Should we have a Poetry Club?

[Redcatlady]

To all interested parties:

Should we have a site here devoted to poets?  Or two sites -- one for American and/or English language and the other for foreign?

Feel free to express your opinions here and to the powers that be.

Redcatlady

[carmen22]

I love to read and write poetry I think it would be a great Idea!!!

[Jon_B]

Not a bad idea at all!  If there is enough interest this is certainly something we'll consider.  

In the meantime, feel free to post about poetry in any of the currently existing boards that are appropriate by topic.  For instance there's a thread on religious poetry in the Religion&Spirituality board, you could talk about classic poetry in the Classics board, and if you want to talk about poems that you are writing yourself - or comment on others' original work, the Writing Room is great for that.  

[Kimbeey13]

The best idea I have heard in a while! I would love to have a place to talk about poetry and favorite poets, about writing poems, and other such things all in one place.  

[Melissa_W Moderator]

I think we should also mention that the official reading topic for the Shakespeare group this month covers the Sonnets (in honor of National Poetry Month).

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Jon_B wrote:

Not a bad idea at all!  If there is enough interest this is certainly something we'll consider.  

In the meantime, feel free to post about poetry in any of the currently existing boards that are appropriate by topic.  For instance there's a thread on religious poetry in the Religion&Spirituality board, you could talk about classic poetry in the Classics board, and if you want to talk about poems that you are writing yourself - or comment on others' original work, the Writing Room is great for that.  

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[paulgoatallen]

I LOVE the idea but I see potential problems right off the bat – this forum could easily get unwieldy. Poetry encompasses so much history and so much diversity – all of the different forms and genres... Will someone who enjoys "classic" poetry from Longfellow, Keats, and Donne also enjoy talking about the Beat poetry of Ginsberg, Keroauc, Ferlinghetti, Snyder, etc. Will a fan of Shakespeare's sonnets be into chatting about urban poetry/rap? There is an immense scope here but if you can somehow get it all going in a unified direction, it could work and it could be spectacularly popular. (I used to be a performance poet back in the late 80s, early 90s and even pubbed two collections of poetry and I've been to a lot of poetry related gatherings. It's very cliquey.)

Creating a forum where people can talk about poetry is an absolutely wonderful idea but will this also be a forum where people can post their own poems? Because let me tell you, this is going to happen as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. People love sharing their poetry. I'd personally love to have a forum where writers can share they own poetry – I guess the question is whether you can have a forum that features discussions on noteworthy published works as well as threads where people can share their poetry.... Great idea that will surely draw TONS of people – but can you keep it all focused? 

Paul 

[Dreamer4ever]

I really like the idea! I mean, I, and others, have been posting poetry in the Writing Room and that has been pretty good, but it would awesome if there was a place devoted to the art of poetry. It would be great to hear from other people about poems and talk about them. Whether the they are poems written by famous poets or even our own work, it would be really nice to discuss them with people who have the same appreciation.

[KathyS]

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Dreamer4ever wrote:

I really like the idea! I mean, I, and others, have been posting poetry in the Writing Room and that has been pretty good, but it would awesome if there was a place devoted to the art of poetry. It would be great to hear from other people about poems and talk about them. Whether the they are poems written by famous poets or even our own work, it would be really nice to discuss them with people who have the same appreciation.

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A couple of us suggested a poetry room a few years ago.  They said, "yeah, good idea", and it never happened, but they created the writing board, instead. 

If you talk to the moderator of the writing board, maybe she can create a permanent thread for what you want.  But, to be honest with you, whether it's a thread, or a full board, it would have to be maintain, which was mentioned here.  Does anyone really want to get serious enough to talk about all poetry in depth?  

And do you have enough people that are interested in poetry to keep it going?  The moderator of the writing board, a couple of months ago, started us off with haiku and renga.  Maybe three or four people, at the most, wanted to write them, and then the renga wasn't maintained...it just stopped, with no discussion.  That's when I left the board.  Some of us want to drop our stuff down on these boards [I do it only for fun], but I'm personally not interested in discussing what I write [even though I have], with non professional critics.

Kathy

[MurmurOfPlumet…]

I certainly think that would be a splendid idea. (and not because of my new release of my first collection of poetry (The Murmur of Plume to Parchment), but simply because poetry  is amazing. I enjoy all kinds. I hope you all will check my works out. I write on an array of topics and have developed a unique style. But mostly I enjoy the classics- the great poets of the past. (my book is available on this site by the way)

[MurmurOfPlumet…]

i have been in similar groups and as mentioned on a previous post, I am a classics lover...however, i have learned much and been inspired by the variety of styles and works Ive seen, read, and been exposed to just on the www alone. I am not into urban rap and all that jazz, but when i see a poem that moves the reader from a normal comfort zone then i can see value in it...even if its not my schtick. I think we can learn from seeing / reading alot of different styles of poetry. I love writing (note my  previous post about my new book now available on barnesandnoble, The Murmur of Plume to Parchment) but I have broadened my horizons by seeing other poetry to learn from a variety of styles. Me, I guess am a contemporary poet, but can blend the old world with the new.