The rhythm that hears me ( Read more... )

The poet's difficult contract: To have heartbreaking powers, the world must first break your heart. No poet ever said, "You may enter my heart, but first wipe your feet and agree to behave."

-Wesley McNair, Advice for Beginning Poets

I often wonder at this preoccupation with torture. Must one truly need to be damaged before any utterance becomes ( Read more... )

Of course, one may wonder: Why the need to do it the hard way in the first place? Why the poem's subtle, metaphorical beatings-around-the-bush? I suppose the answer should be: because of the nature of poetry itself; and specifically, because of the history and tradition of Philippine poetry in English to which I, we, belong. The images and language ( Read more... )