Penny’s Comments (group member since Oct 22, 2012)

Penny’s comments from the Q&A with Penny J. Johnson group.

"maybe we need a sign that says REMEMBER"

Great idea! :)

I included "Faith" within my book because, for me, the Christmas story means little without belief in the greatest Gift through Jesus' birth, His death, and His resurrection. May His hope, peace, joy, and love strengthen your faith in Him for the coming year and beyond.

Love is one of the main poetic themes. What is one of your favorite "love" poems?

What is the difference between joy and happiness? What brings you joy?

I agree! In fact, I just wrote a blog entry about my ideal Saturday. It includes sitting, reading, and quiet. None of those things happened today, but I remain optimistic!

I love the cul-de-sac visual! One thing I learned while doing a word study on "hope" is that we tend to interchange it with the word "wish." Yet, in scripture, those words have completely different meanings. Hope is an expectation--head-knowledge, as you stated above--whereas wishes are based on a desired outcome that may or may not be fulfilled. Seeing this distinction has given me awareness of how flippantly I use the word "hope" for my wishful, often unfruitful, thinking.

Like me, you may feel like the Christmas season is not your most peaceful time of the year. Reading the poems in the "Peace" section of While Bethlehem Sleeps may slow your pace. What else helps you stop, reflect, and relax during these hectic weeks? What does the word "Peace" mean to you?

Each section of my book begins with an acrostic poem highlighting an Advent theme. The first week of Advent, beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (12/2/2012), focuses on Hope. If you have the book, spend time reading the Hope poems. Feel free to make comments about the poems. You may also provide your own insights on Hope. What is/is not Hope? Why do we need it? From where does it come? How do we obtain it? Most importantly, how do we keep it?

Some of my favorite poets are Tomas Transtromer, Mary Oliver, Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Carolyn Forche, and Jim Moore (my mentor). There are many more! I am currently reading Ten Poems to Change Your Life by Roger Housden. It is a collection of ten poems that influenced major decisions in his life. Mary Oliver's "The Journey" is the first poem he cites. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the poems and his thoughts on them.

Welcome to the group, Lori!

My grandfather requested Crossing of Bar be printed in his funeral bulletin. He loved great poetry and recited it often, especially Poe's Annabelle Lee. Both bring to mind my fond memories of him.

I am not familiar with John Clare. Another one to add to my list!

@Lori: Brilliant! Funny, I used the word "savor" in my other comments before I read your response here. Great minds think alike! I look forward to seeing more of Poetry in Motion.

Good insight, Lori. I love the imagery of cutting gristle and getting to the cream. One of the reasons I write poetry is the thrill of showing an image/thought/experience in a few lines where every word counts, even the small ones. For me, the best poems are ones I want to savor.

It has been a long time since I have read Tennyson and Keats. I need to add them to my reading list. Recently, I have been reading Shakespeare, and my poems have taken on more rhyme and rhythm. I love how great poetry inspires and challenges me.

@Jeff: Which is your favorite Tennyson poem for what you described about turn-of-phrase and prose?

@Lori: Glean from the wisdom of great poets, but keep writing! We all have a poetic story to tell.

Great writing inspires me to write. If I am not reading poetry, I am rarely writing poetry. Who are your favorite poets and why? How do they inspire you?

Good point about "when a poem meanders, more concerned about words than meaning." Focusing on one image in a poem is critical. If a story develops from it, all the better. But, absolutely, "to capture a single moment, or distill a single feeling, and do it artfully" is the goal. Well said!

There are many opinions about what poetry is and is not. Which poetic forms are your most and least favorite? What are your thoughts on poetic conventions like rhyme and rhythm? Here is your chance to voice your opinion!

Great image! I often find poetry is a conversation. Sometimes it begins a conversation, but it often starts in the middle of a thought or becomes a continuation of a conversation, say with a fellow poet. Suddenly it occurs to me why people find it confusing. I suppose that is why universal context in writing poetry is so critical. Although if I have written a poem with a person in mind, I do enjoy including hidden messages. When and if my books are read posthumously, I'm sure it will make literary critics wonder what I meant by a certain turn of phrase. Teehee! :)

I am going to expand on Jeff's question. Why poetry? Why read it? Why does it inspire or uninspire us? Why do we find it easy or difficult to understand?

The very question I hoped someone would ask! Actually, I wrote a poem by the same title. Where fiction tells someone else's story--maybe mine, but I hide behind the characters--and nonfiction tells about facts--which demand a concrete, organized procedure for conveying the thesis to be proven or disproven--poetry reflects a deeper side to feeling and life. It may be from the perspective of another person, but it strives through image to convey a new perspective of the person's experiences. Coventions like rhyme, rhythm, form, metaphor, and simile ought to enhance the image. Poems represent the individual spirit as they frequently stand alone. But, when collected, they have the potential to reveal a universal truth in a new way.

To your point, poetry is a very different animal. Much like a platypus, it bends the rules. :)