"Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings..."
After high school, I saw myself preparing for my screening exams for admission into the university. My lesson teacher, Mr. Daniel, explained the best way he could of Wordsworth definition of poetry. I bet he did. But, then, my attention wasn't on the meaning Wordsworth was trying to convey. I was much more concerned about getting the right grades that would win me my matriculation gown.
It was later when I began studying more of poetry through practical experience and courses I took in the university that I began to understand the quality of meaning embedded in Wordsworth's definition.
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As a writer of poetry, though still young in the art, I've come to realise that natural poetry is usually overflowing in our thoughts processes. At one time you are just living in normalcy of moments then in the next minutes, there is spontaneity of powerful feelings building up and you just can't help it. All you want to do is pour the content of those abstract ideas and emotions into a MS-word sheet or writing journal. It's like steem forcing itself from a boiling pot of stew.
This spontaneity arises from all sort of issues such as: our current state of mind; our worries; pestering ideology; a past decision or ; a present phenomenal (be it social, environment, economic, sexual or whatsoever). All of these and more are triggers to the ink of poetry laying latent in our veins.
And what happens when the triggers get struck? There's an overflow of spontaneity.
But that's just an itsy bitsy of spontaneity.
Please do well to follow me because in my next post I'd writing on:
- The Spontaneity of a Poet
- What Does Wordsworth Actually mean by Tranquility in poetry?
You won't want to miss out!!