Separating "War Poems" From "Love Poems" | Rita Dove | Big Think

TL;DR

Poet shares unique writing process, drawing inspiration from varied sources, utilizing color-coded folders, and extensive revisions.

Transcript

um it's different every time and in fact years ago there was an uh i did do something like that uh for um a magazine uh where it where a journalist actually followed me around and we tried to but but um it's slightly different every time my inspiration comes from everywhere uh just walking down the street just and i never know where it's going to c... Read More

Key Insights

• 🛟 Drawing inspiration from daily life and jotting down ideas promptly is crucial for the poet's creative process.
• 💦 Working in fragments and piecing together poems later allows for a unique and organic development of her work.
• ✍️ The poet's utilization of colored folders for organization reflects her approach to writing based on mood rather than specific themes.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the poet find inspiration for her work?

The poet finds inspiration from everyday experiences, noting anything that stops her in her tracks, be it a recipe, a line, or a character description.

Q: What is the poet's writing process like?

The poet works in fragments, jotting down lines or ideas in her notebook, then piecing them together later like a puzzle, often engaging in extensive revisions.

Q: Why does the poet use colored folders for her work?

The poet uses colored folders to categorize her poems based on mood rather than theme, allowing her to approach each piece with a different mindset depending on her mood at the time.

Q: How does the poet approach revisions?

The poet loves revising her work and may go through 30 to 40 revisions, sometimes seeking input from her husband, who provides a different perspective as a prose writer.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Poet gathers inspiration from daily life, jotting down ideas in a notebook based on what catches her attention.

• Works on poems in fragments, piecing them together like a puzzle, utilizing colored folders for organization.

• Emphasizes the importance of revisions, sometimes seeking input from her novelist husband for a fresh perspective.