Al's Writing Journal

Poetry

I would like to share an experience I had. As part of the Creative Writing Curriculum as USC, fiction writers were required to take at least two poetry writing classes, a requirement I am greatful for. For the most part I leave poetry writing to the poets; that is, those who are inclined to expression through poetry. Still, the skills one learns in an endeavor to write "good" poetry are vital to fiction writing as well. That includes rythym, word choice, imagery, etc. I think for the most part writers are aware of this, and anyway I digress.

In one of my poetry writing classes, the professor, himself a poet, would bring in friends of his, also poets. At one point a very prolific poet came to read from his newest book, and after the reading we were allowed to ask questions. I sat there in my "college years existential crisis mode" and wondered simply...why? Why bother putting all these words down on paper? (Now in my aged wisdom I would simply have enjoyed the moment, a real privilege to have a great poet read you his work) So college me had to ask him, "Why do you write poetry?" I drew the "dumb question" looks from my classmates, however, the poet without being condescending said, "because I have to." He elaborated, "because I could not live, unless I did." If that was not enough to ponder, he turned the tables on me, "Do you feel that you have to write?" Shoot, I didn't know. As far as I was concerned the only think I "had" to do was wear deodarant and change my socks.
Someone other than myself said of poetry, "it is the expression of an outpouring...an overflow of emotion."
I wonder if I "have to" write, and exactly what that means.