If, like me, you compose many variations for a stanza (there is, after all, a thousand ways to say something, even when confined by the rules of the traditional style) and have difficulty choosing the best among them, wait; the right choice (or version of that choice) will eventually become apparent—what seems an impossible decision now will be obvious in a matter of hours, days or (sometimes) weeks.
Month: October 2019
A Poem by Any Other Title
Still a developing poem (chiefly in its closing stanza for which I keep inventing new ideas and am yet to choose a direction) I have been indecisive about the working title of “Mist”. Recently shortened from “Mist from the Mountains” (one of ten possibilities that arose as the poem took shape), I have now returned to an altered version: “Mist on the Mountain”.
As I recite the stanza variations, it seems to me they do require a longer introduction—a line rather than a word, to best reflect their content. “Mist on the Mountain” is (at least for the time being) a more appropriate choice in its aspect and length—a better start to the poem. I am confident that it shall be the final title, but poesy is such that I cannot be certain.
The Oddness of the New
There are times when one must live a while with a new approach to a stanza—to become accustomed to it—especially after devoting weeks to the existing incarnation of that stanza.
As one recites the new version with the rest of the stanzas and continue to develop its variations, it begins to feel part of the poem—not quite so peculiar.
I am working through such a process now following recent developments in the final stanza of “Mist” before committing to any significant decision regarding its incorporation into the poem.
Forgotten Fields 