We come to this magical place by design, not  by accident. Poetry is more than what we do. It is a “place” we go to express ourselves; it is a quiet alcove of words and rhythm. Poetry is a wild party; is is a source of solace and remembrance. We all have set our course for poetry.

As with any vacation spot we are curious about the landscape and people. We inquire about the weather and the activities that are available to us. We want to know all we can before we head off to our idyllic escape.

Here in the land of poetry, we have similar  thoughts. As we begin the month of June we will explore more of what makes poetry special to us. Our focus for the month will be the basic concepts of the poetic process. Inspiration comes from people we’ve come to know. The settings and locations with which we have become familiar. There is a certain “plot” or story we tell in our poetic ramblings. We convey a sense of mood, tone and theme in our poems. And so this leg of our journey begins.

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Who are these characters that inspire us? They are the people who are referenced or addressed in the poem. They feel, act,choose and reflect in the poem. A vital person in a poem is  the speaker (real or imaginary) who exposes their heart and mind in the words we read. It could be the poet or not. For the sake of argument we will say it is not.

The speaker might express in first person, telling of personal experiences, thoughts, and insights, using the word “I”, or in third person (them, her, him). Other times they talk in second person, referencing “you”. Poets write in second person more than prose writers. 

“Reader’s Digest” has a series they explore called “My Most Memorable Character”. We all know someone who has influenced us, done something selfless for someone or had been a pillar to the community. A relative who was quick witted, or had a special skill of which people were aware and by which they were influenced. Maybe your children/grandchildren have done something remarkable in their young lives. 

As opposed to last week where we wrote a memorial to someone, we are writing of this “Memorable Character”. Tell us all about this person in our land of poetry!