Past and present/poetry and story

It is important to keep moving forward while, at the same time, glancing back at the road already traveled. In doing so, we pay homage to our predecessors while developing and expanding our own legacies. Often, the world as we know it can seem vast, overwhelming, and unconquerable. But, if we examine the discoveries and innovations of those who came before us, we can apply history’s knowledge to our own lives and art. If we do not learn from history we are like a child; destined to be stuck in a perpetual state of ignorance and, for certain, not the originators that we often pride ourselves to be. You must pardon the cliché but, when it comes to literature, it is impossible to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we should learn from the innovators and put forward our own minute contributions.

Earlier in class, I addressed the issue of the author’s chicken and egg dilemma. Does story precede poetry or vice versa? I think that for an author to effectively lay out a message and create writing that will stimulate the reader, the poetry (message) must come first. For one’s characters to be convincing, they have to be sure in their ways. Their actions must dictate certain undertones and reflect an identifiable characteristic to the reader. In that sense the story follows the poetry. There is no room for ambiguity in lasting writing. Time after time when you read the authors that have entered immortality through literature, their writing seems to be driven by an almost angelic force.

-Jason Barnett