Mediocrity is now, as formerly, dangerous, commonly fatal, to the poet; but among even the successful writers of prose, those who rise sensibly above it are the very rarest exceptions.
quote by William E. Gladstone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Rhyme Rant on Prose Rants
RHYME RANT ON PROSE RANTS
Prose which with capitals would rant
against pet hate, for favoured cause
is often filled with fatal flaws,
or pays attention far too scant
to harmony, stays ignorant
of rhythm which enhances, draws
skein polychrome. Its pointed jaws
restrict free scope increasing cant,
seldom perceived as elegant.
True poet purity implores
to etch, to sketch, to open doors
upon perspective which prose [r]ant
encounters rarely where it roams
on well trod trails of barren tomes.
3 December 2007
robi03_1688_robi03_0000 SXX_IXX
Rhyme Rant on Prose Rant poem © Jonathan Robin
poem by Jonathan Robin
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I May Well Be A Mediocrity
I MAY WELL BE A MEDIOCRITY
I may well be a mediocrity
One who tries and tries
But never really inspires-
I may well be one of the many
Called but not chosen-
I may be more another small unimportant disturbance
Than one whose work is of real meaning and value-
I may well be a mediocrity
And an ultimate nothing-
Whose words are now saved by a new technology
But will be dust forever -
I may well be a mediocrity
Despite wanting so much not to be-
I may well be a mediocrity
And probably am-
In which case I apologize
To the reader of this
If there is one
For taking your time.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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After The Poems What Will Be For Me?
After the poems, what will be for me?
I am now wholly in them
But they are not as good
As I dreamed
And I as a poet am not the answer to my own ambition.
Will it be ‘Stories’ next?
And then on to ‘Aphoristic reflections’ Pascal- like?
How will I do it?
Or will, as seems most likely now, how will I never do it?
I am the mediocre poet who is the mediocre writer who is the mediocre thinker who is mediocre in all he does
I am the mediocrity and my mediocrity makes me me.
Mediocre me- Pity pity the poor ambitious soul
Who would have been great, and is not.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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A Matter Of Opinion 2012
I think I have the right to state.
The present poet laureate
Has chosen to ignore the rules
that govern poetry. The tools
which every poet ought to know
To ensure their words will smoothly flow
When they are performed publically.
The must be metered carefully.
In my opinion she writes prose
Though I am certain that she knows.
That prose cannot be poetry
But doesn’t care apparently.
Although she writes poetically.
To me its prose not poetry.
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
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A prose writer gets tired of writing prose, and wants to be a poet. So he begins every line with a capital letter, and keeps on writing prose.
quote by Samuel McChord Crothers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I must apologise because I know all writers have memories of being on the outer because it's the children on the side of the playground who become the dangerous writers.
quote by Thomas Keneally
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fatal Consequences
Finding others to ridicule,
Because of the way they speak.
Walk and present themselves,
With a dignity commonly found in places...
Where people make no excuses for being themselves,
Is...
An environment where people are accustomed,
To belittling others and kept in practice.
With a choosing to see them conform to a mediocrity,
Many accept and enforce others to be...
Stereotyped and useless.
Illiterate in social skills.
Baffoons and fools.
And conditioned to perceive an ignorance lived,
Is the best quality of life to have.
With a feeding of this to generations that grow,
Worthless with no contributions to make...
But to be laughed at to add,
More suffering to their own fatal consequences.
And begging for an assistance to keep what they value,
Supported as if a sport to play and a self hatred as a goal.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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I Am Not Proud Of Being A Mediocrity
I AM NOT PROUD OF BEING A MEDIOCRITY
I am not proud of being a mediocrity-
But if I am
Does this mean
I should stop writing forever?
Does it mean I should spend the rest of my life
In bitter angry lament?
If I am a mediocrity
And chances are good that I am
Then perhaps I should just try to live with it
And understand
The only one who's time will be wasted
And who will give attention to all this writing I have done
Is me.
Mediocrity or not,
I can still try to be a fairly decent human being.
poem by Shalom Freedman
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The uncommon to be common
There are exceptions to rules.
When exceptions exceeds in use,
Rules relegate to exceptions
And exceptions stay as rules.
The uncommon one frequenting,
The common one is replaced
By the uncommon to be common.
Marriage is soon to be uncommon.
25.09.2010
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
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A matter of opinion.
Some people say I am perverse
because I choose to write in verse.
The kind of stories I compose.
They think I ought to write in prose.
They have the right to I suppose.
But I won’t do as they propose.
I much prefer to write in verse
Because I think there’s nothing worse
Than badly written boring prose.
That is the reason why I chose.
To concentrate on rhyming verse.
I see no reason to reverse.
My original decision
to conform to your opinion.
I do not choose to write in prose
I am convinced that I would lose.
My rhyming capability
reducing my ability.
To write my words spontaneously.
I don’t expect you to agree.
Although I am compelled to write.
You’re free to exercise your right
To read or not as you choose to.
Though I confess I hope you do.
I know I can’t please everyone.
That is something that can’t be done
By any writer though they try
A truth no writer can deny.
Your comments are of interest
they spur me on to do my best.
We can agree to disagree
on which is best quite easily.
A poet must choose poetry.
But other writers are quite free.
to share their thoughts written in prose
Because they choose to I suppose.
If you should doubt my competence.
I will not choose to take offence.
You are entitled to your view
Please remember I am too
Sunday,02 May 2010
http: // blog.myspace.com/poeticpiers
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
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But at the time when he wrote, Englishmen, with the rarest exceptions, wrote only in French or Latin; and when they began to write in English, a man of genius, to interpret and improve on him, was not found for a long time.
quote by George Saintsbury
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Being famous is not something that would make me feel successful - unless one was striving for mediocrity.
quote by William Hurt
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Sonnet: Poetry versus Prose
Some write their poetry almost like prose;
The two are not diff’rent in any way?
How can a thorn ever become a rose?
The grain is grain; the hay remains but hay!
But some write prose with emotions afilled;
Or add some verses in-between the lines;
One can’t become the other, howev’r skilled;
How can the noon be dawn although sun shines?
The functions poems do, prose can never,
Where right words placed, give music and rhythm;
But of the two, the poet’s cleverer;
His work is shorter, neater, and more trim.
All praise the bard; his glory’s forever!
For prose can’t stand the test of time ever!
6-25-2002 by Dr John Celes
poem by John Celes
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My Preference
Modern proponents of free form.
Do not accept that poetry
has certain rules and must conform.
Or it becomes mere anarchy.
Anything goes just will not do.
It’s either poetry or prose.
One must give credit where it’s due
They both have merit I suppose.
Prose poetry cannot exist.
An oxymoron obviously
but modern writers will insist
that what they write is poetry.
They aren’t content to call it prose
well written and quite beautiful.
Care taken with the words they chose
describing something wonderful.
Although so many writers try.
There’s very few achieve their aim.
They do not stop to wonder why
But simply write more of the same.
Make no attempt to learn the rules
Meter and rhyme a mystery
they lack the simple basic tools
You need for writing poetry.
A poem is a message to
transmit your ideas and your thoughts.
So other folks can share them too.
If you can write them as you ought.
Simplicity and clarity
are prerequisites for our art.
The finest kinds of poetry
are written from the poets heart.
Mere strings of words in random lines
are neither prose nor poetry.
Each of us knows what he defines
as being his idea of poesy.
I rest my case I make no plea
I merely state my preference.
Applicable only to me
I do not wish to cause offence.
6-Jan-08
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
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It is commonly supposed that the art of pleasing is a wonderful aid in the pursuit of fortune; but the art of being bored is infinitely more successful.
quote by Nicolas de Chamfort
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In the republic of mediocrity genius is dangerous.
quote by Robert G. Ingersoll
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To bemoan the messiness of politics is not just a folly it betrays a dangerous impatience with basic realities. It is like becoming disturbed that people do not fall in love sensibly -- and so deciding to computerize the problem.
quote by Theodore Roszak
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In the republic of mediocrity, genius is dangerous.
quote by Robert Green Ingersoll
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Before a Poetry Reading
'Poet! Poet! Poet! Poet! '
I'm feeling nervous but I mustn't show it!
'Poet! Poet! Poet! Poet! '
I hope to heaven that I won't blow it!
'Poet! Poet! Poet! Poet! '
I mustn't reveal that I'm a second-rate poet!
I'm only a rhymer, but they don't know it!
If you've got no talent you'll have to grow it!
'Poet! Poet! Poet! Poet! '
poem by John Thorkild Ellison
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Mahanadee Vavroovahana Patra
Mahanadee is beautiful;
Lovers are delightful.
Boys play on the river;
Guys roam with pleasure.
Sands dazzle with sun ray;
Poet derives peace, gay.
Pebbles dazzle naturally;
Lovers enjoy the beauty gaily.
Pure water flows on the river;
Sun beam plays on the water.
Sun God mirrors on the water;
The spectacle allures writers.
Poet depicts verses gaily;
Derives peace silently.
Sun rise is beautiful;
The morn is delightful.
Sun god smiles in Eastern Horizon;
Beauteous is the mysterious creation.
Poet surrenders on sun God’s Lotus Feet;
Mind enchants with delight.
Mahanadee is a Deity;
Provides peace, gaiety.
Flows on Odissa’s soil gaily;
Mingles in Bay of Bengal lovingly.
The lovely river magnifies the beauty of Nature;
Allures poets, writers with pleasure.
Poet surrenders on God’s feet on the river;
Soul drinks the nectar of peace, pleasure.
poem by Vavroovahana Patra
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