Evelína Kolářová : part five

What do you find most difficult about writing poetry?

The absolutely most banal thing – finding time to work on my writing. Escaping the real life and finding time and place to write.

Evelína Kolářová : part four

How do you know when a poem is finished?

When I finish writing it, the poem has a halo of inner coherence. Nothing is missing from the whole picture. However, this does not mean that fragmentary poems are not finished. Quite the contrary. A finished poem does not require to have new concepts introduced to it and/or the former concepts within it changed.

Evelína Kolářová : part three

What are you working on?

Apart from my studies, which occupy me for the most of my time, I am working on organisation and planning. Those are both crucial for me. As a part of my writing progress, the plan is to get organised and start working on new writing.

Evelína Kolářová : part two

Why is poetry important?

Literature, and consequently poetry, should always be highly regarded for its ability to express human experience. Unlike other forms of art, it uses language as a medium for the articulation of human experience. If we want to articulate something, one of the best ways to do so is with language. Literature provides a critical picture of the world, provides us with an opportunity of self-reflection and progress by pointing out certain issues, and with an opportunity to enrich language. Poetry specifically is important for its use of figurative language and for the possibility to create an architectural masterpiece by experimenting with forms and structures while simultaneously not imposing them on us. A poetic view of the world is important as well – a poet’s worldview. We need poets and their view for their ability to observe the world through different perspectives and perhaps for their ability to express concepts which one is able to see but seldom notices.

Evelína Kolářová : part one

Evelína Kolářová is a young, emerging writer from the Czech Republic. She is an undergraduate student at the University of South Bohemia. She writes both in English and in Czech. Her poems have been previously published in literary magazines such as Really System, The Gambler Mag, Red Weather, Genre: Urban Arts or Sink Hollow. Her work has made the finalist list of the Poetry Matters Project's Literary Prize 2019.

Photo credit: Ondřej Cihlář

How does a poem begin?

Either as a lightning strike of inspiration upon some strong experience (which does not necessarily have to evoke the poem instantly) or during a review of writer’s notes as a result of the review and creation process. It is usually the former in my case, exceptionally the latter. A poem has to start somewhere – that somewhere is different for every poem and poet, be it an experience of trauma, catharsis evoked by other literary pieces, a strong sensual experience upon the discovery of the wonders of nature, or inspiration by another piece of literary work. Behind every poem, there is a need for the articulation of human experience. If it is powerful enough that it is written down, if the moment of somewhere is powerful enough, a poem can begin. It is upon the poet to decide whether they want to work with some sort of a structure behind the poem or whether they want to give it the chance to flow autonomously. It is usually that I do not impose any structure on my poems.