SilasBarta comments on Write It Like A Poem - Less Wrong

9 Post author: Strange7 16 February 2011 03:11PM

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Comment author: SilasBarta 16 February 2011 03:46:30PM 0 points [-]

I agree that writing good poetry is hard -- I gave up at the "gain high social status among elite arbiters of poetry" stage.

But what does your article have to do with writing poetry? Did you mean pre-1900 poetry?

Comment author: [deleted] 16 February 2011 04:00:15PM *  13 points [-]

I agree that writing good poetry is hard

A very witty friend of mine once compared writing poetry to masturbation. It's true, she said, that everybody does it, and it's nothing to be ashamed of: but for most people it's nothing to be particularly proud of either. A few virtuosos may do it so well that they can actually build an audience for themselves, and make a bit of money, but it will never be a stable career path. And while, in the context of an intimate relationship, a loved one may ask to see it, for the most part you should keep it to yourself and not try to show it to friends or strangers.

Comment author: lukstafi 16 February 2011 04:27:45PM *  3 points [-]

It is much easier to improve your writing if you let others point out potential mistakes in your poems or inspire different approaches. Which isn't unlike with masturbation, I guess.