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Review #4272564
Viewing a review of:
 A River Runs Dry  [E]
shape poetry
by Lani
Review of A River Runs Dry  
Review by Dave
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  
Rated: E | (5.0)
Access:  Public | Hide Review (?)
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Aloha, Lani!

I saw your name pop up in reaction to a comment I made on the Newsfeed, so I checked your port and wanted to offer a few observations in the spirit of friendly hospitality and constructive support. Of course, they are nothing more than one man's opinions, so take them or leave them for whatever you think they may be worth.

TITLE:

Unless you are William Carlos Williams, or some other famous poet, whose name alone is enough to attract an eager audience, the title is one of the most important elements of any composition. As the only thing a prospective reader will see while scanning the list of items in a writer’s port or the Table of Contents in a book, it serves as the door which must be opened to enter the realm of the writer’s imagination. A name gives the composition a specific identity. It sets the tone and prepares the reader for what is to come. If that entrance does not spark some sort of interest, chances are he or she will move along to the next item, or maybe even the next author.

The title of this poem appeals to that browser's sense of compassion and desire to assist in such a dire situation.

FORM & STRUCTURE:

In traditional poetry, the fixed shape of the meter, rhyme, and stanza creates an emotional distance which facilitates universal acceptance. The poet writing free verse must compensate for the lack of traditional structure by designing the title, line, stanza, and rhythm to provide the greatest impact in an efficient manner. Otherwise, the poem will be nothing more than prose in disguise.

Your innovative arrangement captures the essence of a writer's desperation to find meaningful content with its curving downslope, which evokes that dropping sensation in the reader's imagination very effectively.

IMAGERY:

Imagery is the lifeblood of a poem. Like a craftsman carving, molding, painting, and polishing wood, stone, clay, or some other material, the poet uses words to shape and paint pictures that present some lyrical impulse or spiritual truth. Rather than TELLING the audience about those feelings, the poet SHOWS the impressions through distinct images that project emotional overtones and associations with other images and events. In this way, the poet stirs an emotional response from the reader.

Specific concrete nouns and that single plunging word "flowing" project a vivid picture to represent an abstract concept very distinctly in the minds of your audience.

EMOTIONAL CONNECTION:

The distinct imagery and rhythmic language breathe life into those dusty "words."

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

Art happens in two places: in writers' minds as they create it, and in readers' minds as they perceive it. Poets explore possibilities through a lens colored by past experience and shares them with an unseen audience. They call upon a unique reservoir of such enlightenment, conceptual skill and innovative research to project some spiritual sensation upon the screen of the audience's imagination--be it joy, melancholy, shock, or any of a thousand others.

You have clearly demonstrated skill in the use of words to etch this scene upon the reader's psyche.

If you would like to share a few thoughts about the process of composing poetry with like-minded wordsmiths, we would love to have you join our discussions in "The Poet's Place "  group.

I noted in your bio that you currently reside in the "coastal South Carolina" region. If that happens to be within driving distance of the Charleston area, we would also enjoy your company and literary wisdom in our local writing group, the Lowcountry Creative Writing Forum: http://www.meetup.com/lowcountry-creative-writing-forum/


Here's wishing you fair winds as you continue to navigate this universe known as Writing.Com.

Let the creativity flow from your soul! *Cool*
Dave
"The Poet's Place " 
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