[stylist] Poetic prose as a tool for writing about pain

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Barbara,

Sometimes using that poetic language helps a writer craft pieces
touching topics either personal or very gritty in nature. For me, it's
somehow easier to write about painful life experiences using the poetic,
lyrical language; perhaps it's not quite as real, and the lyrical
language cushions the blow a bit. Not sure, but when I go to write about
deeply personal and painful things, I tend to automatically switch into
lyrical mode relying on imagery, descriptive language and even
metaphors. For me, it's easier to go into details and develop scenes and
moments using more lyrical language than if I just tried to use straight
prose to provide readers with those details. Of course, many others are
able to craft beautiful prose narratives about painful experiences and
never rely on poetic devices, but for me personally, I prefer to keep
things on a different realm. I'm not an open-book person naturally so
this probably why I do this. And at the very least, it can allow you to
get the emotions out so you can gain some distance and perspective; not
that we ever completely remove ourselves from such painful memories, but
after time, we usually can touch wounds without feeling excruciating
pain.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 13
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 22:01:15 -0600
From: "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Comments on Torn Fragments: From and Beyond the
	HospitalBed
Message-ID: <SNT139-ds152E4B22D057D8F5DDF25EEB9A0 at phx.gbl>
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	reply-type=original

I think you're right, Bridget.  I refrained from commenting because I 
couldn't figure out what didn't seem right somehow.  I did get the 
impression that this was a very painful experience because there was
that 
lack of detail and so many little factoids that I couldn't quite hold it
all 
in my head.
Barbara