voices On TV

Voices On TV

I turn on the TV
Watching the talking heads
Pontificate
Nothing but blathering voices
Going on and on
Blah blah blah
It all runs together
Total nonsense
Sprouting from their moving lips
Liars laying down lies
I finally give up
Shutting off the voices
On my TV set
Listening instead
To the voice in my head
Screaming
I need more coffee
And give in to his demands.


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.

ASSIGNMENT: Write a poem about the voices you hear--in the coffee shop, at the supermarket, on the TV, or in your head .