Is poetry pretentious or just lost in a consumer’s world?

[Deleted Member]

https://youtu.be/lB-nWRfwnc0

 

Well yes I know this is a kink site. But one of my kinks is the written word. And I sometimes wonder how or why it feels lost or is even mocked as a pursuit. 
 

For years I did not write, then I would write in secret, even now I restrict who I share my writing with.

So I’d love your thoughts. Maybe I just spend too much time caring what others think? 
 

Oh and I’ve posted my latest project. Does listening to poetry read aloud enhance or reduce the appreciation of it? 
 

 

[Deleted Member]

If it helps you, if it eases that internal pressure then does it matter what anyone thinks? I don't believe so, and have myself found writing can be such a positive experience.

[Deleted Member]

@Primal*** I do enjoy the catharsis of it, but sometimes not being able to share it just magnifies my solitude. 
 

did you watch my video?  

[Deleted Member]

5 minutes ago, Messedup79 said:

 

did you watch my video?  

Yep just watched, your voice, how you articulate was wonderful and as I say, if you enjoy then crack on. 

[ca****]

As someone who has had a lifelong struggle with words and meaning.........  and yes I did just google pretentious.  Is pretentious a good or a bad thing ? (opinions)

My answer - to the thread title, would be YES 'it' can be.....  but that would be down to the intent of the poet / scribe.  AND also down to how the reader perceives it...  

 

I certainly don't see any problem (on the whole) with anyone creating , producing or sharing their thoughts, opinions and ideas through the medium or words, prose, poetry etc...

 

As for worrying about what others think - I can also understand that.  Again that can be viewed as a positive thing and also a negative thing ( if it weighs you down).  I like the idea of you writing for yourself and by all means 'care' for what others think... but also realise that it is down to them as to what they think (their responsibility).

 

[Carnelian2]

I think everything is valuable. I am not really one for poetry but do like it occassionally.
Currently, I am reading "Diary of a Writer" by Dostoyevski - not quite poetry but a selection of small stories, which are strangely as relevant in today's World as they were in the late 1870's ..

[Deleted Member]

@callipygian

thank you for your thoughtful response. I guess pretentious can be a bad thing, but my view would be that my poetry is the opposite of that, it is the most raw and honest part of me.

 

I wondered whether the spoken word of my video made it more or less relatable? 

[Deleted Member]

@Carnelian2 sounds like it may be worth checking out. I love reading older fiction and reflecting how much it is still relatable. One of my favourite books ever is the awakening by Kate Chopin. 
 

i guess we all seek connection and maybe I find it easier to show myself in words than in my physical presence? 
 

my inner voice I guess. 
 

That is what you hear in the reading.

Thanks for the response 😊

[ca****]

57 minutes ago, Messedup79 said:

@callipygian

thank you for your thoughtful response. I guess pretentious can be a bad thing, but my view would be that my poetry is the opposite of that, it is the most raw and honest part of me.

I wondered whether the spoken word of my video made it more or less relatable? 

Pretentious tends to come across as negative - i reckon.  I find it a 'tag' that people sometimes like to throw around - almost a form of out down / bullying sometimes (using words / meaning).

So i have always struggled with poetry and to a degree 'literature' - as in reading and understanding it.  If i don't grasp the meaning or understand the essences of it - it kind of is just a bag of words for me...  (maybe some form of dyslexia to words -  I don't know).  Yet when it hits the spot and makes a mark on me I love it.

 

As for the spoken word - i would say it can definitely add new levels of meaning - enhanced by the delivery and the emphasis and passion etc

So - some of John Copper Clarkes delivery can be awesome... and when i get into his rhythm of delivery I find myself enjoying the 'experience' so much more.
Similarly the young woman at the Biden inauguration ......  compelling thorough her delivery and passion... inflection......  

 

 

[Deleted Member]

@callipygian I get that, there is a lot of poetry I don’t get either.

did my delivery add anything to the words? 

[Pl****]

Poetry is not for everyone (I've tried to get into it, even took a class, but have still never gotten anything out of poetry of any sort). On top of that, there's a lot of bad poets out there, most of whom started as angsty ***agers wanting to sound deep, which is why amateur poets get mocked so much. If that's something that bothers you, I recommend finding a group that explicitly appreciates poetry at your level and posting there, and not so much to the general public. Or you can still just do it for yourself even if nobody appreciates it.

[Carnelian2]

1 hour ago, Messedup79 said:

@Carnelian2 sounds like it may be worth checking out. I love reading older fiction and reflecting how much it is still relatable. One of my favourite books ever is the awakening by Kate Chopin. 
 

i guess we all seek connection and maybe I find it easier to show myself in words than in my physical presence? 

I am not much of a reader, but I came across this book by doing a search on quotes for "Are there bad people" and it came up with a philosophical paragraph from Dostoyevski, so I thought that I would read it. He is quite deep and philosophical but in an entertaining manner. Everyone to his or herself, I suppose. Others may think different. 

I am similar to yourself. Easy to express myself in words as I can think about what I am saying. I have never been good at the fast moving conversation, as my brain goes off on tangents and by the time I come up with a suitable response, the conversation has moved on ..

[Carnelian2]

as a slight aside; Edgar Alan Poe started off with Poetry. Quite deep. 
A French lady, I was chatting with many years ago had me go and read a book of his poetry 

[Deleted Member]

14 minutes ago, Pleasurecalculus said:

Poetry is not for everyone (I've tried to get into it, even took a class, but have still never gotten anything out of poetry of any sort). On top of that, there's a lot of bad poets out there, most of whom started as angsty ***agers wanting to sound deep, which is why amateur poets get mocked so much. If that's something that bothers you, I recommend finding a group that explicitly appreciates poetry at your level and posting there, and not so much to the general public. Or you can still just do it for yourself even if nobody appreciates it.

So are you saying my poetry has an angsty ***ager feel to it? I do post on a poetry site and get quite a broad response. I just wonder why people feel such a disconnect to verse these days. To me they are just like songs. Though maybe I an old soul and the *** of my ancestors never faded? Now that could sound pretentious lol. But it’s just me, learning to reconnect with myself... 

[Deleted Member]

14 minutes ago, Carnelian2 said:

as a slight aside; Edgar Alan Poe started off with Poetry. Quite deep. 
A French lady, I was chatting with many years ago had me go and read a book of his poetry 

Poe is very awesome. I wrote some poetry with his great nephew or great great nephew once... 

[Wo****]

3 hours ago, Messedup79 said:

https://youtu.be/lB-nWRfwnc0

 

Well yes I know this is a kink site. But one of my kinks is the written word. And I sometimes wonder how or why it feels lost or is even mocked as a pursuit. 
 

For years I did not write, then I would write in secret, even now I restrict who I share my writing with.

So I’d love your thoughts. Maybe I just spend too much time caring what others think? 
 

Oh and I’ve posted my latest project. Does listening to poetry read aloud enhance or reduce the appreciation of it? 
 

 

I'm still thinking about this but wanted to share my initial thoughts/feelings...

 

. Because I was reading your words, hearing you read it detracted from it. For me. If the words weren't there to read, it'd work. Or if there was music, maybe? 

All that said, I wanna listen to it again... and each time another layer will be added.

 

Is poetry mocked? I guess so, a bit. Dismissed as "New age-y" but it's a language... and you speak it fluently.

 

Beautiful words... I'm learning how I appreciate poetry, starting to explore it and words, for me, to be read. Feeling them in different ways is quite novel...

 

You've got me thinking 🙏

[ca****]

50 minutes ago, Messedup79 said:

@callipygian I get that, there is a lot of poetry I don’t get either.

did my delivery add anything to the words? 

Did your delivery add anything to the words.

Difficult for me.....   as I struggle with the words... as to their meaning - but i did kinda get a feel for the words ...

Reading them a second or third time gave me some direction......   the spoken words didnt 'add' for me (from a meaning perspective) - but did add another dimensions, as I started to listen to the voice, accent inflections etc.....

 

From an audio visual perspective (re the video) - the words were a little difficult to make out from the background imagery - which caused me some confusion (as I wanted to read as I listened).

And the more I listen maybe now 4 or 5 or 6 times the more the words hit home a little more...  but that is how I am perceiving it.

[Deleted Member]

@Bounty thank you for taking the time to reflect on this. It is a developing project for me, primarily to give me a focus as I work on myself and my mental health.

I guess I was inspired by listening to some You Tube videos where Plath had narrated her poems. They just brought them to life.

I guess I have found that people who like to create meaning from the written word, seem to like it in its naked form.

And I wondered if those who feel poetry is pretentious would relate more in a different form.

I have done versions to music. And I wondered about omitting the words. Or just putting a few words in to linger or draw attention. Either way though, I am reducing the opportunity of the reader to draw their own meaning by animating the words with voice and images... and that’s an interesting one for me.., 

thanks as always 🤣

[Deleted Member]

5 minutes ago, callipygian said:

Did your delivery add anything to the words.

Difficult for me.....   as I struggle with the words... as to their meaning - but i did kinda get a feel for the words ...

Reading them a second or third time gave me some direction......   the spoken words didnt 'add' for me (from a meaning perspective) - but did add another dimensions, as I started to listen to the voice, accent inflections etc.....

 

From an audio visual perspective (re the video) - the words were a little difficult to make out from the background imagery - which caused me some confusion (as I wanted to read as I listened).

And the more I listen maybe now 4 or 5 or 6 times the more the words hit home a little more...  but that is how I am perceiving it.

I think you are right about the words being difficult to read. This is a work in progress for me so something to reflect on for day 3. Though I am limited by my software and technological skills...

thank you for taking the time to watch, listen and reflect 😊

[ca****]

3 minutes ago, Messedup79 said:

I think you are right about the words being difficult to read. This is a work in progress for me so something to reflect on for day 3. Though I am limited by my software and technological skills...

thank you for taking the time to watch, listen and reflect 😊

Thanks for the opportunity.

I discovered that on many occasions I would only listen maybe once and pass it over...  or maybe give something another listen to try and understand and then back away feeling i hadn't understood.....   so maybe I have learned to listen more / listen better... give others words more of a chance .   (wont happen by the way!!!)

(some useful ways to make text stand off a background (this is my day job )
- contrast
- drop shadow
- surround glows
- put the text on a solid or transparent area 

[Bo****]

@Messedup79...... Wow, wonder n awe.....thank you!.. To me your reading, brought your art to life for,through your authentic voice, the drift in ripples of seared ***.....they shed shards of your Light's journey ......from beyond that darkness,into a dawn's gaze.....

thank you ,yet again.....i truly benefited in my absorbing of your word s' gifting of empathic comprehension.🙏

[Deleted Member]

2 hours ago, Carnelian2 said:

I am not much of a reader, but I came across this book by doing a search on quotes for "Are there bad people" and it came up with a philosophical paragraph from Dostoyevski, so I thought that I would read it. He is quite deep and philosophical but in an entertaining manner. Everyone to his or herself, I suppose. Others may think different. 

I am similar to yourself. Easy to express myself in words as I can think about what I am saying. I have never been good at the fast moving conversation, as my brain goes off on tangents and by the time I come up with a suitable response, the conversation has moved on ..

The book does sound interesting... I’ll have to look it up 

[Deleted Member]

1 hour ago, callipygian said:

Thanks for the opportunity.

I discovered that on many occasions I would only listen maybe once and pass it over...  or maybe give something another listen to try and understand and then back away feeling i hadn't understood.....   so maybe I have learned to listen more / listen better... give others words more of a chance .   (wont happen by the way!!!)

(some useful ways to make text stand off a background (this is my day job )
- contrast
- drop shadow
- surround glows
- put the text on a solid or transparent area 

It is my objective for day three! Thank you 😊

[Deleted Member]

9 minutes ago, Boldbald said:

@Messedup79...... Wow, wonder n awe.....thank you!.. To me your reading, brought your art to life for,through your authentic voice, the drift in ripples of seared ***.....they shed shards of your Light's journey ......from beyond that darkness,into a dawn's gaze.....

thank you ,yet again.....i truly benefited in my absorbing of your word s' gifting of empathic comprehension.🙏

And I thank you for your appreciation and praise. I always feel like a bit of a fraud calling it art. But my ‘art’ is much like myself, a work in progress, and if people can take something from it then it only adds to its purpose. 
 

it’s mostly me muddling my way through 😊

[Carnelian2]

1 hour ago, Messedup79 said:

my ‘art’ is much like myself, a work in progress, and if people can take something from it then it only adds to its purpose.

You certainly have a way with words. Couldn't have put that better myself.