Clifford Liles has won, been placed or shortlisted in many poetry competitions. His work has been published in several literary magazines. He is currently preparing a debut chapbook featuring a thematic selection from his sonnets.
United Verses Limited – The business of writing
Welcome to your first day at work as a writer. A long time ago, I imagined that poets just wrote poems – that the work of a poet consisted of waiting for the muse to join them in some chic café and whisper mellifluous metaphors to them. Not correct. Oh, how wrong I was. Poets … Continue reading United Verses Limited – The business of writing
Lists, lists and more lists
List poems are a listing of various ideas elaborating a central conceit but without any transitional phrases. Sometimes the list loads and overloads descriptions piling up a backdrop until the last line comes as cathartic change. Examples of list poems are numerous across the ages, and include My November Guest by Robert Frost, The Lost … Continue reading Lists, lists and more lists
Page or Stage?
The audience awaits. Reading a newly created written work out aloud is paramount; to yourself, if to no one else. Where possible, as an integral part of the creative process, you should read it out at a workshop or in front of others. This can be daunting for a beginner. In this month’s blog, I … Continue reading Page or Stage?
Giving Feedback on Poetry
“What an amazing poem!” The appreciation of poetry is subjective. Where one reader may say what a great poem it is, another stares blankly. What is longlisted in one competition may be a winner in another. A poem should speak to the heart and the mind, but everyone has had different life experiences that make … Continue reading Giving Feedback on Poetry
Critical Reading of Poems
You can create in grand isolation. You can write in any style you wish, but if you want to get poems published these days you should read a wide range of contemporary poetry beforehand. Not just read, but inwardly digest. Try to evaluate how a poem works. This is a process from which you can … Continue reading Critical Reading of Poems
