Comments on: The Poetic "I": The Most Overused Word In All Literature http://www.worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/ Commentary On 21st Century Poetics Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:13:20 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: the poet http://www.worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/comment-page-1/#comment-159 the poet Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:01:40 +0000 http://worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/#comment-159 Sounds like an interesting story, Jim. I'm curious. Do you write character profiles of your fictional characters? Like a composite, so you can keep track of the facts about them as you write your stories? Sounds like an interesting story, Jim. I’m curious. Do you write character profiles of your fictional characters? Like a composite, so you can keep track of the facts about them as you write your stories?

]]> By: Jim Murdoch http://www.worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Jim Murdoch Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:26:27 +0000 http://worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/#comment-161 This is probably why most biographies I've read have never been that interesting. Facts are inflexible. All you can do with them is present them in as best as light as possible. A first person perspective is one thing but trying to be faithful to the truth is foolhardy as you suggest. That said, I think there's no harm in deciding on a few benchmarks to ground your characters. In the book I'm writing at the moment both the daughter and the father are based on me, me-the-son in my relationship with my own father and me-the-father in my relationship with my own daughter; there is also a doppelgänger-character who is a complete fabrication. The things that happen in the book are total fiction but tying my hands in this way is necessary because I'm working in a crucible. Basically what we have here is a character study: an idealised self compared to a variation of that self contrasted with the complete opposite of that self. It is also why I'm finding it so hard to write even though it's nothing close to biography. This is probably why most biographies I’ve read have never been that interesting. Facts are inflexible. All you can do with them is present them in as best as light as possible. A first person perspective is one thing but trying to be faithful to the truth is foolhardy as you suggest.

That said, I think there’s no harm in deciding on a few benchmarks to ground your characters. In the book I’m writing at the moment both the daughter and the father are based on me, me-the-son in my relationship with my own father and me-the-father in my relationship with my own daughter; there is also a doppelgänger-character who is a complete fabrication.

The things that happen in the book are total fiction but tying my hands in this way is necessary because I’m working in a crucible. Basically what we have here is a character study: an idealised self compared to a variation of that self contrasted with the complete opposite of that self. It is also why I’m finding it so hard to write even though it’s nothing close to biography.

]]> By: the poet http://www.worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/comment-page-1/#comment-160 the poet Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:52:50 +0000 http://worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/#comment-160 You bring up an interesting point Carolee. The fictional "I." It is a useful technique to employ, I agree. But like anything else, it can be overdone. What we don't want to do is use our poetic strengths as crutches. We should ever be learning new devices and honing our skills. ;-) You bring up an interesting point Carolee. The fictional “I.” It is a useful technique to employ, I agree. But like anything else, it can be overdone. What we don’t want to do is use our poetic strengths as crutches. We should ever be learning new devices and honing our skills. ;-)

]]> By: carolee http://www.worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/comment-page-1/#comment-162 carolee Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:58:55 +0000 http://worldclasspoetryblog.com/the-poetic-i-the-most-overused-word-in-all-literature/02/05/2008/#comment-162 i've heard this said before, not in these words. i - i - i am guilty - guilty - guilty. and i know it's not always the right thing to do BUT ... BUT ... i do incorporate fiction, bend reality. the "i" isn't always me and and it's not always how it happened. that's the only thing i could say in caution to your remarks as a flat rule: that we can't always assume that the "i", the narrator, is the same as the poet. i'm carrying away from this a challenge to write more pieces without "i." i don't always use it but i usually do and it would be smart to pay attention to it. thanks! i’ve heard this said before, not in these words. i – i – i am guilty – guilty – guilty. and i know it’s not always the right thing to do BUT … BUT … i do incorporate fiction, bend reality. the “i” isn’t always me and and it’s not always how it happened. that’s the only thing i could say in caution to your remarks as a flat rule: that we can’t always assume that the “i”, the narrator, is the same as the poet.

i’m carrying away from this a challenge to write more pieces without “i.” i don’t always use it but i usually do and it would be smart to pay attention to it. thanks!

]]>