As my personal exploration into the world of writing continues, despite the infrequency you may notice here on this little blog, I have been reading more literary publications. These have included various Web sites, plus I continue to read December magazine’s biannual publications. Though I don’t put pen to paper as much as I’d like to, I am gaining inspiration for when I do through the works of others.

I happened upon a copy of Poetry Magazine a while back in a doctor’s office waiting room. Where I had heard about the century-plus year old poetry magazine, I had never read a copy. As the March 2017 copy before my eyes was in good company with other outdated periodicals in the seating area, I took it upon myself to put this edition to good use and literally took it. When I finally got to curl up with the paperback magazine, I not only moved forward with it on my creative journey, but I also took a fresh look back as well. I share those with you as my takeaways.

My knowledge of poetry is grade-school basic – If you’ve read The Hot Iron over time, it would come as no surprise that I spent more time in the computer lab than in any classroom. As a result, liberal arts classes like English and language never got the attention, years later I realize, they should have. When I think of a poem, I think of Dr. Seuss or the Man from Nantucket. Granted I have read some poetry in recent years in December magazine, after reading a pure poetry publication I realized my learning about this literary style ended around middle school.

The more I read the more I enjoy it – There are a wide variety of styles of poetry, some close to what I remember from school with meter and rhyming, and others where for me it’s hard to follow the formatting and subject of the poem. But as with many things, the more you are exposed to it, the more you will like it.

Learning that relates to you means more to you – The March 2017 edition of Poetry Magazine closes with what is called “Comment” which itself is not poetry, but rather a dialogue on poetry. Among the different poems, poets and styles the author of this piece discusses includes Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, a poem by fellow New Englander Robert Frost. This was a poem I remember from childhood, mainly due to said geographic affiliation as well as the last lines of the poem which were planted in the back of my head back then, “And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.“ After reading this in the final pages of the journal, it helped round out what I have been reading and experienced now with something I read and experienced many years ago.

Poetry Magazine is a periodical you can subscribe to or find at higher-end newsstands (if there is even one by you). Their Web site has a wealth of poetry to explore and read, and they also offer a Poem of the Day newsletter. With our inboxes filled daily with things we don’t want to read, it’s nice to have an interesting diversion among the unwanted refuse. As I pass along all that I have read, I neatly placed this copy of Poetry Magazine among some newspapers on the table of the coffeeshop where I wrote these takeaways. Perhaps someone else will learn something as they fulfill the promises they keep.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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Book Take-Aways • Diversions • (2) Comments • Permalink