Ravensong Poetry And Writing Blog by Donovan Baldwin

 I was reading an article in which the author (truth, it was a speech, ergo, the speaker) took the position that a poet had more leeway to produce his or her effect than a painter.

Their point was that the painter had to capture and convey the essence of the subject in a single, static exposition.

As an occasional poet (for over half a century), I took mild umbrage at this. While it is/was true that the poet can make the poem as long as is necessary, in poetry, as in other things I'm told, size does NOT matter.

In fact, making a poem longer, simply to get your point in, can be counterproductive to the intended production of art, and may be an admission of failure or defeat.

In my personal opinion, paring the poem down to the essentials, of both the art and the message, is a mark of the "professionalism" of the poet. Of course, like the practitioner of the visual arts, the temptation to use all the colors of the palette is tempting, but, like them, knowing which ones to stick with and which ones to leave out, to create the "best" art, is part of the challenge... and the fun.

Copyright January 2, 2024 by Donovan Baldwin

# posted by Donovan Baldwin @ 7:32 AM