As I mentioned in the previous post, none of my lectures have covered poetry per-say, but a couple of weeks ago we looked very briefly at poetics before spending the majority of the lesson looking at An Oresteia, which was one of the texts we could respond to in our final assignment. I didn't like that we spent a whole lecture looking at it seeing as certainly not everyone was going to respond to it.
Poetics refers to the different ways of reading a text and the effect it then has on a reader through the way certain elements of the text come together. Different ways of reading a text, especially something like poetry, are as representationalism, symbolism, and by interpretation not only of the facts and certainties that are communicated, but also of the mysteries and questions that are left unanswered.
As writers, it might be useful for us to ask ourselves how we look at our own writing?
Another question to ask ourselves is a question my lecturer from last trimester asked in our final lesson and a question a guest speaker last week asked us: Why are you here? For me and the people being asked directly, they meant this question with regards to us being in a creative writing course, but the question broadens itself to why do we write, which is something I have asked here before.
Our guest speaker last week went on to talk about how working in the writing industry usually requires a level of flexibility, especially when working in small press. I write because I love writing and I want to communicate messages - truths, ideals, opinions, beliefs - with an audience. Whether I can make a living through doing so or not aside, that is what I want to do. However, to be able to support myself, I'll hopefully gain a role as a professional proofreader, editor, maybe even one day an agent.
How do you look at your own writing? Why do you write?
- Bonnee.
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I LOVE the "why do you write" question ... it's so fun hearing people's answers! I write because it's my way of defying gravity. I write because it's my way of dreaming too far and hoping too much. I write because my characters become a part of my heart. I write because I can't not write. :)
ReplyDeleteYour way of defying gravity? Oh I like that :) Thanks for visiting, Shari :)
DeleteI came late to writing. Didn't have an internal urge like you do .. to write. I just write stories that I find interesting to tell. I'm more a story teller than a writer. Yep, very few authors make a living just by writing books. Hopefully, you can get into an Australian publishing company as assistant editor and learn, get experience, and move to be an editor, which is an important job. I didn't know the difference between proof reading and editing, so just checked it out. It seems that proof reading is just correcting what is written while editing is more involved. I guess your last year in the program will tell which way you are going,
ReplyDeleteYes, editing is a little more heavy handed and involved than just proof-reading, but proof-reading is often necessary in its own right. Some of the online unit guides for my subjects are so poorly checked for simple spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes that it's quite worrying. It's actually really unprofessional in my opinion. Maybe I'll end up working for my own university in that sense. Thanks for stopping by :)
DeleteI have to confess, I'm still a little muddy on 'poetics'--you're talking about how a reader interprets the work in question, or am I way off the mark?
ReplyDeleteSorry, it was poorly explained to me so I can only offer you a very vague explanation myself. Yes, that's is essentially what I'm talking about when I talk about poetics.
DeleteThanks for the clarification. I'm not sure it helps me answer the question because I'm not really sure how I look at my own writing.
DeleteI think poetics is the reason a person falls in love with the language of certain books. Some just speak to us in our "native tongue" more than others, on a heart to heart level.
ReplyDeleteI guess that makes sense when you think about it like that. You're right! :) Thanks for visiting! :)
ReplyDeleteI write to make people feel. And hopefully to make money some time soon...
ReplyDeleteI think all of us hope for that latter reason... although I think most of us will probably continue writing regardless. A bit of an income would be a bonus though. :)
DeleteThere is such a beauty to language and stringing words together. I love all the nuances. It's part of why I write.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more. It's amazing the things you can do with words, if you just know how to use them.
Delete"""The Kop request Thiago>> After losing at Wembleyl"""
ReplyDelete