freedom in form

last week we experimented with villanelles, and the results were amazing! for writers who have yet to try writing with the constraints of repeating lines and structure, I encourage you to come and see how powerful, poetic & subtle these constructs can be. 

this coming monday we will be working more with repetition, namely pantoums, as well as some writing exercises to unlock your creative writing flow...you know, that incredible moment when you realize you are writing and writing and writing and just can't seem to write the sentences fast enough? yes! yes to that moment! 

see you monday for Write Here! Write Now! at 38 Castle Terrace

k

x 

Pantoum in Which Wallace Stevens Gives Me Vertigo

-Oli Hazzard

In Wallace Stevens' poem 'The Public Square',
a languid janitor bears his lantern through colonnades
and the architecture swoons. I cannot read this poem
without being struck down with vertigo. I can only read:

'A languid janitor bears his lantern through colonnades…'
before I start to feel sick, and suddenly aware of the earth's roundness.
Without being struck down with vertigo, I can only read
whilst strapped into my chair; I will read the poem, and

before I start to feel sick, and suddenly aware of the earth's roundness,
I can remind myself that it's only a poem, I'm not going to fall over
whilst strapped into my chair. I will read the poem, and
triumph by making it to the end. But this is not my ultimate goal.

I can remind myself that it's only a poem. I'm not going to fall over
myself just because of one little achievement. I don't really
triumph by making it to the end. 'But this is not my ultimate goal,'
I say – as if that were anything like the truth. Every day I celebrate

myself because of one little achievement (I don't really!)
and the architecture swoons. I cannot read this poem,
I say, as if it were anything like the truth. Every day I celebrate
Wallace Stevens' poem 'The Public Square.'