Hi Adria! Welcome to Cottage Books. Thank-you so much for visiting the cottage today. You can find Adria at http://www.birdlikebanter.wordpress.com
–Â So, without further ado, here’s Adria!
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This book, “Selected Prose,” by T. S. Eliot, has influenced my thinking, parts of it and I have noticed, make little appearances in my writing. It’s a beautiful selection of Eliot’s practical and personal essays that critique written material and critique the methods with which people critique written material (viz. poetry).
1.) When did you start writing poetry?
Answer: I remember writing poetry for school assignments in the 2nd and 3rd grade. Writing poetry of my own volition began when I was about twelve years old, when some of my journal entries morphed into poems.
2.) How does your style of poetry reflect you personality?
Answer: A poem, in a way, is the poet’s mirror; and the poet can choose what to hold the mirror up to. My poetry reflects me in it’s:
A.) Wordplay and phrase-play. Outside of my writing life I play with words a lot – puns, for example, are an integral part of my personality.
B.) Word definitions and juxtapositions to emphasize deeper themes. While going about daily life, I do a lot of thinking. I remind myself of the purpose behind (or “definitions” of) what I am saying or doing. I also try to juxtapose people and situations in a way that brings to light peoples’ likes and dislikes.
C.) Light imagery. I best comprehend deep ideas by admiring the sweeter, lighter bits of life. It’s like trying to see the bottom of a deep lake. You could dive down to see it, or you could use a flashlight from above the water to peer in. My everyday thoughts and conversations, like my poetry, often use this flashlight method to observe life.
3.) Where does your inspiration come from?
Answer: My inspiration come from many places. I have a poem about underwater tea parties, one about a middle-aged man on a bus, one about making beds, one about playing cricket in India, many about drinking tea. . . The commonality is this: in each of these poems, I created a distinct environment. People remember events based on locations, smells, feelings, etc., and I want to “remember” events I have never personally experienced. We should, I think, learn what it’s like to be a middle-aged man; we should slip into the shoes of a girl in a snowstorm; and, while we’re at it, why not learn from seagulls, cherry trees, and other seemingly insignificant parts of life? In short, I am inspired by little things that help with understanding big things.
4.) If there is one thing you want people to come away with when they read your poetry, what is it?
Answer: Good question. Every person experiences art in a unique way. That being said, an art piece should be able to establish an overall impression. For my poetry, I hope that impression is this: life is meaningful. Like I said before, my poems usually lock onto a little thing – a single image or act – and then use that little thing to demonstrate a big thing. The “big things” I like to point towards are realities nearly everyone experiences at some point: love, hope, despondency, admiration, guardianship, helpfulness – to name a few. I hope my poetry shows people how to find the sometimes hidden meanings in everyday life.
Though I do not use my typewriter for all my writing (far from it, actually), it captures my ideal for writing poetry. It is old-fashioned, sounds lovely , and the font is somehow endearing.
Adria, thanks again for visiting us at the cottage.:) Blessings to you!
Enjoy!
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The Igiby’s are back and, once again, I am the last person to read this book, “North! or Be Eaten,” by Andrew Peterson.
