‘Writing a Poem’ by Sally Cook The Society November 13, 2022 Beauty, Education, Poetry 15 Comments . Writing a Poem Our planet moves, and so do we, By forces that we cannot see. Rhyme, meter always seem to track The rhythm of the planet. Lack Of sense or sensibility Inhibits our ability To see. In every fervent verse— Loquacious, moderate, or terse— Rhyme glues meter where it should Be glued. The best of poets could Unleash spasmodic movement when Not in their normal state, but then As darkness turns again to day They speak, to keep the dark away. . . A former Wilbur Fellow and six-time Pushcart nominee, Sally Cook is a regular contributor to National Review, and has appeared in venues as varied as Chronicles, Lighten Up On Line, and TRINACRIA. Also a painter, her present works in the style known as Magic Realism are represented in national collections such as the N.S.D.A.R. Museum in Washington, D.C. and The Burchfield-Penney, Buffalo, NY. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 15 Responses AB Brown November 13, 2022 Lovely. Am guessing free verse, then, is the equivalent of the asteroid belt? And bad free verse…black holes? Reply Joseph S. Salemi November 13, 2022 Since the asteroid belt is just a lot of floating garbage, I guess it’s a good equivalent of most free verse. Would that the great bulk of it went down a black hole. A very nice poem, Sally. Reply Sally Cook November 14, 2022 Joe, The thought that this poem pleases you makes my day brighter. Sally Cook November 14, 2022 AB, it’s so nice to hear from you. Yes, that’s where free verse resides, and all other overblown, strident things. Reply Sally Cook November 14, 2022 To AB: PS – Well, my computer is at it again. I couldn’t make it stick as a reply to you, but see it has now partially relented and sent itself to Joe S. Sorry ! Reply Michael Pietrack November 13, 2022 Yes, indeed, keep the dark away…in a galaxy far far away Reply Sally Cook November 14, 2022 Thanks, Michael. for reminding us that humor is a good remedy for brightening dark. Reply James Sale November 14, 2022 Lovely, Sally, I am reminded of Joachim-Ernst Berendt: ‘There are powers above and shapes written in the sky which sound in your own soul, which concern you most vitally, and which belong to the Godhead as much as do you in your innermost self’ . Reply sally cook November 15, 2022 Is this a quote, James, or are they your own graceful words? In any case, many thanks. James, I am not familiar with this poet’s work, but will look him up. Reply James Sale November 15, 2022 Yes, Sally, it is a quotation from Joachim-Ernst Berendt’s great book: The World is Sound. Everything is resonating! Margaret Coats November 14, 2022 Excellent concept, Sally. The regularity of our planet’s motion corresponds to rhyme and meter. Day and night and years and seasons go on regularly, caused by rhythmic unseen forces, despite a little extra warmth on earth’s surface, attributable to the violence of the sun’s surface activity since 1975. But we have noticed no spasmodic activity suggesting an abnormal state of the planet. Poets, like planets, speak sensibly and not spastically when they regularly turn to keep the dark away. I agree that the very process of composition in regular meter turns on a light! Reply Sally Cook November 14, 2022 Margaret, I know you have, as I do, a very good idea what it means to have people who understand what one is saying in a poem. This is the place and you are one of the people. I always look forward to your sensitive, sensible comments. Thank you for these. Reply Shaun C. Duncan November 14, 2022 It’s an intriguing idea to link form to the cosmic order, particularly since the crusaders against form have always claimed to be doing so in the name of naturalism. It’s telling that the subject of so much of their so-called poetry is the celebration of disorder. Perhaps this is why in my own work, which is often also about disorder of some sort, I’ve always felt it was important to be extremely precise in terms of meter, rhyme and form, even to the detriment of the narrative. I’d never been able to put my finger on exactly why I felt this way, but I think your poem goes some way to answering the question. I particularly like your use of enjambment between the fine, strong opening and closing couplets – it seems particularly fitting given the subject matter. Reply Sally Cook November 14, 2022 A brilliant comment, Shaun. Did I do that? If so, I am happy to have done it. Wow! Thank you so much for such a well expressed compliment. To put in more terse terms, It’s not climate change, it’s just weather! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant November 15, 2022 Sally, I love this multi-layered poem. It appeals to me initially with its mellifluous beauty and admirable craft… but then, there’s the intrigue… that connection with the cosmos… that something otherworldly that adds wonder to the words. Only you can do this, and I thoroughly appreciate your inspiration. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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AB Brown November 13, 2022 Lovely. Am guessing free verse, then, is the equivalent of the asteroid belt? And bad free verse…black holes? Reply
Joseph S. Salemi November 13, 2022 Since the asteroid belt is just a lot of floating garbage, I guess it’s a good equivalent of most free verse. Would that the great bulk of it went down a black hole. A very nice poem, Sally. Reply
Sally Cook November 14, 2022 AB, it’s so nice to hear from you. Yes, that’s where free verse resides, and all other overblown, strident things. Reply
Sally Cook November 14, 2022 To AB: PS – Well, my computer is at it again. I couldn’t make it stick as a reply to you, but see it has now partially relented and sent itself to Joe S. Sorry ! Reply
Sally Cook November 14, 2022 Thanks, Michael. for reminding us that humor is a good remedy for brightening dark. Reply
James Sale November 14, 2022 Lovely, Sally, I am reminded of Joachim-Ernst Berendt: ‘There are powers above and shapes written in the sky which sound in your own soul, which concern you most vitally, and which belong to the Godhead as much as do you in your innermost self’ . Reply
sally cook November 15, 2022 Is this a quote, James, or are they your own graceful words? In any case, many thanks. James, I am not familiar with this poet’s work, but will look him up. Reply
James Sale November 15, 2022 Yes, Sally, it is a quotation from Joachim-Ernst Berendt’s great book: The World is Sound. Everything is resonating!
Margaret Coats November 14, 2022 Excellent concept, Sally. The regularity of our planet’s motion corresponds to rhyme and meter. Day and night and years and seasons go on regularly, caused by rhythmic unseen forces, despite a little extra warmth on earth’s surface, attributable to the violence of the sun’s surface activity since 1975. But we have noticed no spasmodic activity suggesting an abnormal state of the planet. Poets, like planets, speak sensibly and not spastically when they regularly turn to keep the dark away. I agree that the very process of composition in regular meter turns on a light! Reply
Sally Cook November 14, 2022 Margaret, I know you have, as I do, a very good idea what it means to have people who understand what one is saying in a poem. This is the place and you are one of the people. I always look forward to your sensitive, sensible comments. Thank you for these. Reply
Shaun C. Duncan November 14, 2022 It’s an intriguing idea to link form to the cosmic order, particularly since the crusaders against form have always claimed to be doing so in the name of naturalism. It’s telling that the subject of so much of their so-called poetry is the celebration of disorder. Perhaps this is why in my own work, which is often also about disorder of some sort, I’ve always felt it was important to be extremely precise in terms of meter, rhyme and form, even to the detriment of the narrative. I’d never been able to put my finger on exactly why I felt this way, but I think your poem goes some way to answering the question. I particularly like your use of enjambment between the fine, strong opening and closing couplets – it seems particularly fitting given the subject matter. Reply
Sally Cook November 14, 2022 A brilliant comment, Shaun. Did I do that? If so, I am happy to have done it. Wow! Thank you so much for such a well expressed compliment. To put in more terse terms, It’s not climate change, it’s just weather! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant November 15, 2022 Sally, I love this multi-layered poem. It appeals to me initially with its mellifluous beauty and admirable craft… but then, there’s the intrigue… that connection with the cosmos… that something otherworldly that adds wonder to the words. Only you can do this, and I thoroughly appreciate your inspiration. Reply