Um, this is actually a little old but I went ahead with Shoeis' suggestions because I'm beating myself about the pate deciding how important music is to my poetry. Deep inside, I'm a believer, no matter what the world thinks. Thanks.

I find myself leaning toward Mr. Pound whenever he suggests poetry MUST have music, to be true poetry. The one thing I keep coming back to is the lack of music in most of my poems. I think that it is the ONE thing keeping me from growing. Any time I DO have music, it seems forced. Maybe I should study music for a while, no? Thanks for your time.

some would argue yes. It is possible to write what could arguably be called a poem without a single pronounceable word, like some of e.e. cummings. Sometimes you can deliberately drain the lyricism and music out of a poem if dischord and blandness are its message, as when (sorry to make a reference to russian poetry, but I can't think of another example right now) the greatest Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in his long poem, Eugene Onegin, includes a trite ode written by Vladimir Lensky, one of his characters, to show that Lensky is a mediocre poet.

A question for you and Sasha. Is it possible to write good, even great poetry without lyricism or music? Just for my own knowledge.

I hope that was actually as much in support of the poem as it sounded.

Actually, the poem never even mentions anything specifically Biblical, so how can you declare it to be about Old Testament. Especially when I then use the disciples to in my argument for the poem, the disciples who are very much New Testament.

How do you mean tighter?

I actually started with the title and wrote the poem around it. There are three other variations but I thought this was the best.

I promise you the next thing will be original. Ok luv?

Click on my name