People are scared of brevity. It’s a limit: the amount of time we are allowed to walk on this Earth, kiss the people we love, watch the sunset. Everything centers around time. Length.
As a poet, I am scared of brevity. I am afraid that my poems will be lacking if they do not filtrate at least half the page. While I have written poems that are shorter, even upon completion, I felt as if they were missing complexity and depth in their truncated state.
This is not to say that I do not admire short poems; there is a tremendous amount of craft in poems that can create feeling and beauty in a smattering of lines. As poets we fall in love with individual lines in a poem before we profess our love for the entire poem. Yet, I still feel as if I must prove something in each poem- instill it with meaning- which often requires a substantial amount of space.
I find it difficult to forge a poem out of a few lines, a few words, though I know it is entirely possible. Look at haikus. People have been writing three-line poems for centuries. Haikus do not seem to be lacking; however, I am still unable to pinpoint what my personal poems seem to be missing when they are condensed.
Does anyone have other thoughts on short poems? Any experience writing short poems?
Rachel,
I think compression can be useful. Often, self-imposed length constraints force one to distill a poem into its most essential form — force one to find clarity.
For me, this is useful when I attempt to unravel long strings of complicated thought. After cutting, the thematic elements I’ve prioritized subconsciously become evident. From there, I can begin to rework and refocus the original draft.
Having said this, I encourage you to approach poetry as a case study in necessity — length is no exception. Give the poem what it calls for.
Yes, some poets are minimalists — specialize in brevity — but you don’t have to be one of them.
Sincerely,
Jasmine