Phoebe Anson : coda

My poetry is constantly developing and explores a range of different ideas or concepts. My poem ‘[emote]’ (published in the August 2020 issue of Streetcake Magazine) is very different to my poem ‘Feminine Terrains’, my most recently published poem in Nymphs Publications. While both are very different, they still stay true to who I am as a poet.

Phoebe Anson : part five

What other poetry books have you been reading lately?

I’m always looking for new poets to read and explore and, luckily, on my course I get the chance to explore a range of people and their work both on the module reading but also by exploring and finding new writers for assessments. Recently I have read Alice Oswald, Ada Limon, Rachel Allen, Denise Riley, Pascale Petit, Kimiko Hahn, and so many other amazing poets. There’s nothing better a poet can do than reading other poets' work. It is truly beneficial to see what other people are doing both to inspire your work and for the sheer joy of reading poetry. 

Phoebe Anson : part four

What do you feel poetry can accomplish that other forms can’t?

I think there’s a freedom with poetry that allows you to explore so much. My work is quite experimental and tends to explore the space of the page frequently. Poetry allows for me to do this and present a visual aspect as well as the language. In poetry, I can explore a single idea or thought or an entire philosophical concept with the freedom to present it however I wish. Poetry is constantly being developed, deconstructed and rebuilt, and it’s fascinating to see the variety of ways this is done. Poems can look completely different to one another and yet still both be valid ways of writing. 

Phoebe Anson : part three

How does your work first enter the world? Do you have a social group or writers group that you work ideas and poems with?

As I’m currently a university student, some of my work goes towards assessment so I will get feedback both from my classmates and my tutor. The creative writing modules I’ve taken have really helped me improve my work and get valuable insight on what works and what could be developed further. And working under an established poet also has its clear advantages. So, I will often send my work to friends or classmates but also submitting to various arts and literary journals allows me to get my work out there and often get feedback from them too. 

Phoebe Anson : part two

How do you know when a poem is finished?

This is interesting because I see poems as being a snapshot of an idea or a thought. So, in this light, my poems are never “finished”. They may come to an end but that’s simply the end of the written aspect of the poem. The idealisation of the poem goes on, perhaps indefinitely. So when I bring a poem to a close, or, perhaps more accurately, when the poem itself comes to a close, this isn’t necessarily the definitive end of the thought. I like being able to come back to a poem and continue it in a new lighting with a new frame of mind. And when I do put an “end” to a poem, I try to finish it off with a flourish, something memorable that ties it all together or perhaps, paradoxically, leaves the reader in the dark or even more curious about something.

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.