This is Part VI of a weekly series (now updated Tuesdays!)
You can find the earlier issues here:
Issue VII [link]
Issue VI [link]
Issue V [link]
Issue IV [link]
Issue III [link]
Issue II [link]
Issue I [link]

It is essential to remember that behind every poet, big or small, is a person: a living, breathing, human being, with a very real life, and very real experiences. Every one has a different reason to write, and every one has a different voice.
It is important to remember that the poetry community is filled with many diverse people.
Thus, I have today more highlights from interviews with a couple of real poets here on dA; Hopefully, after reading them, you will have a greater understanding of two of your fellow poets.


___________________________________________________________________________________

"Poetry is a fantastic means of expression in a small package, but it all depends on who's wielding it."


Name: Rebecca Anne
Location: Florida, USA
Age: 18
Information: Well, the biggest thing about myself is that I like to help people. A while ago, I thought I didn't believe in altruism, but I feel like I broke myself of that without thinking about it. I always go on adventures and meet a lot of people, and I feel that's something that gives my writing texture along with the trials of my life up until now.


How long have you been writing Poetry?
I actually started writing poetry seriously not long after I joined dA. I've been writing novels for much longer (say, five or six years), but I've been coming up with ideas for such things since I was very young.

What inspired you to start writing poetry?
It seems to have been jealousy or something similar. I saw so many people doing it and thought I could, too. I'm finding this is a common denominator in my life.

What general themes or ideas do your poems typically follow?
Lately, my poems have been a sort of romanticized life story, but in the past they have been anything from tableaus of nature to vignettes.


How much importance do you place on syntax, grammar, and diction in your poetry?
I have the inclination to answer "yes" to this question. Grammar and syntax, in my world, must always be correct. Diction has to fit the situation. After that, you can have fun with it. Poetry without thought...I don't even want to think about poetry without thought.

What, in your opinion, makes a poem effective?
Tough question. The simplest way I can put this is: concrete imagery. Abstractions are for professionals and Victorians. Stick to stuff I can feel.

What strategies or methods do you employ to make your own poetry effective?
I usually let the poem flow. (That word now makes me cringe a little.) After that, I read over it to reorganize thoughts according to meter, then delete unneccessary abstractions and places I was too obviously trying to be clever that don't tell the reader anything.

How do you find inspiration to write a poem?
I usually get inspired to write through a combination of looking at the work of others and my thoughts throughout the day. I write and remember a lot of concrete details, then go back at the end of the day and see what doesn't suck.

Describe your writing procedure: How do you go about writing a poem?
Find ghost of idea. Open word document. Write. Stop. Reread. Edit.

Do you read often? What do you typically read?
I read a lot of stuff here on dA. I also read a lot of non-ficiton, especially when I'm researching for a novel. Otherwise I read it out of curiousity for the subject. I also read classic literature, fantasy that doesn't have dragons, elves, dwarves, etc, and literary fiction.

How does your reading affect your writing, and what importance would you say reading has on writing in general?
I get a lot of ideas while I'm reading. The funny thing is, they never have much to do with what I'm actually reading. Funny.

How has writing (and reading) poetry affected you, as a person?
Over this past year, poetry has been especially cathartic for me. My professor last semester forced me to dredge up all the things I was trying to bury, so I had to deal with them rather than let them fester.



___________________________________________________________________________________

"Poetry comes from the heart. It is words from within the heart, simplified by the mind. Therefore, words are not just words."



Name: Trinh
Location: Alberta, Canada
Age: 16
Information: I am a Poetic Photo-taking Chef. I may be quite calm when the situation calls for it, however, things are not as it seems. My poetry are chronicles of my life as I am rowing down the rushing river. It is quite an interest journey.

How long have you been writing Poetry?
I have been writing poetry for around six years. My earlier works were more...innocent, if you may

What inspired you to start writing poetry?
My earlier works (not on dA) were written out of curiosity and an interest in rhyming certain words. Later on, I realized poetry is not the amount of words you can rhyme or the quantity of words used. My more mature works began while I sat and analyzed the curious behaviors of girls and their "silly" crushes in my class. Later on, I realized my own heart and began writing about it.

What general themes or ideas do your poems typically follow?
It varies but they mostly have a sad theme of the realization of the reality we all live in.


What, and how much, importance do you think poetry has in culture and society?
Poetry is everywhere. Just as much as math is. Quotes, phrases, reassuring words, and pretty much, General Language is poetry. Life is Poetry. It may go at a fast pace and slow down. Flow and stop. It creates an emotion. That is what Poetry does.

How effective would you say poetry is as a means of expression: personally, emotionally, and artistically?
I believe they all fit in one box. Poetry describes many experiences and by reading a piece of work, the reader may be capable of understanding the writer, setting in an emotional connection while at the same time, the form of connection is artistically made.

How has writing (and reading) poetry affected you, as a person?
Well. It affects me a lot. I do not know how to describe it, but my friends say I use a lot of analogies to refer to life and our experiences in reality. Plus, I usually analyze people more closely, for behind every smile and in every pair of eyes, hold a different story, no matter how alike the situation seems. Why? because we all see things in a different perspective and we have our own opinions.

What strategies or methods do you employ to make your own poetry effective?
It varies from poem to poem. I like to have a rhythm and flow to my poetry, and usually include breaks and shorter phrases to create pace. However, I do not overly concern myself with my techniques. I just write and it just happens.

How much importance do you place on syntax, grammar, and diction in your poetry?
I use simple words to get complex ideas across. It makes it more effective. I use a lot of imagery in most of my work but I do not pay too much attention to syntax. Grammar...I try haha

How much importance do you place on emotion in your poetry?
I place a lot of emphasis in my poetry, most likely because it all come from the heart. Poetry is nothing without emotion and means nothing if it does not set an emotion in the reader.

Describe your writing procedure: How do you go about writing a poem?
Feel. Ponder. Write.

How has your poet's voice changed since you started writing?
It...has matured...I've begun to use more truth and stronger, simple words to create the impact.

When you're reading poetry, is there any style of poetry do you prefer?
There isn't really a preference. But I do quite enjoy romance and well...poetry that washes over me as a tsunami of emotions. It sometimes hurts but you connect more to the writer.

__________________________________________________________________________

Look for these poets next time you're browsing around deviantArt, drop them a line, perhaps a friendly "hello!"
I'm sure they'd appreciate it!

If you'd like to be interviewed to appear in an issue of PYSK, send me a note titled "Interview" and I'll get back to you with the information.

Thank you for reading,
Nyxia