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THE
WRITERS POST (ISSN: 1527-5467) Volume 4- Issue 2 January 2002
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SONG HO Thoughts About Poetry
(translated by the author) 1 Poetry could possibly be one line
having Only One Word If that is true, it requires
another imaginary line above or another word to follow that word. In such a case, Poetry itself only
expresses one word, one thing, one thought for itself. It yet needs a space to be
understood.... 2 Poetry could possibly be one line
having Only Two
Words. If that is true, they have more
expression, more clarity. Two words form one line of Poetry,
don't they? Two words show a space between
them. This space helps realize what
poetry expresses. This space bears the meaning of
understanding. Hence, two words seem to bring a
little more of
Poetry. 3 Poetry really comes from Three
Words (I love you – Je t'aime – Anh yêu
Em). Three words are necessary to
become Poetry. People can extend verses longer,
to Ten, to Hundreds, to Thousands of words or to a
countless amount of words etc... This countlessness is an immense
space in which poetry expands. 4 Poetry can be created by everyone,
so it is easy to write
Poetry. An innocent girl, a boy falling in
love, a forsaken person, a student, a quite angry
man, a medical doctor, a patient, a King, a
Queen, a Princess, a General, a soldier, an inmate in
death row, a widow, a butcher, a worker, a monk, a
priest, a beggar, a prostitute, a dummy, a deaf man, a madman... all of them can make verses. Poetry appears
in life and these people become Poets, their original professions are no longer of
importance. 5 Poems are not usually good, so it
is not easy to make Poetry. People who would like to make
verses must have Ability. However, Ability is not enough,
Passion is also required. Again, Passion is not enough,
Courage is also necessary. 6 Poetry is Courage. Standing in
Front of Death. Courage is standing on the edge of
Life and Death. To bid farewell to Reality, to
welcome Reverie. To forsake Wealth, to side with
Poverty. To take Sorrow in place of Joy. To accept Pain in lieu of
Happiness. To leave Togetherness and enter
Separation. To renounce the TO BE for the NOT
TO BE. To resist Temporary and accept
Eternity. Sometimes it is the other way
around. The Courage of Poetry is its love
for another person without being loved back and its
love for Life with Life betraying it. And the Poet is a man who lives in
an Upside-down World. 7 Poetry is boundless. It steps out
of Space and Time, over Obstacles and Separations. It is an Equal Union of People
regardless of Classes and Countries. Poetry is to Give, not to Take; a Devotion without Conditions and
Obligations. Poetry is also Sacrifice,
Forgetfulness and Remembrance. Poetry is Wonderfulness and The
Absolute Most. 8 Poetry is also Hated by a few
people because it is beloved by many
others Those who dislike Poetry are
uncultured Kings, untalented Generals, powerful men
who oppress others, rich but illiterate people and
ignorants. They hate Poetry because it
exposes bad characters. They are afraid of Poetry because
Poetry has no Selfishness. 9 Poetry is Faithfulness. It is the
Beginning and also
the End. It is the Start and also the
Finish. Some begin to make verses but later
stop after their
failures. Others start to write a novel, a
play or draw a painting and then when old, they want to
write Poetry. Others make poetry from childhood until old age. They only stop when they leave
this world. 10 Poetry is Selection in a Long
Race. Out of one hundred people who step
into Literature World about 50 people select to
make Poetry, 30 to write Novel, 15 like to be Artists
and Musicians and the rest Critics. But after two decades, these
number decrease
tremendously. A few are still making verses. Several stay writers. But the number of critics
increases And the rest give up. 11 Poetry is Absolute. A poet who
fails becomes Writers. A writer who fails can hardly
become a Poet. A Writer who succeeds also tries
to make verses, but a Poet succeeds whenever
wanting to write novels. Poetry contains painting and
music, and also architecture. Hence the Poet doesn't like to be
Painter or Musician, or Architect. In the real world, one witness
that some Kings want to become Poets but no Poet likes to
be King. It could be that the path the Poet
chooses for himself is the most ungrateful one but it is
bordered with flowers and is the Most Wonderful One. 12 Poetry is Grandeur. A Poet is a
man who has friends, and lives everywhere on the Earth,
even in the Outer Space planets, such as: Star, Sun,
Moon... He is also a man dealing with
everything that happens in every moment and all circumstances
on the Earth and in the Solar System Poetry is "Dream Comes
True". Poetry is Reality and speaks for
the Truth. Poetry does not Lie but exposes
Lies. 13 Poetry is Quietness in Activity.
Writer, Painter, Musician, Architect... can seat still to
create their works but the Poet has to go everywhere – even inside
a room – to get
inspiration. He follows his thinking and his
mind flies high. 14 Poetry is Cover-up. The young man
hides his feelings and thoughts in
Poetry The old man finds the calm land
for retirement and makes verses. He makes friend with grass,
flowers, birds, animals, streams, wind, Stars, Moon, Sun...
So Poetry is Quietness. It is also
Nature. 15 Poetry is Amulet. The soldier
holding his weapon reads poem and hides it secretly in his
shirt, then he throws himself into the enemy line at the
battlefield. Death runs away. He returns home to meet his lover
and family with wounds on
his body. Poetry is Rescuing. Poetry is Resurrection. 16 Poetry is Calamity. It opposes the
depression of Politics, the opaque mind of Religions and
the decadence
of Culture. The Poet is sentenced, imprisoned
and killed. Sometimes his life is a reward. His poetry has no permission to be published, is seized and burn by the powered men. Poetry declares war to Evil. Evil wins, Poetry is Suicide. 17 Poetry is translation. From one
language to another. From birds, animals to Human Being From grass, tree, flower to Human
Being. From land, sand, stone, rock,
fire, water to Human Being From planets such as Sun, Moon,
Stars... to Human
Being. Poet thinks about them and has to
speak for them. So, Poetry is Comprehension. Poet is both a Representative and
a Spokesman. 18 Poetry is Honey of Life. It is a
combination of Feeling and Thought. It is also a Love Philtre, a
Forbidden Fruit, Knowledge and
Prediction. Poetry by itself is not valuable
for a common person. But is more precious than
diamonds, gems, gold, silver... in the mind of those who
understand it and become Soul Brothers. 19 Poetry is a Weapon. It is able to
dissolve Hostility, Hatred, Loneliness, Separation,
Sadness. Even Fatal Destiny. 20 Poetry is a New Born Infant.
Everybody who comes into the world is called a Baby.
He grows up and loses his child instinct. So, Poetry is not Guilt. Poetry is
Innocent. 21 Poetry is Wordless. It is no word
at all. It speaks without words. It is the thorough understanding
of all meanings. The space between the lines, the
words is Wordless. The space of the line above is
Distance. The space of the following word is
Time. Wordless Poetry appears before the
Bible. 21b In Poetry – its Words and Meaning
– as well as – in Short Story and Novel –
represent a bell and a stick. When the stick hits the Bell,
sound is produced. The bell and the stick disappear.
Only echo lingers. Wordlessness is the Echo – after
the reading. * Now, Wordlessness Poetry is
Unspoken Voices - echoing – from Love,
Spirituality and Eternity. SONG HO · THE WRITERS POST (ISSN: 1527-5467), Volume
4, Number 2 July 2002
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