If done well, rhyming can be pleasing to the ear and fun to create, testing the wit and ingenuity of the poet. It can also serve as an audible echo or resonance for emphasis. Additionally, rhyming can be an organizing device to create zones of similarity for your poems and linkage to connect different thoughts.

The consistent pattern of rhyming alternate lines generates a rhythm to propel your narrative forward at a comfortable pace.

There are several problems that arise when using rhymes, end-rhymes in particular. The first is that rhymes tend to draw attention to themselves and may overshadow the message of the poem. Also, the writer may torture the diction or grammatical structure to make the line fit the established rhyme scheme. Another danger is writing a line that fulfills the formal rhyming requirement but fails to meet the commitment of expressing a heartfelt belief. In this case, there are a couple of instances where the language seems a bit forced in order to maintain the established pattern, such as "fall" and "call" in the last stanza.

THE JOURNEY

With regard to your aspiration "to find my style," that will come naturally the more you write. Each poet has a distinctive way of expressing ideas and emotions. The particular words you select, the arrangement of the phrases, and the grammatical structure are all components that determine your individual voice. These choices are used to create several elements involved in the writing of a poem:

1. Style: The types of words--simple terms like “talk,” or complex words constructed from a base with prefixes and suffixes, such as “conversation”--determine whether the style will be casual, academic, or technical. The way your words flow in the presentation of an idea is also a factor in determining your style. Do you use short, terse statements or a long, rambling series of connected clauses? Are you more likely to express your appreciation with “Thanks a lot,” “Thank you very much,” or “Please accept my heartfelt gratitude”? Each writer may use different styles at one time or another, but how extensively each type is used and how they are mixed will determine each poet’s individual style.

2. Tone: In addition to the contextual meaning, you can select and arrange your words to enhance a sense of boisterous exuberance or quiet solace. A sense of tension or calm can be manipulated by using short, end-stopped lines or longer, enjambed lines that carry a thought through from one line to another.

3. Mood: Repetition, rhyming and rhythm are important in creating and reinforcing the mood in a poem. The use of colors can also be used to enhance the mood. Compare “a dark, dreary day under a cold, gray sky” with “a warm sunny day under a bright blue sky.”

4. Theme: The topics you choose for your poems help to define your poetic voice. You may choose to write about family, nature, religion, love, or death. Again, you may write about all of those topics in various tones and styles, but eventually you will find that one theme usually becomes predominant over others.

5. Explore: Reading the work of other poets and writers is essential in identifying a poet’s voice. Compare the poems of Edgar Allan Poe with those of Ogden Nash or Robert Frost. Even when writing about the same topic, they each have a unique way of expressing themselves.

6. Experiment: The only way to develop your own individual voice is to write. Beginners often find it helpful to emulate poets they admire. Experiment with different styles and themes. As you mix and match techniques of different poets, your own individual voice will eventually emerge. The choices you make in the application of the various poetic techniques are what make your voice unique among all other poets. Don’t push. It must evolve, and evolution takes time.

If you are interested in learning more about the craft of composing poetry, or merely chatting with a few like-minded wordsmiths, we would love to have you join our discussions in "The Poet's Place "  group.

Here's wishing you fair winds as you continue to navigate this universe known as Writing.Com.

Let the creativity flow from your soul! *Cool*
Dave
"The Poet's Place " 
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