Monday 2 April 2018

Free Verse Autobiography And Walt Whitman

By Christopher West


When an individual considers writing a history of time here on earth, there are many ways in which to do so. One of the best, as shown by Walt Whitman is through a Free Verse Autobiography. For example, Whitman worked on "Songs of Myself" and reworked the information up until it was included in the well known publication "Leaves of Grass."

Poets such as Anne Sexton, John Lowell, Sylvia Plath and others began writing much darker pieces. Whereas, the Beat Generation gave way to poets such as Jack Kerouac who often wrote about experiences on the road, and Allen Ginsberg whose focus was more on sexual matters and other taboos.

While Whitman was well known in the 1800s, these other poets were from a more recent generation. At the same time, poetry today rarely reflects the genius of any of these past poets. For, most were writing from life experiences, whether that may have been about living life, or facing death.

A great deal is owed to Walt Whitman as the writer was the first to actually pay for design and typesetting with regards to a poetry book and collection. Whereas, the author was also the first to include the ideology of self-realization and evolution into the poetry genre. In addition, it was Whitman whom first used the portrait on the back or inside cover so that others could become familiar the artist casual and often rebellious attitude.

The extended free verse which Whitman included in most works rocked the established literary foundation. For, poetry originally was focused on rhyme. Then, when poets such as Whitman and others started using free verse, whether in autobiographies or story telling, the industry forever changed. In fact, while rhyme is still present in a number of poetry publications, it is often frowned against at many open-mics and featured readings in this day and age.

Reading in front of an audience can often be a frightening experience for first timers. While this is the case, it is important to do so. For, one can often tell how well a piece is received. After which, the individual has more knowledge as to whether or not the piece may be worthy of publication. In addition, once a poet has made the rounds on the local poetry scene, it can then be easier to find a paying gig as a featured reader whether at a local reading, or festival.

While there are local readings, there are also International poetry festivals where individuals come from around the world to read and attend workshops. One of the largest is that of the Austin International Poetry Festival which takes place in Austin each April. As such, those interested in learning more about the different styles can often benefit greatly from attending this type festival.

Free verse can often be great when read at poetry readings, though slams often require tougher topics with more theatrical performances. For, slams are quite competitive with 1s, 2nd and 3rd place generally taking home cash prizes. In addition, those whom rate high over the course of a season are often invited to be part of a city slam team at an annual poetry slam conference and festival.




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