A Question about Poets and Poetry.

Derma Kaput:

I disagree slightly here. The tools exist whether the poet knows how to use them, or what they're called. In this case, Metaphor, Simile, personification, assonance, consonance, alliteration, rhyme, meter and the list goes on are the tools. They exist, much like the literal tools of a carpenter, whether someone knows how to use them or not.

I suppose if the analogy breaks down it is not with the tools, but the workshop. One might argue that the workshop of a poet is their brain. In that case, at least as much as is necessary to read and write, people attempting to write poetry might have an empty space or not. However, I wasn't thinking of the mind as the workshop, in this case, I was thinking more of a physical space.

Though, in the end it is a metaphor and not the thing itself. So, my thinking was very straight forward, all the tools exist, the space to use them exists, and until a person practices and learns the tools and understands how they work, i don't think they're really a poet.

I totally agree however, "... the poet who thinks he/she has all the tools when in reality its all a charade - creativity in a sloppy fashion. Sometimes those poets develop into the real deal though, if they realise that there's a lot of work to be done and are up to the challenge."

Though I think that seldom happens. People are lazy.