below the surface

death by design 2002-08-24 15:40:38 ET i have a question: it is more powerful to speak in metaphor, and vaguely, or using cutting specifics? i speak of poetry, lyrics, and prose here. most of the people who touch me deep enough to write about them can read my words and have *no idea* of what they mean. is this because of their own ignorance? or because i hide myself behind so many veils as to be a ghost? i like to use details that only one person would understand... ah fuck time running out... just curious though... do you think metaphor or specifics are more powerful?

Furax 2002-08-24 15:54:42 ET i've heard that poetry is supposed to illicit emotions and not actually have any absolute direct meaning. which is why the analysis of poetry seems to me to be an excercise in introspection and interconnection between people's emotions. so if you're trying to make someone understand how you feel in an emotional sense then i say that poetry is the way to go.

rckonbebe 2002-08-24 16:05:27 ET Really ,It deepends on who you are triing to get your massage across to. Well, I think so.

=AcceleratedState= 2002-08-24 16:12:29 ET I agree with Furax's sentiments for the most part. I also find that I do the same thing when adressing my feelings in poetry/lyrics(in making it somewhat directed to an individual). I think that through metaphor it makes it more accessable for others to feel your mental condition by having a window left open for them to insert their own experiences. I like combinding both metaphor and specifics in attempts to gain understanding from both the individual that caused the emotional reaction, as well as for better comprehension from others perspectives.

bloodhalo 2002-08-24 16:25:30 ET yes, i believe that metaphors tend to sound more poetic, but to the point can be powerful. it can also be very simple and meaningless. i agree with the above comments. to each their own. you write well, i wouldnt change a thing. maybe you can discuss specifics in another way if you want others to understand what you are writing about. my writing is very straight-forward. theres nothing left to have question which is one thing i like about poetry. people who have read mine dont know what to say to it. maybe it is the tone.

Furax 2002-08-24 16:30:08 ET i will always praise people who have the ability to be succinct though. especially in writing i notice people add too much 'fluff'.

bloodhalo 2002-08-24 16:44:18 ET praise away ;)

=AcceleratedState= 2002-08-24 17:08:26 ET Furax:I try to cut the "fluff" from mine and it just loses the thoughts I wanted to convey. I can see stopping places for my train of thought but this would only dawn multiple versions....such as "motherly instict" vs.1,.2.,.3 etc....if you can percieve a way for me to cut the "fluff" from the ones I recently posted while still conveying all thoughts incorporated feel free to let me know.:D

Furax 2002-08-24 17:11:01 ET i'm sure i could probably cut the fluff from a lot of people's writings (including my own). i used to teach creative writing class! ;-P

huskarl 2002-08-24 17:17:11 ET Metaphor can be more powerful if done right. ie for any given concrete referent there are a number of possible metaphors and you can pick ones that are close to the readers' experience, or somewhat out of their reach. if you are writing about a specific person, to be read by that person, then you have to let that other person 'take part' in the writing, in the sense that you have to choose metaphors that the other person would be likely to choose. on fluff: Dostoevsky said the most difficult part of good writing is to kill off your little darlings.

Furax 2002-08-24 17:22:15 ET ah! that dostoevsky is a smart man indeed! i mean could you imagine crime and punishment with the fluff left in?! wowza! would that be a long book! haha

Olorin 2002-08-25 03:33:04 ET metaphors can help. sometime you want to express in words a feeling which is really hard to name... metaphors can create images in a person's mind, help see the meaning btw welcome to SK, sorry if its too late :)

Broken Machine 2002-08-27 14:21:08 ET metaphors, thats my personal opinion.

The Finn 2002-08-28 01:55:42 ET Many times it doesn't matter, because more often than not people only hear what they want to. It's a fact. As far as generally, I think people get specifics better if they're a viral, as opposed to the non-virals, who are more akin to read into metaphors.

doktor242 2002-09-14 14:37:30 ET I find that for the people I actually care enough to communicate with, metaphor is quite sufficent. I really don't have anything to say to anyone too dense to appriciate a good metaphor or a poem about them.

Broken Machine 2002-09-14 15:52:16 ET thats an extremly good point...i never thoght of it in quite that manner, but i really do appritiate the intellect of people in the manner of metaphors.

death by design 2002-09-15 05:36:10 ET thank you herr doktor. i should associate with these dense people less.. quality over quantity baby. melanie : i wrote a poem once years ago about how much tim was disappointing me in the relationship and how it was going downhill. Eric was the only one who got it.

Broken Machine 2002-09-15 12:07:27 ET copy it to me. i wanna read it.

death by design 2002-09-20 11:53:04 ET okay i will .. it was called 'industrial rain'

Broken Machine 2002-09-21 05:25:22 ET wait,i read that one before.

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