How to keep your work your very own.
My name is Jeffrey Michael Miller and my book entitled " From The
Inside Out " is my first collection of poetry that's been published
through Publishamerica. The book is doing well and even though this is
my first book I've been writing poetry for quite some time. I care
about the art and how the art effects people.
I want to talk some about how poetry is seen in my opinion and how
narrow the view of some can be when it comes to poetry and the worth
and value it holds in society. I've heard many times by reviewers and
critics and even booksellers that poetry books are hard to sell and
that little interest is taken in the art of poetry by the general
public but I beg to differ on these views held by so many in the
literary world.
I feel poetry is such a unique and expressive art that has stood the
test of time and as we look back on poets like Wordsworth and Dickinson
and all the wonderful poets of a time gone by we can all agree that
nobody can discount or dismiss the contributions these people have made
to the literary world.
The Wordsworth's and Lord Byron's are still out there today working
hard to bring back into the mainstream the powerful emotions and
feelings that once struck a chord so long ago. These people are putting
their heart and soul into their words and putting forth messages that
they want to share with readers from all origins and backgrounds.
We should not put limitations on them by telling them their art is dead
or that their art is not much of a selling point in society because it
is and if it wasn't we would not have so many poetry forums and
websites accross the infinite space of the internet from nation to
nation. One website I visited has over five million poets in their
database alone so obviously their is an interest in poetry and it's
growing bigger with every passing day. Multitudes of people from
accross the globe enjoy this art we call poetry and this is a fact that
should not be ignored.
There is also a problem in my view with some people who take the role
of critic and these people judge the work of others and seek to
influence how an individual chooses to express themselves through
poetry. I feel that each person and expression is unique and I have
never been much of a fan of the critic as Teddy Roosevelt reminded us
in " The Battle of Life " it's not the critic that counts and I agree.
Individualism and uniqueness spawns genius in my opinion in every facet
of life or work and it's also certainly true when it comes to poetry. I
want to read new and freshly presented material from someone original.
I don't want to see someone trying to copy another artist or his or her
ways. I want to see someone expressing their own ways that I will not
judge because I feel I have no rightful place in doing so.
We must remember that it's not my opinion or the opinion of a critic
that counts when it comes to you and your work and the feelings you
wish to present. These things are yours and yours alone that nobody
should touch or try to fine tune in any fashion. If Shakespeare had
allowed his work to be sorted out and played with by the masses then he
would not have been the Shakespeare we know today and your work will
not be yours if you allow it to be changed to fit the views of others.
Let your vision and your work live and die on it's own and let it live
independantly and develop into what you wish it to be not what someone
else wants it to be so it never ceases to be your very own.
