I'm Only a Novice

[Peely]

I was sitting in the audience at Tamworth at the Poettes' show where it was mentioned that we were in the presence of a master poet - David Campbell was also in the audience on that particular day. This made me think about what life is like for those people that are aspiring writers:

I'M ONLY A NOVICE
© John Peel 24/1/2014

I'm trying to write like a master, I'm only a novice you see -
I wonder if they ever laboured when they were beginners like me.
I struggle with rhyme and with metre, I'm not sure what all the terms mean.
Whenever I ask for opinions, they say that I'm still very green.

I think if I keep working at it, I'll get there in no time, no doubt
And perhaps I will write like a master when I have it all figured out!
Until then I'll just keep on trying - I surely can't get any worse
And one day you'll read some great poetry, instead of mere doggerel verse!

[Heather]

We've all been there haven't we John?

Heather

[Peely]

Definitely Heather

At one time or another

[Heather]

probably in the beginning......

[Peely]

Seeing that the second line can be interpreted in more than one way, plenty of beginners think that they are brilliant

[Heather]

Yep, that they (we, I) did......

[Peely]

Line is now less open to interpretation

[Neville Briggs]

I suggest John, that it is not about learning to write ( struggling with rhyme and metre ) it is about learning to see and listen.
I think that if we don't listen and take time to observe then we will have nothing to write, whether we can manage " correct " rhyme and metre or not.

The same applies to drawing or painting it's not about facility with a pencil or brush it's about seeing.
As I have quoted before; the artist who said " a drawing of a tree shows not a tree, but a tree being looked at ", so I apply that to poetry; a poem does not tell about life but tells about a poet thinking ( or talking ) about life.

This made me think about what life is like for those people that are aspiring writers:

See, you are on the way.

I wouldn't worry about any master/novice dichotomy, that's irrelevant, we're not learning a trade, we're learning to talk about life and given the age of most of us bush poets, we are not novices at life.

[Maureen K Clifford]

We must give the cats an airing John as well Doggeral verse is lovely - anything with dogs wins me so perhaps we need some caterwauling as well to keep our cat fanciers happy.

[Peely]

I suggest John, that it is not about learning to write ( struggling with rhyme and metre ) it is about learning to see and listen.
I think that if we don't listen and take time to observe then we will have nothing to write, whether we can manage " correct " rhyme and metre or not.

The same applies to drawing or painting it's not about facility with a pencil or brush it's about seeing.
As I have quoted before; the artist who said " a drawing of a tree shows not a tree, but a tree being looked at ", so I apply that to poetry; a poem does not tell about life but tells about a poet thinking ( or talking ) about life.

The ideas are certainly important, Neville. Without them, a poem is never going to be born in the first place. Being able to observe and find those ideas is important to anyone, beginner or not. Getting the ideas down in some form is very important for beginner writers and if they are pursuing a path in rhyme and metre (as most in bush poetry are) those things can be developed over time.

I wouldn't worry about any master/novice dichotomy, that's irrelevant, we're not learning a trade, we're learning to talk about life and given the age of most of us bush poets, we are not novices at life.

Regardless of the level that a poet may be at, all of us (including those that might be considered as masters) are still learning. If you have nothing to learn, you are probably dead.