Year of Poetry Update - Week 18

It had to happen sooner or later.  This week I ran into a reality iceberg and nearly sank.  My concerns from last week played out with much of my time taken up by lesson prep and recovering from teaching 5 and 6 year olds.

The long periods between and the short time afforded to writing really messed up my rhythm.  A poem that I had been working on since last week seemed to get worse and worse.  

I think if this week shapes up as being the same, writing must come before all other aspects of the plan.  I think I need a better/longer run at things.

Following on from that would be a focus on close reading over study of technique and/or critical essays.  I found I have really missed the enjoyment and the subtle motivation closely reading another's good poetry can give.

This week's study was comprised of reading about the first seven chapters of Mary Oliver's Rules for the Dance,  a nice light text on metrical poetry.  It was mostly revision but I did pick up some bit's and pieces that made it worthwhile.

My close reading was Kate Clanchy's  Miscarriage, Midwinter, which I have only just had time to start the explication on.

I also received an international rejection from a UK magazine.

Not all was doom and gloom.  I did receive my contributor copy of Poetry & Place Anthology 2015 and you can enter into a giveaway for a copy yourself  here.

For the Statbadgers:

Total time: 04:42 (250:24) hrs

poem writing = 1.37 (103:18) hrs
close reading = 0:05(51:15) hrs
technique/theory 2:40(62:22) hrs
reflection = 0:22(20:42) hrs


Poetry written:


1 (19) poems completed
8 poems in draft
1 poem abandoned
1 poem facing execution at dawn



Poems Submitted:

0(13 in total) poems




Poems Published:


0(5) poem


Live Performances:


0(2)


Rejections:


1(7) poems