Overcomplicating Poetry

Is it just me or does it seem like some people try to hard to sound smart and just end up over complicating the poetry? It seems like alot of times people lose the rhythm and meaning by using words that noone would actually use. Sure, it may make you feel smart and some dumbasses might need a dictionary to understand what you are saying but is that the purpose of a poem? I think poetry is a window into one's self. It shows people what you see, what you feel, and what you think, overcomplicating shit just makes the window foggy.
But that may just be me...

 

I dunno. I have trouble with some peoples rythme, But I have an extremely extensive vocabulary and a love of words and enjoy a good play on words. What I have trouble is where people write it down and break up the lines against their natural breaks and rythme.

 

No, I'm not saying I have troubles, I'm saying that it I have an extremely extensive vocabulary as well (well I know alot of words, don't use 'em), I'm just saying that the words they use are pointless, it seems to me like some people take time making their poem sound smart or extremely poetic, ruining the actual nature of the poem

 

imprecate the euphuistic morosophs!

 

i think alot of people try to come up with words other than the normal ones we use for poetry. so they use the thesaurus. which i think is fine.
but im not saying everyone does this. its just a thought.

 

I think some people just overthink it sometimes.

 

i dont use a theesasrus. obviously. becuse i cantnot spell right?!

i think pomes should be simple and direct its true. if you want them to be something to share. but if ts for your love of words, of the language.. or trying to sretch your skill to its maimum expression.. then its quickly apprant just how limited the human language of the written word . is. its incredibily restrictive and binding. so that even if you do spill out your 'best' words.. what comes across is not fantabulous.. but simply noise and excess.

i love words. i love them love them. sometimes i write poetry that is straightforward. sometimes i try to excrete all my minds vocabulary. and then people will ask... are you trying to sound clever. well no im not. im just trying to expell all the words that flummout about in my overcrowded head. writing is like an exorscism. like art is too.
my firends see in images some of them. personally i create like a film script.. the words are on a screen in my mind. there is black, and the words come across in white lines of formation. ready to spill out. somtimes as sentences. sometimes as randomnly obtruse words that nobody can understand., but dont assume the person is trying to show off. they are just trying to understand. themselves. and also the words....

 

I think I get what you mean better Duck. I think at times it may be to avoid having the poem come out as one big cliche too. After all, we write and rewrite about the same human conditions poeple have been writing about since there was a written language. I think BMT had a good point too.

 

I agree with the original poster. Just because you have a large vocabulary, doesn't mean you need to use as much of it as you can in your poetry. A true poet can generate a complex meaning through the simplest words.

 

i personally think poems should be whatever the person wants them to be...
They are the ones writing them, so the choice should be theirs..
People shouldn't try to change the way people write...its not your work, why does it matter..

 

If people only wrote their poetry for themselves, they would keep their work in locked drawers. But most people write poetry to show themselves to the world, or to express some idea. It only makes sense for them to try and make the idea as clear, powerful and true as possible. This is not about telling people "you must write like this!" but about telling them "try writing like this, and maybe you will like the results".

When a person plays a musical instrument, he does it for enjoyment, but wouldn't it be more enjoyable if done well? Isn't it the same with poetry?

You can't say that just because something is not "work" it no longer needs to be done well. Is what you in your spare time less important than what you do for money?

 

Some of the simple ones can be every bit as bad or worse too. Comes down to, you are either a good writer or not, no matter what style.

 

Also true. But the simple ones are usually not bad because they are simple, while overcomplicating can actually make a poem worse just by itself.

Well... I guess it's also possible to make a poem worse by making it too simple, but I rarely see this. Simple poems are usually bad if they have no point to them, no message they are trying to deliver, and no emotion.

 

Simple poems tend to border on boring and cliche, but that again is just a matter of opinion. As for having a large vocabulary, if you have it why not use it? Why is everyone so afraid of "big words", these "big words" give poets more space to work with. It's like having more colors for painting a picture. I for one stand in the middle, I think the poem should have a varied enough vocabulary used properly for the poem to be rich and vivid. It shouldn't be bogged down with obscure terminology just for the esoteric sake, but it shouldn't be so simple that it's easily forgetable and bland. Happy medium is what it's all about.

 

ah... the great vocabulary and poetry debate! I'm of two minds with this, and basically think it's just different styles of poetry. Stating something in the simplest possible way often leads to cliches, which, imo, are the arch-nemesis of good poems. Hell, I even have a couple of words I've banned from my own writing because I kept using them to describe things ("spin" and "love" are the two words I never use unless there's an important reason). It takes true talent to pull off simple poetry effectively, and I can probably count the poets that do it successfully (and consistently) on one hand. Li Po is my favorite who does.

I, however, usually don't write that way. I like complexity, because that's life to me. Capturing the sum-total effectively and capturing it as simply as possible are two completely different things, imo. I prefer more artistic renditions of events. I consider it much like painting... I don't much like the realistic stuff; I'm more of a surrealist fan, and I try to use words that convey that. It's a battle to get the point across sometimes, and perhaps it’s one I often loose, but I think of it this way: some get it, some don’t; so be it.

Oh, and also, I’m a fan of wordplay; syllables bouncing off of each other, rhymes in odd places and such. That being the case, I often substitute one word over another to get an effect, but I do try and weigh it out like this: at least upon a re-read, or with closer inspection, I hope the reader gets it… If not, then I should take another look at it.

 

Oh, and on the same note… should we not write about obscure subjects that others might not comprehend? I often use pretty detailed metaphors in astrology, mythology, tantra, and even music theory… but should I not mention it and some of the things that go with it because others aren’t as knowledgable? I personally don’t think anything is taboo… and I know I go over peoples heads sometimes… I just don’t care, lol… when it’s me; if someone writes something I don’t get… I usually start researching… and every time I’ve done that, I’ve been better off for it.

 

I still say why does it matter, just cause you dont understand what the word is, people shouldn't use it? That doesnt make sense.. If people wrote or did anything just to suite the liking of others, we would be without a lot of great novels or anything for that matter today...
Im not going to change the style of my writing just to please others, thats complete nonsense in my opinion...

 

This whole issue has absolutly nothing to do with people and their understanding of your language. I haven't come across a poem I couldn't understand because of the words used, and if I ever see a single word I am not familiar with, I can look it up quickly. Writing about obscure subjects is also quite alright. The problem with using complicated diction is that it's often done for no good reason! If you have a word that really does fit, or creates the correct image, by all means use it. But the truth is, that most "big" words are not all that descriptive or vivid, they are just long and rare. This is particularly true about the English language.

The argument about cliche writing, I can understand. It isn't easy to write simple poems, and it's very easy to do it poorly. For a person with a decent vocabulary, it's actually far easier to use complicated language. But just because something is not easy, doesn't mean it should not be attempted!

 

I say follow your bliss.

Be natural and draw on the language of experience to express yourself.

Ugliness is the by-product of comparison.

Futility is trying to find your voice in someone elses' words.
It is not the words, but the combination, that creates harmony for this poet.

 

Nah you're right. The right language is all-important -- write for your audiance, the main goal is communication at its most basic level -- poetry is bare-bones.