Welcome!

[Penny]

Thank you for joining the group. I am looking forward to discussing my collection of Christmas poetry with family, friends, and readers. We will begin with your questions. Feel free to ask specific questions about the book, poetry in general, writing, reading, and the like. I will answer as soon as possible. From time to time, I will post topics for us to discuss as well. I hope this group will be a blessing to all!

[Jeff]

Why poetry? What do you try to accomplish when writing? I like to write stories, but to me writing poetry seems to be a very different animal.

[Penny]

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. :)

[Penny]

Welcome to the group, Lori!