"It is absurd to think that the only way to tell if a poem is lasting is to wait and see if it lasts. The right reader of a good poem can tell the moment it strikes him that he has taken an immortal wound- that he will never get over it. That is to say, permanence in poetry, as in love, is perceived instantly. It hasn't to await the test of time. The proof of a poem is not that we have neverforgotten it, but we knew at sight we never could forget it."
-Robert Frost
Welcome to CrystalShip Poetry. This site is dedicated to the art of poetry. I intend only to include art on this page, so if you're looking for that modern, alternative grunge gothic crap that sounds as if a four year old got hold of a rhyming dictionary and decided to string words together until he or she ends up with sixteen trite lines, look elsewhere.
Poetry is a passion of mine. I feel that passion is an important part of life. A person without a passion is a cold person, a person without fire. I am mesmerized and, more often than not, frustrated by the intricacies of the written word in poetry. "A poem always means one thing, and then one thing more, at least once," to paraphrase Robert Frost. The subtleties of poetry, the sensitivity to tense and case, the delicacy of structure, and the feeling of, every once in awhile, getting it down just write (pardon me, I couldn't help myself there) are worth every ounce of the frustration and pain that leads to the lines on the page.
I have links below to some of my own poetry- it falls well short of my own standards, I confess. Also, and perhaps more importantly, I have pages dedicated to poets that I have, for one reason or another, come to admire. Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, etc. Please check out William Stafford. His poetry is absolutely outstanding. He was also born in my home town.
Please sign my guestbook; let me know you were here and make your mark. I won't delete any entries, provided they are not absolutely obscene. I could not resist the temptation, so I added a biography page (it's short; I'm young) for anyone who cares. I'd advise you not to visit it.
Check back every once in awhile. I have dreams of grandeur, and hope to have the time to add a lot more poetry in the future. Shalom.
Ian.
My Poetry...Poetry written by me that I am opening to criticism.
Some of my favorite poets...
Finally, I have included a page so that I can say "thanks" to everyone who has helped me in one way or another with this page or with my pursuit of poetry. I am really sorry if I've left anyone out.
Thanks for visiting.
© 1997 tan@ourtownusa.net