Place

Just as in novels and short stories, place has a central point in poems also. I like writing poems about my own neighborhood, a park, bookstore, or a restuarant. Making the readers feel a part of a particular place puts them in tune with the author.

There are some examples. In his poem 125th Street, Langston Hughes made me feel that I was strolling along side of him during that time. Jack Kerouac's novel On The Road took me on a crazy cross country trip. Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven was both scary and haunting. If I'm not familiar with a place I'll do some research about it. If the opportunity avails me I'll visit the place and spend time there.

Places aren't limited to time or space. I have written poems about the seasons. I have used rooms, a city, or country as backdrops. Going back to a particular time in history requires more research and accuracy in the facts. I love castle but have never visited one. In my mind there are some wonderful mysteries that a poem can present to readers.

Being creative is a consitent elemnt of any genre. Writng allows one to do whatever they desire. That's the beauty of writing. Dull places can be made lively. Some of the best poems written present elemnts of creativity and imagination.