Reflections: Knowledge

Love: On the love of pure knowledge

If one can state that knowledge rules, why is there still open suppression of knowledge?

Even in our era, where there is the reality of a relatively high, academic achievement potential for anyone and everyone, on a global or international level, active suppression of knowledge still exists. So does the repression of writer's works and the oppression of writers, as well.

Often, knowledge is put down by authority figures, authoritarian rule or even brute force. It is frequently suppressed in many parts of the world, even during this time when there is a demand for extremely high technology, all over the world.

For many generations, knowledge has been kept from thousands of people on a global scale. Many times, certain kinds of knowledge have been kept completely secret. People have been left untaught or uneducated, all over the globe, while the knowledge that they need for basic survival, has been hidden or repressed.

Frequently there have been repeated attempts to prohibit the publication or revelation of knowledge and truth. This is true of the past; it is still happening in the present and will continue to happen in the future.

As a way to compensate, in many parts of the world, knowledge has been accumulated as secret knowledge, because the human perception of what is being taught does not include adequate understanding for appropriate comprehension. If anything, many people are afraid of the power that others have gained through knowledge or the actual knowledge itself.

People with acquired knowledge, are feared by many of those who do know or understand certain concepts or ideas. Knowledge is frequently perceived in terms of negative power and oppression, rather than as a goal to be attained.

There are those who have been taught to exclude knowledge from their consciousness, for whatever reason. 

They are not allowed to give vent to certain kinds of knowledge and thus, knowledge is repressed inwardly, as there is no expression of the awareness of that knowledge allowed, at least not in their  community or society. At times, this knowledge may re-surface, at a later date or take on other forms.

On the other hand, throughout the generations, there have always been those whose quest for pure knowledge has never ceased. Even in times of severe depression or radical oppression, it is pure knowledge that has enabled the survival of the human race.

Real love of knowledge leads one to seek pure knowledge or truth for the ultimate good of human kind. Knowledge should be used rightly, ultimately for the good of humankind and not for evil purposes.

One of the difficulties with respect to the suppression of knowledge lies in the reality that it is the knowledge itself, that is being sought and not the actual source of the knowledge or God, the giver of all pure knowledge.

The solution to this problem lies in seeking God, first. If one seeks God first, He will invariably reveal pure knowledge and truth, but with a difference, namely within the guidelines of His love.

Does the Best Poetry Come From the Heart of the Mind?

Does the best poetry come from the heart of the mind? (to be edited)

Leaders in poetry will confirm the reality that true poetry comes from the heart and soul. Without first having a heart and soul as the source, anything that would come from the mind alone would be meaningless and thus would not be considered to be true poetry. The mind has a role to play in creative writing of poetry, but it is not the original source of a poem.

While there may be those who suggest that this is not true, a genuine poet will only write when really inspired. Very few poets or poetesses will write upon demand, unless there is some element of inspiration included, as it is this inspiration that triggers the desire to write.

In other words, true poetry comes into being, simply because someone or something has touched the heart and soul of a particular person. It is put into an actual writing format of some kind, or penned into words in some manner, simply because the poet or poetess cannot help but write that particular piece of work.

When inspired, he or she may not have inward peace until that particular poem has some kind of written expression, which allows it to be retained and possibly revised at a later date.

It really does not seem to matter what time of day or night it is, when this phenomenon occurs. When inspired, the true poet or poetess will make a sincere and honest effort to save the poetry, in some way. If it is not captured in words immediately, it may just disappear into the wind, so to speak. The idea behind the poetry might be gone and completely lost forever.

With inspiration, writing generally comes about in four distinct stages: poemic, poetic, prosaic and the critique, critical analysis or criticism thereof.

In examining these unique stages of writing, one can begin to comprehend how poetry actually emerges into being, out of what appears to be nothing or absolute nothingness. This might be referred to as a process of emergence or a dimino effect. I will suggest that it is like a very dim light, emerging from what appears to be a void. It gradually becomes a brighter and brighter light, as it works its way out of, or comes through a dark tunnel.

Poetry may be regarded as the second stage in the process of inspirational creative writing.

Let me show you how creative writing and more importantly how poetry itself comes into being.

An example of an inspiration touching the heart and soul, leading to the writing of poetry or other forms of creative writing, might begin with one word, like the word love, as an immediate response of some kind, to someone or something. In itself, the word love, is essentially what could be referred to as a word that is still in its poemic form. It is not yet poetry.

It is more like a precursor of poetry, or essentially a poem-to-be, still in some very early format, which still remains to be penned, because it has not yet been written. This stage precedes the poetic format of writing, which we now know as poetry. It is easily depicted or described. It may be likened to the instantaneous or instinctive reaction of a person to another person, or a person's response to something like chocolate, a pet, flowers, scenery, etc. It is relatively restricted in terms of actual words, as it may be just one simple word. The poemic word then moves to the next stage of development, namely that of the poem.

The poem may be as simple as two words like "Love lives." As the poet or poetess continues to write on inspiration, the poem grows. "Love lives on." The work may be a very short poem, or something which could be expanded upon at a later time or date, in some more structured or unstructured poetic format. "Love lives on forever." It continues to be developed. "Love lives on forever in us."

There may be some inherent rhythm and rhyme added to it, but that is not always necessarily the case.

"Love lives. Love gives."

"Love lives on emerging, like the dawn."

"Love lives on forever and somehow dies never."

The prose writer, taking this and putting it into writing, in his or her own context, demonstrates a prosaic format, which he or she could also develop further at a later date. It might acquire a structure that includes formal sentences and paragraphs, which in turn leads to more clearly developed letters, essays, stories, books, etc.

The creative writing critic can take this a step further, by turning it into a critique, critical analysis or a criticism of what has emerged from the earliest poemic stage.

The bottom line, with respect to discussing all of these four stages, is the reality that a poem has to come from somewhere, in order to come into actual being. My suggestion is that true poetry only comes from the heart and soul, not from the mind alone. Like a dimino, when written, this heart and soul poetry will stand the test of time, simply because it is true poetry. Any mind can attest to that.

There is one after thought that might be taken into consideration as well. Who really divides a person's being into segments? Is it not a reality that the heart, soul and mind are actually one, irregardless of how any debate tries to separate the three, as the source of anything, including poetry?

I Heard a Sigh

I Heard A Sigh

I heard a sigh upon the wind,
"Yes, God is good, but man has sinned."

"Forgive all man," was my reply
And then I heard another sigh.

"Cry out for children everywhere,
Those lost, alone, in deep despair."

The wind, it sighed; it knew I heard,
As if delivered was the word.

Another wind, another day,
The sigh for children seems to stay.

The sigh for love upon the wind;
The sigh to say, "All man has sinned."

The sigh to plead but for God's grace,
In ev'ry era, time and place;

The sigh for children, young and old.
Those hurt and hungry, in the cold.

The sigh for peace and end to war;
The sigh goes on forever more.

The sighing wind will come and go
Lest we forget our love to show.

Write a Poem in Six Easy Steps

Thousands of pieces of real poetry, many of them fantastic poems are written by people who think or feel that they don't know how to write poetry.

Writing poetry has become a thriving business internationally and people know how to make money with poetry. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not ever do anything with their work or throw it away, because they do not know what to do with it, they feel that they have not written real poetry or what they have written does not have merit.

Six suggestion to consider when writing poetry:

Begin with a valid concept or a well defined idea. It does not matter what you choose as a topic. The important thing is that when you are inspired, write it down in poetic form however it is revealed to you. Try to write on something that has signification to you and let your poetry reveal its own real meaning.

Focus on the direction in which you see your poetry heading. Believe that your poem has a definite direction; you just don't know what direction it is going yet. Guess what. You don't have to know where it is going. Just follow your inspirational pathway and let it open itself to you.

Gradually begin to develop the content or the body of your poem. What you will find is that the words will come to you in some sort of a pattern, rhythmic or non-rhythmic, that may astound you. Let the pieces fall into place, as they reveal themselves to you. Don't try to understand them or explain them, at this stage in your work. You don't have to understand the poem.! Your job is to write it down. When this starts happening, you will know that you are writing real poetry.

There is room in your poetic expression for reactions, impressions and reflections. You have started your poem, so now respond to what you have written, in your own words. How do you think or feel about what you have written? Does it appear to be coming together in a way that has meaning for you and your life or is it confusing, in some way? That is also a legitimate part of poetry writing. It is all right to sense some confusion, at times. The meaning may be obvious, at a later date.

At this point, you may wish to re-state what your poetry is saying, but put it into a nutshell, so that your poetry remains in focus. Don't re-hash everything that you have written, as that is not necessary. What you do need to do is to find a way to bring the poem to some sort of an appropriate conclusion.

This last part of your poem is important, as your poem does need an ending of some kind. Expand upon the summary that you have already been working on, making the pieces fit together like a jig saw puzzle.

Some poets will write and never re-read any of their work, as what they needed was given to them in the inspiration itself. Regardless of whether or not you chose to re-read or re-write your poetry, recognize the reality that you are a real poet. Don't throw your real poetry away. Assign a date to it and put it somewhere safe.

Which Form of Writing is More Difficult, Poetry or Prose?

Poet, poetaster or prose writer? Is poetry more difficult to write than prose?[

In response to this debate question, I will suggest that it is poetry.

Which form of writing is more difficult to write, poetry or prose? For most people, writing poetry is more difficult than writing prose. The exception to that may be someone gifted as a poet. But, there is the good poet and the not so good poet (poetaster). There is also the good prose writer and the not so good prose writer.

At times, for many people, writing in any form can be difficult. The degree of difficulty in writing, can determine whether the poetry is good poetry or not. The same is true with respect to prose. There is prose that is good prose and that which is not good prose.

For someone who is well educated or a gifted writer, it may be possible to write in either form without difficulty. On the other hand, for someone who always has difficulty in writing anything, it may be hard to write or to write well, in either form.

Which is the more difficult of the two forms of writing?

One might first ask what is the difference between the two different forms of writing? What determines the degree of difficulty? How does one respond to the question or can it only be responded to on a personal or individual plane?

Perhaps by first defining the nature of poetry and prose, it will be possible to discern which is actually the more difficult of the two forms. 

Poetry: By definition what is poetry or what are some of the characteristics of poetry?

Reveals a metrical kind of writing
Takes on some kind of a verse format
Has a concentrated and imaginative focus
May reveal experiential or even playful awareness
Uses descriptive or creative language
Evokes a specific emotional response 
Uses sound and rhythm to enhance the meaning
Often holds some degree of beauty with respect to expression
Idealized, at times

Prose: By definition what it prose or what are some of the characteristics of prose?

Employs different kinds of language
Appears to use the language that is spoken or written daily
Represents a more common literary medium of expression
Offers far greater room for expansion and development
Reveals increased irregularity of format
Allows a greater variety of rhythm and pattern
Has fewer restrictions
Allows increased freedom

In conclusion, I will suggest that for the majority of people, it would appear that it is easier to write in prose, because it is what they are accustomed to speaking or writing from day to day. Ask them to write poetry and at best, it may become poetry written on a poetaster level of writing. That is not always the case. Sometimes those who do write well in prose, can write well in poetry, particularly if has an almost prosaic format.

The writing of poetry or good poetry, is the more difficult of the two forms of writing. Again, there is always the personal preference element that must be considered. There is insight and inspiration that are an important part of what one writes, whether using the form or poetry or prose. This enters into both forms of writing, at least in part. It is much less difficult to write if one has insight or inspiration. Even then, poetry is more difficult to write, particularly good poetry.

Is Free Verse Really Poetry?

Verse libre: On free verse

Is free verse really poetry? In response to this question, there is also the question of whether or not free verse can be boxed into some kind of a category. From the beginning of time, there have been those who have written free verse, but invariably, human beings attempt to find some kind of category or box, that it will fit into. Of course, it is easier to comprehend something, if you can put a label on it. The question becomes one of whether or not free verse can be boxed into some kind of a category.

The French word vers libre signifying free verse, was first used in the nineteenth century to categorize this kind of poetry, as being distinct from what was called an alexandrine line in poetry. (1)

An alexandrine is a line of poetic meter that consists of twelve syllables divided into two equal parts between the sixth and seventh syllable. (2)

Vers libre is an expression used to depict any kind of rhymed or unrhymed verse that is essentially free of restrictions, with respect to metrical structure and rhyme. (3)

Poetry that does not rhyme or have a specific metrical structure is still real poetry and can be referred to as free verse.

In free verse, there is cadence that often replaces the metrical aspect of the poetry. This is not structured and appears to be irregular. This has to do with the use of more common language and music. The use of diction and syntax are still present in free verse. The use of its unique expression enhances the style of writing. (4)

When one reads free verse, it appears to have distinct patterns of its own and will be comprehended by the reader as a whole. (5)

From an analytic perspective, there are three, distinct, kinds of free verse that have been identified, namely free iambic verse, cadenced verse and free verse proper. (6)

Again, one must caution against stating that these are the only kinds of free verse, because free verse is essentially free and thus, beyond any categorization, at least to some degree.

If one goes back to the earliest writings in history, invariably what one will find is the reality that there is a lot of poetry that could be referred to as free verse or free poetry. Some of it rhymes; some of it does not. Some has metrical structure; some does not. Some has a degree of musicality to it; some does not. Some has rhythm; some does not.

With respect to ancient writings and other languages, there is always the question of what is actually lost or gained in translation.

Poets pen that which is given to them. No poet ever has to defend his or her free verse or free poetry, although he or she may feel a need to do so. What is more important is the love of writing poetry.

Freedom in verse and freedom in poetry are liberties that we enjoy as poets and readers of poetry. It is personal preference that decides to some extent what is poetry and what is not poetry or what is considered to be good poetry and what is not.

Free verse is really poetry.

(1) http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=17826

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrine

(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_verse

(4) Ibid.

(5) Ibid.

(6) Ibid.

Poetry Analysis: "Nothing Gold Can Stay", by Robert Frost

But nothing golden stays: An analysis of “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, by Robert Frost.

The year is 1923 and "Nothing Gold Can stay" rises to publication in "The Yale Review", in the month of October. Robert Frost wins a Pulitzer Prize. The poem is  featured in a novel by S. E. Hinton called "The Outsiders". (1)

What is so remarkable about this piece of poetry?

:”Nothing Gold Can Stay”, by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. (2)

We are all familiar with the saying. "All that glitters is not gold."

Alfred R. Ferguson suggests that there has been a revision in the original piece of poetry and that the following lines were included in the copy of the poem that was sent to George R. Elliott, in March, 1920.

The last three lines are not the same. They read, (3)

In autumn she achieves
A still more golden blaze
But nothing golden stays. (4)

But does it make a difference in the poetry itself? It does, if one is referring to the Garden of Eden and the fall of man. It seems the poem has been rewritten, as the original poem reads,:

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
In autumn she achieves
A still more golden blaze
But nothing golden stays.

Taking the first five lines of the poem and placing them with the last three of the other version, creates a poem that only refers to nature and not to Eden.

Can a poet take that kind of a liberty with his or her work, as it appears that Robert Frost has done? Is there not something sacred about a poem once it has been written? Should any poet be able to revise his or her poetry, at will? What if it changes the signification or the context of the poetry?

There are five, other copies of the poem still in existence and the nature version appears to be the original piece of poetry.

One might ask why Robert Frost made the change. 

Did he suddenly undergo some kind of a conversion, where he understood the Biblical significance of the felix culpa, or the fall of man, after he had already written this poem, which appears to have been referring only to nature?

It is more than an interesting happenstance. It appears that Frost, after focusing on nature and nature's reality, may have come to understand the Biblical account of creation, as recorded in the Bible.

One can take the meter, the rhythm and the rhyme and play with it forever, but that is not where the elegance and the mystery is realized in this piece of poetry. It is in the sudden, elevated conscious awareness or the manifestation of divine consciousness by the poet, whose personal transition from unbelief to belief is documented, in his own words.

Is it possible to focus on nature and come to understand God? Yes, God can be known, in many ways.

Perhaps in some way, Robert Frost has found the true gold, as the gold that glittered in his original poetry was merely a reflection of God, not God Himself, as revealed in the revision.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_Gold_Can_Stay_(poem)

(2) Ibid.

(3) http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/gold.htm

(4) Ibid.