Brevity in Poetry

I seldom write long poems and I have often questioned the reason why. I guess it is a matter of taste. The first poems I ever wrote were haiku poems. I have always been fascinated by Japanese poetry and the haiku form has always worked well for me. Being able to capture a mood, an image, a moment in just 3 lines is more difficult than one may think, especially if you are following the 5-7-5 syllable rule.



Brevity in poetry is compelling. I feel Emily Dickinson was the skillful master of the genre, despite the fact that she also wrote longer poems. Dickinson was able to convey so much in just a few lines. Sometimes in simply two!

#1127
Soft as the massacre of Suns
by Evening's Sabres Slain

Even though I tend not to write as many haiku poems as I used to do once, every now and then "that agony returns." No, it's not really the Ancient Mariner's agony! It's more like a delight. I am glad whenever some editor picks up some. You may read 2 of my latest in "50 haikus."









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