MANIFEST: Poems
Date
2016-01-07
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MFA in Creative Writing, The University of Tampa
Abstract
This collection shows how art is an act of responsibility. That is, because the poet is able to respond—to injustice, to art, to the natural world, to personal experiences and family history—she must respond. However poetry touches the reader, its greater value is in moving her, or him, to respond in turn. Although a majority of these poems are lyrical, the tension of shifting from one theme to the next creates a narrative arc. Recurring themes, motifs, and the naming of names provide a “story.”
Most of these poems operate with brevity, and concision of line and stanza, carrying the
reader's eye down the page. Free verse alternates, on occasion, with received forms. The diction is simple, tinted with African-American dialect, determined by an interest in strong auditory impact. We limit the scope of creativity and understanding when we ask, reductively, "What is the poem about?" This collection redirects both reader and writer to the more accurate question, “What is the poem saying?”
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Keywords
Poetry, Lyrical poetry, Free verse