POETRY WORKSHOP
GETTING STUCK IN
Alison Chisholm examines the process from observation to finished poem
O
bservation of the natural world is at the heart of many poems. By pinning such observation to paper, the poet preserves the moment and shares the privileged view with readers. It will be clear to see that nature poems could lapse into an ‘isn’t nature wonderful’ generalisation, without showing anything new. It’s the quirk of circumstance, or the anomaly, that makes the poem.
The quirk here is the simple fact that a domestic goose is muscling in on a wild bird feeding pattern; but the writer’s skill creates a fascinating account from this fact. Stephen Beattie of Burscough, Lancashire, was at the nearby bird sanctuary when he watched an interloper sneaking a free lunch.
The time that elapses between the spark of seeing the event and the first setting down of words on paper affects the way the subject is processed. You could write three different poems, one in the immediacy of making the observation on the spot where it happened, one a few days later, and a more retrospective one some months or years down the line. The earliest response bristles with the freshness of the idea, the few days allow time for other thoughts to place themselves alongside the observation in the mind, and the latest response gives a strong sense of perspective.