How does a poem begin?
It begins with one phrase—a weirdly described image or meaningful declaration or simple arrangement of words—that I’ve never read anywhere else before. It has to startle me, has to feel crisp, clear, and new. That often takes writing dozens of lines that end up getting tossed, though every once in a while, the good line comes first. Then begins the long, stupid struggle to do anything with it.
No comments:
Post a Comment