Excuses, Excuses

Many people claim that the reason they write poetry and nothing else is because they suck at grammar. A few of these same people say that if E. E. Cummings can get away with it, they should be able to as well. To that, one who has studied poetry can only stare dumbfounded, then laugh.

The reason E. E. Cummings wrote broken sentences and misplaced punctuation in his poetry is not because he did not how how to use it. It is because he knew exactly how and when to bend the rules to his advantage. And, there is only one reason he did: for effect. For more on the true meaning of Poetic License see here.

E. E. Cummings may have been at one time considered one of the most experimental of the avant-garde extremists, but he did graduate from Harvard with a degree in English and Classics. And if you study his styles, you come to recognize the ingenuity and cleverness behind his chosen mediums. Oh, and let’s not forget: his chosen mediums followed a line downwards from words and sentences to syllables and letters, in essence reverting to some very basic English language laws. So, even before his death in 1962, he became well-known as a poetical pioneer of the child’s-play style, and his seriousness and consistency of themes could be looked on as quite traditional, and the greatest reason for that is because his poetic efforts have a universal quality. So, the next time you want to use Mr. Cummings’ example as an excuse to be grammatically improper, remember that he actually knew the rules before he broke them.

Reading: The Poet’s Homeroom

So, how do we improve our grammar skills? Well, the truest tested method is to read a variety of published material. In fact, it has been found that reading every day improves a person’s grasp on the construction of sentences, the manipulation and organization of thoughts, and the cohesion of written expositions. In short, reading helps a person understand how to write more fluently.

Daily reading materials should include a newspaper article, a novel chapter (9-12 pages), a technical brochure or pamphlet, and a couple pages from some sort of reference book, like Do-It-Yourself or How to Recognize Rocks. Make sure you pick something that is of interest to you. Now, these materials should be from hard-copy books, not drawn from online resources. (Online resources are, more often than not, riddled with errors.)

Reference Material: The Poet’s Library

The true writer will be anxious to learn about words. A true poet will be anxious to learn how to use those words in the best way in order to create the mood he/she wants. Another way to aid your sentence-sense is to acquire and keep close at hand a few references such as a collegiate dictionary (for understanding proper word-use), a writer’s reference (to learn the parts of speech and where to use them), and a thesaurus (for finding the exact word). However, you don’t have to stop there.

There are other important materials that you might want to consider finding to include in your personal reference library. Soule’s Dictionary of English Synonyms is an excellent addition, as is any dictionary of literary terms (I own Coles’ version, plus two others), The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, How to Write and Speak Effective English by Edward Frank Allen, and the latest I discovered at the local bookstore, Word Watching by Julian Burnside. That one I bought at a discount.

If you have trouble finding materials like this, keep your eyes open for library book sales, garage sales, and second-hand bookstores. Also, the local used clothing stores almost always have a bin dedicated to books. Even your neighborhood Salvation Army location usually has a small selection.

Personal Journal: The Poet’s Schoolyard

The best place to hone your grammar skills is here, in your personal journal. The reason: because you are not under pressure to do well. It is just you, your feelings, and the open page. Open up your writer’s reference and pick one item from your weaknesses to work on, like the comma. Practice using it in proper ways. Don’t worry about mistakes, just keep going. The more you use it properly, the easier it gets.

Keep reading and writing in these ways and your grammar skills will improve. It may take more time than you want it to, but be patient. Good things come to those . . . . Even better things come to those who pursue an interest in words. Some may not like the new attitude you take towards the English language when you correct them in conversation, but your readers will be grateful.

If you have a computer writing program like Word, or Wordperfect, use it. Save a folder marked journals, or writing exercises and in it save your files. When you’re writing a journal it helps to break the folder down into subfolders like Personal, Poetry, Words of Wisdom, etc., … and then into days or weeks, and save files accordingly. This will save you so much time when you’re sorting through them later in life.

Take the Time

So if you want to write poetry, take the time to get things right, especially grammar. When you’ve learned the rules, you’ll know where you may bend them to the tune of your poetic instincts, and you will not have abused the rule of poetic license. Of course, make sure you know what poetic license is when you do so. Follow the above link to understand more.

Also, thanks for taking the time to read this, and have a challenging day.

For more about reading and writing:

If You’re Going To Write, Read, Read, Read

Blogs and IMs: The Bane of Good Writing Habits

Self-Editing Made Easy

Dealing With Writer’s Block

For more about poetry:

World Of Poetry 1: Four Elements, Three Divisions

How to Compose a Limerick

The True Haiku and Its Origins