Phoebe Anson : part one

Phoebe Anson is a third-year university student studying English literature. Her poetry is often concerned with representations of the self and deconstructing abstract spaces and ideas. Her work can be found in Streetcake Magazine, Quince Magazine, Nymphs Publications, with more publications coming soon. She can be found on Twitter (@PhoebeJAnson) and Instagram (@bizarre_femme).

How does a poem begin?

For me, it can be a range of different ways. Sometimes I do automatic writing tasks where I find a prompt somewhere or a vague idea or even a line from a book. From this, I give myself a set amount of time to write without putting too much conscious thought into it. I think this is a good way to start writing something and it allows you to write what you perhaps are feeling or thinking that you aren’t aware of. And then, sometimes, I will randomly have an idea for a poem so I’ll either jot it down in my notebook or on my phone but, if I’m able to, I might just start writing it there and then. I think some of my best poems have come out of this. But I wouldn’t say there is a definitive way a poem  begins to take shape. It completely depends on what inspires the individual.