Fida Islaih's Blog, page 23
April 14, 2016
Poetry Spotlight: Nav K
Hello Poetteers,
In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. If you remember, a couple months back I highlighted the top ten poets you should check out.
I had the honor of getting in touch with Naveed Khan and interviewing him for you today.
When and how did you get introduced to poetry?
I've dabbled in poetry since I was a boy, but only as a means to really grasp what it really is. It wasn't until much later, in university, that I took the opportunity to really dive into studying it properly. Studying English in university, I had some freedom in choosing what area I wanted to focus on in my third and fourth year, and although slightly reluctant at the time, I elected to study poetry more thoroughly. At the time, I was convinced that I still did not understand most poetry well enough and wanted to learn more, and even after having done so I don't think I can comfortably say that I know everything. The world of poetics is so deep and vast that it may not be entirely realistic to say that one may be able to grasp all of it in his or her lifetime. Poetry moves with the motions of life, it is ever-changing and developing.
I would have to credit my introduction to poetry to the love of music. I discovered early on that music is written in some form of scheme or meter (take rap, for example) and I sought to replicate it in my own style.
What is your inspiration behind your poems?
The inspiration behind my work is life itself. I like to think of my approach to my work as a form of journaling my experiences, not necessarily the day-to-day but at least the most significant parts or those that stand out in some way. My writing is a way of documenting the world around me. That includes people, places, events, thoughts, and feelings. I don't think there's any greater inspiration than that happening right before our eyes, either to understand, record, or to unearth some deeper meaning.
What keeps you going back to poetry?
What has always intrigued me about poetry is the fact that so much can be said in so little words. A novel or stories written in prose have an infinite space for storytelling and development, but poetry is much more brief and packed with layers of meaning. It is this complexity in the realm of storytelling that draws me back to it every time. That, and the fact that it is perhaps the oldest surviving form of art. Ancient poets told their tales orally (such as Homer), and going even further back, through inscriptions and drawings on stones or walls. It's fascinating because so much of human history is recording in and through poetry. The fact that all existing religious texts are written more or less as poetry says enough about its depth and power.
Do you write in one sitting or over a span of days?
How long I spend on writing depends on the writing itself, and often on whether or not I am able to find the right words and record them down in a way that I can agree to be at least satisfactory. This means sometimes, I'm able to do it in one sitting, which can span between several minutes or hours. Often, however, and more recently, I find myself working on writing over spans of several days or weeks, and in some instances months. There have been a few occasions where I've worked on a single piece for up to a year. They're not necessarily the best pieces because they took so long, they just needed more work until I could consider myself to be happy with them.
Do you read your old poems?
I always try to revisit my old work every once in a while. It's a good practice and it reminds me of who I am, where I'm coming from, and the experiences that have brought me to my current moment. Most of the time, revisiting my old work reminds me that I have a lot more work to do, and it also indicates patterns in my writing and allows for me to reflect on my strengths and areas of opportunity. My writing is a part of myself in a way that I'm always looking for ways to improve and develop. Nothing about writing should ever be static, the same way human development is never static.
Who are your favorite poets?
This question is interesting because if you read into a poet enough, you'll find there's something to love about each one. So I don't think this question can be answered as an absolute, but I will mention some poets that I adore, which include Neruda, Rumi, Wordsworth, Cummings, Amiri Baraka, Fred Wah. I'm a huge fan of Robert Frost.
---
I learned a few things and hope you did too. I'm glad to have Naveed on my blog. You can find him on Instagram and on his website. Thank you,
Fida
In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. If you remember, a couple months back I highlighted the top ten poets you should check out.
I had the honor of getting in touch with Naveed Khan and interviewing him for you today.
When and how did you get introduced to poetry?
I've dabbled in poetry since I was a boy, but only as a means to really grasp what it really is. It wasn't until much later, in university, that I took the opportunity to really dive into studying it properly. Studying English in university, I had some freedom in choosing what area I wanted to focus on in my third and fourth year, and although slightly reluctant at the time, I elected to study poetry more thoroughly. At the time, I was convinced that I still did not understand most poetry well enough and wanted to learn more, and even after having done so I don't think I can comfortably say that I know everything. The world of poetics is so deep and vast that it may not be entirely realistic to say that one may be able to grasp all of it in his or her lifetime. Poetry moves with the motions of life, it is ever-changing and developing.
I would have to credit my introduction to poetry to the love of music. I discovered early on that music is written in some form of scheme or meter (take rap, for example) and I sought to replicate it in my own style.
What is your inspiration behind your poems?
The inspiration behind my work is life itself. I like to think of my approach to my work as a form of journaling my experiences, not necessarily the day-to-day but at least the most significant parts or those that stand out in some way. My writing is a way of documenting the world around me. That includes people, places, events, thoughts, and feelings. I don't think there's any greater inspiration than that happening right before our eyes, either to understand, record, or to unearth some deeper meaning.
What keeps you going back to poetry?
What has always intrigued me about poetry is the fact that so much can be said in so little words. A novel or stories written in prose have an infinite space for storytelling and development, but poetry is much more brief and packed with layers of meaning. It is this complexity in the realm of storytelling that draws me back to it every time. That, and the fact that it is perhaps the oldest surviving form of art. Ancient poets told their tales orally (such as Homer), and going even further back, through inscriptions and drawings on stones or walls. It's fascinating because so much of human history is recording in and through poetry. The fact that all existing religious texts are written more or less as poetry says enough about its depth and power.
Do you write in one sitting or over a span of days?
How long I spend on writing depends on the writing itself, and often on whether or not I am able to find the right words and record them down in a way that I can agree to be at least satisfactory. This means sometimes, I'm able to do it in one sitting, which can span between several minutes or hours. Often, however, and more recently, I find myself working on writing over spans of several days or weeks, and in some instances months. There have been a few occasions where I've worked on a single piece for up to a year. They're not necessarily the best pieces because they took so long, they just needed more work until I could consider myself to be happy with them.
Do you read your old poems?
I always try to revisit my old work every once in a while. It's a good practice and it reminds me of who I am, where I'm coming from, and the experiences that have brought me to my current moment. Most of the time, revisiting my old work reminds me that I have a lot more work to do, and it also indicates patterns in my writing and allows for me to reflect on my strengths and areas of opportunity. My writing is a part of myself in a way that I'm always looking for ways to improve and develop. Nothing about writing should ever be static, the same way human development is never static.
Who are your favorite poets?
This question is interesting because if you read into a poet enough, you'll find there's something to love about each one. So I don't think this question can be answered as an absolute, but I will mention some poets that I adore, which include Neruda, Rumi, Wordsworth, Cummings, Amiri Baraka, Fred Wah. I'm a huge fan of Robert Frost.
---
I learned a few things and hope you did too. I'm glad to have Naveed on my blog. You can find him on Instagram and on his website. Thank you,
Fida
April 13, 2016
Visual Poetry, Part Two
Hello Poetteers,
Last week I shared with you writing shape poetry, a type of visual poetry. This week I'm continuing with that, showing you the other type of visual poetry. This kind of poem lets you enhance the meaning of words.
Example #1
You can find the original poem on Instagram.
This is part of the first poem I posted on Instagram.
As you can see it makes the poem look more appealing but it also may make you read it differently or add emotion and emphasis on the word and whole poem. You can find more examples here. Have you tried it out?
Stay inspired, Fida
Last week I shared with you writing shape poetry, a type of visual poetry. This week I'm continuing with that, showing you the other type of visual poetry. This kind of poem lets you enhance the meaning of words.
Example #1
You can find the original poem on Instagram. 
This is part of the first poem I posted on Instagram.As you can see it makes the poem look more appealing but it also may make you read it differently or add emotion and emphasis on the word and whole poem. You can find more examples here. Have you tried it out?
Stay inspired, Fida
April 12, 2016
Poetry Tuesday: Let it Surprise You
Hello Poetteers,
I have been writing poetry for a long while. It comes easy for me. I don't always sit down and tell myself I'm going to write a poem right now. If I'm feeling something it comes out naturally. I'll come from it with a pile of poems all talk about the same thing, maybe in the same way or a different way. If I'm feeling something and can't think of a way to express it I don't force myself to write it. There are times I have nothing. I have to sit down away from a paper because I don't want to think too hard on the subject.
It may come out bad or good. Either really good or silly/ridiculously bad. Every poet, I'm sure, has a pile of bad poetry.
Sometimes poetry is a is a conscious thought and sometimes it is the unknown thoughts that come up in my poetry. Not all good pieces have to be hard to come up with. I'll start writing a line and then something else takes over. I may end up shocking myself with how good it is and the depth in it.
Stay inspired, Fida
I have been writing poetry for a long while. It comes easy for me. I don't always sit down and tell myself I'm going to write a poem right now. If I'm feeling something it comes out naturally. I'll come from it with a pile of poems all talk about the same thing, maybe in the same way or a different way. If I'm feeling something and can't think of a way to express it I don't force myself to write it. There are times I have nothing. I have to sit down away from a paper because I don't want to think too hard on the subject.
It may come out bad or good. Either really good or silly/ridiculously bad. Every poet, I'm sure, has a pile of bad poetry.
Sometimes poetry is a is a conscious thought and sometimes it is the unknown thoughts that come up in my poetry. Not all good pieces have to be hard to come up with. I'll start writing a line and then something else takes over. I may end up shocking myself with how good it is and the depth in it.
Stay inspired, Fida
April 11, 2016
Monday Blessings - Golden
Hello Poetteers,
It's another week I share with you some of the blessings that has passed by me this past week.
Finding a new song - There are so many songs out there talking about things I consider inappropriate, so to find a song that talks about something I believe in, it's the best feeling. The song I'm talking about is Golden by Zayn Malik.
Gourmet homemade vegetable pizza. The feeling of accomplishment. Constantly surprising myself with the littlest things.
Lastly, I released a merch collection called Healing Heart. You can buy the merch here.
Stay inspired, Fida
It's another week I share with you some of the blessings that has passed by me this past week.
Finding a new song - There are so many songs out there talking about things I consider inappropriate, so to find a song that talks about something I believe in, it's the best feeling. The song I'm talking about is Golden by Zayn Malik.
Gourmet homemade vegetable pizza. The feeling of accomplishment. Constantly surprising myself with the littlest things.
Lastly, I released a merch collection called Healing Heart. You can buy the merch here.
Stay inspired, Fida
April 8, 2016
Put Your Poem into Shape
Hello Poetteers,
I've heard of shape poetry, but only recently tried it out. The name itself tells you what it is. It is a poem that takes on a form of a shape. Shape poetry is a visual result of what a poem is talking about. Ask yourself what is your poem talking about? Is it about a shape or refers to a topic concerning that shape?
This poem is about loving myself. When you love yourself it feels like you have wings. This is what I attempted:
This is another poem about loving yourself, so I made it into a heart.
Shape poetry is only one type of visual poetry. Another type of visual poetry is that in your poem you can let specific words enhance their meaning. Enhancing the word will add emphasis and emotion to what the full poem is talking about. I can't wait to try it. You can find more about it here.
Stay inspired, Fida
P.S. So many of you love the poem, Capture It, I designed it for a magnet. It is now available here.
I've heard of shape poetry, but only recently tried it out. The name itself tells you what it is. It is a poem that takes on a form of a shape. Shape poetry is a visual result of what a poem is talking about. Ask yourself what is your poem talking about? Is it about a shape or refers to a topic concerning that shape?
This poem is about loving myself. When you love yourself it feels like you have wings. This is what I attempted:
This is another poem about loving yourself, so I made it into a heart.
Shape poetry is only one type of visual poetry. Another type of visual poetry is that in your poem you can let specific words enhance their meaning. Enhancing the word will add emphasis and emotion to what the full poem is talking about. I can't wait to try it. You can find more about it here.
Stay inspired, Fida
P.S. So many of you love the poem, Capture It, I designed it for a magnet. It is now available here.
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April 5, 2016
Poetry Spotlight: ThePaintedLadySings
Hello Poetteers,
In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets.
If you remember, a couple months back I highlighted the top ten poets you should check out. I had the honor of getting in touch with the lovely lady behind ThePaintedLadySings and interviewing her for you today.
FI: Hello PL! When and how did you get introduced to poetry?
PL: I remember the first time I was completely mesmerized by a poem, in which I feel was the first time I was properly introduced to the world of poetry. I was listening to a TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson, who was giving a beautiful talk on education. At some point, he recited ‘The Cloths of Heaven’ by William Butler Yeats, and I was entirely hooked.
FI: I'll have to read that poem! What is your inspiration behind your poems?
PL: My hope whenever I write a poem is that a sense of hope, beauty and inspiration emanates from it.
As such, I try to derive inspiration from this hope to write my poems. I also genuinely want to pen down poems that feel sincere and which shout who I am as a person.
FI: What keeps you going back to poetry?
PL: Oh, simply the beauty of it. There is something about the language of poetry that always attracts me to it.
I love how words can be seamed together to form an overall picture that captures hearts.
FI: Do you write in one sitting or over a span of days?
PL: It really depends! Sometimes, I can successfully write poems at a single time and other times, I can’t, ha!
FI: Do you read your old poems?
PL: Totally, yes! After I’ve put my poems out there in the world, perusing them again allows me to be in the position of a fellow reader, instead of a writer. As a reader, I would want the words to leave me in awe, and the poem’s essence to touch my heart and senses. I genuinely hope to achieve this in every poem.
FI: Who are your favorite poets?
PL: If I were to list and describe poets and writers I adore in intricate detail, everyone here will be bored out of their senses! To save humanity from this boredom, I’d have to narrow the list to a few poets like W.B. Yeats, Rumi, Maya Angelou, Sarah Kay, Phil Kaye etc. Who doesn’t love Maya Angelou? Her work is timeless and will always be relevant to the pivotal issues the world constantly faces. She empowers, and her poems are filled with hope for a better day. Rumi’s poems always remind me of love, be it a romantic one or love for oneself, which is so important! His words warm my heart and are just beautiful. I think Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye are redefining poetry today and they make poetry utterly cool yet lovely at the same time. If I could add one more poet/ writer I adore, it will be Yasmin Mogahed. Her work, to me, encompasses wit, intelligence, encouragement, hope and beauty that is simply astounding. Spoken word poets like Boonaa Mohammed and Hamda Yusuf are groundbreaking and leave a blaze of magnificence. I wasn’t kidding when I said I could write out a thesis worth of content when it comes to discussing poets, ha!
FI: Haha, well thanks for coming! You can find ThePaintedLadySings on Instagram.
---
Stay inspired, Fida
In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets.
If you remember, a couple months back I highlighted the top ten poets you should check out. I had the honor of getting in touch with the lovely lady behind ThePaintedLadySings and interviewing her for you today.
FI: Hello PL! When and how did you get introduced to poetry?
PL: I remember the first time I was completely mesmerized by a poem, in which I feel was the first time I was properly introduced to the world of poetry. I was listening to a TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson, who was giving a beautiful talk on education. At some point, he recited ‘The Cloths of Heaven’ by William Butler Yeats, and I was entirely hooked.
FI: I'll have to read that poem! What is your inspiration behind your poems?
PL: My hope whenever I write a poem is that a sense of hope, beauty and inspiration emanates from it.
As such, I try to derive inspiration from this hope to write my poems. I also genuinely want to pen down poems that feel sincere and which shout who I am as a person.
FI: What keeps you going back to poetry?
PL: Oh, simply the beauty of it. There is something about the language of poetry that always attracts me to it.
I love how words can be seamed together to form an overall picture that captures hearts.
FI: Do you write in one sitting or over a span of days?
PL: It really depends! Sometimes, I can successfully write poems at a single time and other times, I can’t, ha!
FI: Do you read your old poems?
PL: Totally, yes! After I’ve put my poems out there in the world, perusing them again allows me to be in the position of a fellow reader, instead of a writer. As a reader, I would want the words to leave me in awe, and the poem’s essence to touch my heart and senses. I genuinely hope to achieve this in every poem.
FI: Who are your favorite poets?
PL: If I were to list and describe poets and writers I adore in intricate detail, everyone here will be bored out of their senses! To save humanity from this boredom, I’d have to narrow the list to a few poets like W.B. Yeats, Rumi, Maya Angelou, Sarah Kay, Phil Kaye etc. Who doesn’t love Maya Angelou? Her work is timeless and will always be relevant to the pivotal issues the world constantly faces. She empowers, and her poems are filled with hope for a better day. Rumi’s poems always remind me of love, be it a romantic one or love for oneself, which is so important! His words warm my heart and are just beautiful. I think Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye are redefining poetry today and they make poetry utterly cool yet lovely at the same time. If I could add one more poet/ writer I adore, it will be Yasmin Mogahed. Her work, to me, encompasses wit, intelligence, encouragement, hope and beauty that is simply astounding. Spoken word poets like Boonaa Mohammed and Hamda Yusuf are groundbreaking and leave a blaze of magnificence. I wasn’t kidding when I said I could write out a thesis worth of content when it comes to discussing poets, ha!
FI: Haha, well thanks for coming! You can find ThePaintedLadySings on Instagram.
---
Stay inspired, Fida
April 4, 2016
Monday Blessings: Pick Me Up After A Fall
Hello Poetteers,
The poetry chain challenge was supposed to start today but because of technical difficulties it won't be happening. Instead I'll be bring back an old favorite series, Monday Blessings.
> spring breeze > birds chirping > sound of rain > cat cuddles and sound of their purring > back to handwriting more > sunshine > flowers blossoming > reading and finding your favorite book of all time > productivity.
What are you grateful for this past week? Share in the comments below.
Stay inspired, Fida
The poetry chain challenge was supposed to start today but because of technical difficulties it won't be happening. Instead I'll be bring back an old favorite series, Monday Blessings.
> spring breeze > birds chirping > sound of rain > cat cuddles and sound of their purring > back to handwriting more > sunshine > flowers blossoming > reading and finding your favorite book of all time > productivity.
What are you grateful for this past week? Share in the comments below.
Stay inspired, Fida
March 31, 2016
Monthly Recap - March
Hello Poetteers,
It's time for my monthly recap! I look back at my goals I set in the beginning of the year and see how well I progressed.
Reading
I read four books and a story on Wattpad. My initial reading goal was 40 books but I upped it to 45 books.
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - four stars.
Map of Fates by Maggie Hall - five stars. It is the second book in a series. It is better than the first book. I enjoyed the glimpse at other cultures and countries. I loved seeing the MC's growth. That plot twist really pulled at my heart!
Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend - four stars.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton - three stars. Beautiful yet odd. I keep thinking of putting it down but I plowed through. I didn't feel there is really a tangible plot until last 100 pages. That was where it finally picked up for me and felt good/interesting. I loved that part. This story didn't work for me. My favorite characters were Gabe and Henry. I did love the bakery in it.
Rebuilding Lex by Amber West - the story I read on Wattled. It is a story that kept me in suspense. There is romance, but it isn't overwhelming which I liked. The story stayed centered around other situations in Lex's life. Writing
Louder Alone is being queried. I didn't finish my outline my novel for Camp NaNo. I've pantsed a novel before and hopefully can do it again. Who else is participating in Camp NaNo?
I've been doodling and working on my handwriting more. For a few months I've heard and researched about bullet journaling. Towards the end of the month I started dabbling in bullet journaling. I also have april set up.
Other
I made a video showing you how I clean my bookshelf. You still have time to sign up for the poetry chain challenge.
Goals for next month
- Read four books- Write new story- keep up with bullet journaling- practice spoken word- try out blogilates
Stay inspired, Fida
It's time for my monthly recap! I look back at my goals I set in the beginning of the year and see how well I progressed.
Reading
I read four books and a story on Wattpad. My initial reading goal was 40 books but I upped it to 45 books.
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - four stars.
Map of Fates by Maggie Hall - five stars. It is the second book in a series. It is better than the first book. I enjoyed the glimpse at other cultures and countries. I loved seeing the MC's growth. That plot twist really pulled at my heart!
Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend - four stars.
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton - three stars. Beautiful yet odd. I keep thinking of putting it down but I plowed through. I didn't feel there is really a tangible plot until last 100 pages. That was where it finally picked up for me and felt good/interesting. I loved that part. This story didn't work for me. My favorite characters were Gabe and Henry. I did love the bakery in it.
Rebuilding Lex by Amber West - the story I read on Wattled. It is a story that kept me in suspense. There is romance, but it isn't overwhelming which I liked. The story stayed centered around other situations in Lex's life. Writing
Louder Alone is being queried. I didn't finish my outline my novel for Camp NaNo. I've pantsed a novel before and hopefully can do it again. Who else is participating in Camp NaNo?
I've been doodling and working on my handwriting more. For a few months I've heard and researched about bullet journaling. Towards the end of the month I started dabbling in bullet journaling. I also have april set up.
Other
I made a video showing you how I clean my bookshelf. You still have time to sign up for the poetry chain challenge.
Goals for next month
- Read four books- Write new story- keep up with bullet journaling- practice spoken word- try out blogilates
Stay inspired, Fida
March 29, 2016
Poetry Tuesday: On Reading Poetry
Hello Poetteers,
Poetry is there for entertainment or to help you not feel alone. Sometimes, you want more from it. You can break it down to understand it more.
Here are those guidelines for reading poetry:
What is about?
Who is the poem talking to?
Who is speaking?
How is it written?
Why was it written?
It is up to your interpretation.
For more poems to read, buy my books.
Stay inspired, Fida
Poetry is there for entertainment or to help you not feel alone. Sometimes, you want more from it. You can break it down to understand it more.
Here are those guidelines for reading poetry:
What is about?
Who is the poem talking to?
Who is speaking?
How is it written?
Why was it written?
It is up to your interpretation.
For more poems to read, buy my books.
Stay inspired, Fida
