What Makes a Poem Good?

By A Ouachita Parish Poet, Daniel Taverne

Well, as you might already know, all good poems rhyme.  That's right, rhyme.  No, not in the sense  most people think of when considering the word, but in a more abstract way.

 Maybe I'm full of it, but I think good poems should honestly mirror or react to the writer's observations, situations, feelings, thoughts, events, relationships.  That's why I named this blog "Snapshots..."  When I write, I attempt to put forth my own observations of life.

I realize some of my work is juvenile in the sense that the subject matter is simple and pointless, but those are some of my own observations.  To me those poems are the ones that matter to me the most.

For instance, I wrote a poem that talkes about "Leaf Shadow's Dancing".  I was comparing my reality with that of the leaves of a tree swaying in the breeze on a sunny day.  I likened the tree as being a stethoscope to the earth, that the leaves were dancing to subterrainian music that I couldn't hear.

Another simple poem addressed my understanding that I have to do many things I don't want to do.  I used the act of cutting a tree down as a metaphore for this reality.

So you see, although good poems don't always have rhyimg words, they do seem to have the commonality of showing us our lives do rhyme with each other's.

It is a shame that many of us, myself included, guage our poems' "goodness" on whether or not others like them.  That said, we writers should get away from that measure, and be confident with our insight; concerned with impressing only ourselves. 

Tell me what you think about this subject.  Leave a comment.  Your thoughts are valued, and I'll post all relevant comments with your name.