How do you know when a poem is finished?
It’s not a consistent process for me. I’m sure there were many times when I thought a poem was finished, but fortunately I have some poet friends who have set me straight. In those instances, it’s probably been a case of over finished, trying to hard in the end to make a point, or to be too dramatic. There’s that idea that the poet Paul Muldoon brings up “about bringing the reader to the party and nipping out the bathroom window.” Getting out at just the right time, on the right line. Often in drafts I bury that end line somewhere in the poem and I don’t give its proper place. When I figure that out, knowing where to put that line for the most impact, or to leave the reader with something interesting, then it’s a finished poem, I think.
Another thing that tends to happen is usually I will begin later and end sooner than the draft version. Cutting back on both ends seems to be a constant.
No comments:
Post a Comment