By Gerald Warfield | Special to the Index
One would think, with reading and literacy on the decline, that poetry would fade away into complete obscurity. But the immense popularity of music, especially with young people, has given a new energy to the medium.
Country western singers and rappers, in particular, routinely employ the standard literary techniques of poetry like double entendre, alliteration, simile and metaphor. As a result, even standalone poetry is enjoying a resurgence.
In April, former Texas Poet Laureate, Larry D. Thomas was in residence at the Texas Mountain Trails Writers’ Retreat in Alpine, Texas. I asked him why poetry was so popular with kids, and he said that the crucial factor was the intensity and immediacy with which emotions could be expressed. Kids have always responded to that.
I agree. The historical union of poetry, music, and youth can hardly be overestimated. In ancient times, great works of literature like the Odyssey, Beowulf, even the Epic of Gilgamesh, were all chanted by bards if not outright sung with musical accompaniment. And, like today, those early bards, the singers of their day, were trained at a very early age.
To celebrate National Poetry Month in April, Boyce Ditto Public Library held a poetry reading attended by mostly high school students. They gave dramatic readings of their own and published poetry in English and in Spanish. Open mic night at the library has also brought out a variety of singers and poets.
If you’d like to show off some of your poetry at the next open mic night simply “friend” Boyce Ditto Public Library on Facebook for the dates. If you write poetry and would like to improve your craft, consider joining the Brazos Writers Group that meets every fourth Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Boyce Ditto Library.
Gerald Warfield is an award-winning writer of fantasy and fiction and member of the Brazos Writers Group and Friends of Boyce Ditto Public Library. See his blog at www.geraldwarfield.com.
Writers' Corner
Related Photos
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Above, Marisela Hernandez reads a poem in Spanish by Pablo Neruda at Boyce Ditto Public Library’s poetry bash during National Poetry Month. Courtesy
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Writers' corner: Poetry and why kids write it
- Writers' Corner
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Writer’s Corner
More poets have lived in Palo Pinto County than you might suppose. Chief among them was Dorothy Lee Hansen whose great-great-uncle was the fam ed cattleman Charlie Goodnight. She published three books of poetry and eventually became poet Laureate of Napa Valley, CA. Her house, just off North Oak in Mineral Wells, was called “Hill Cove.” Dorothy passed away in February of 2010.
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What If We Stop Reading?
Are people reading less, and does it matter? The National Endowment for the Arts said that readership among young people in 2002 had fallen 20 percent since 1982 causing great concern among educators. But in 2008 they reported that readership among the same group had risen a healthy 21 percent.
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You’ve gotta know how to read out loud
If you’re like most of us, there’ll come a time when you’ll be asked to read something you’ve written. That’s right, read aloud to an audience.
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The secret of writers’ conferences
If you’ve written a story or a few poems or have a novel sitting in a drawer, you might want to consider going to a writers’ conference. They can provide inspiration, motivation, and lots of information.
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Perhaps you should write a memoir
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Warfield to receive worldwide writing contest award
HOLLYWOOD — Twelve winning writers and 12 illustrators from around the globe – including Gerald Warfield of Mineral Wells—will be honored during Sunday’s 28th Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards at the famed Wilshire Ebell Theatre.
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The Writers’ Corner: The value of critiquing
Criticizing someone’s writing is called critiquing.
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