I grew up listening to country and jazz, with singers like Graeme Connors, John Farnham and Etta James. They were my earliest introduction to music and the poetry of it. The one and only poetry collection I owned was The Little World of Elves & Fairies, which I still love. As a teenager my tastes in music changed, and Linkin Park, Evanescence, and Placebo became a really big influence on me not only musically, but poetically. It was also around that time I feel in love with Shakespeare’s sonnets, which I enjoy a lot more than his plays.
Would you say your childhood and teenage experience of poetry has had a distinct influence on how you write poetry now, and why?
I’ve always loved the raw emotion and power of artists like Etta James and John Farnham, and I think it has influenced the way I write, along with the darkness of bands such as Linkin Park and the quirkiness of Placebo. The majority of my poetry rhymes and the fantastical worlds evoked my book of fairies and elves as well as Shakespeare’s ability to draw the reader in and be caught in the moment, has been influenced by that. I love how things rhyme, and how it contributes to the feel and flow of a piece. Who is another poet whose poetry you admire and why?
At the moment I am inspired by the works of Jose' Antonio Orellana Artolozaga. Although I don’t write haiku, I love the imagery his poems create in my mind. I can easily get lost in them, and the unusualness of the language he uses to describe and express emotions.
How would you summarise one of your poems in one paragraph?
Angel, Devil delves into the darkness within. It deals with the emotions of guilt, shame, regrets, depression, hopelessness and the question of identity amidst all the chaos of those emotions. How would you describe the appeal of this poem to readers? For many of us, we hide the darkness we fear to show the world. We feel the need to wear a mask and not show the parts of us that are damaged. This poem appeals to readers in the sense that it can take them into that inner world of darkness we all at times experience, where they can relate without ever telling them what to feel or that what they are feeling is wrong, it simply just is.
Could you share a stanza or small section of this poem?
I feel the joy of the self inflicted
The joy and madness righteously conflicted
All my words, they're contradicted
When from my soul my heart is evicted
How would you describe the contribution this stanza or small section makes to the poem?
This verse is from the beginning of the poem. It sets both the scene and the tone of what is to come.
Would you describe your poetry primarily as narrative, thematic, character portrait, or how would you describe your poetry?
I would say the majority of my poetry is thematic, dealing with various emotional and social issues. I write in both first and third person depending on what I am trying to express or portray.
Do you read your poetry aloud to people? If so, how would you describe the size and response of your listening audiences?
To date, I have only read in public on two occasions. One both occasions it was in front of small groups and I was informed that my poems were well received. I was too nervous to take accurate note to the audience and their reactions. I have also read in small private groups, which has been easier and the reaction I’ve had has been positive, eliciting a discussion of the poem/s afterwards.
Do you write groups of poems to form collections?
If so, how were the poems connected in your most recent collection? I am yet to publish a poetic collection, although I am currently working on dark, and at times humourous collection, that Angel, Devil wouldn’t be out of place in.
Author website: www.indiesworldofdarkness.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment