Poetry is at its most powerful, I think, when it captures the essence of a thing or when it provides a new perspective on something that seems to be obvious already, a concept, an idea, an emotion, a truth. Whether the poem is a sonnet or a villanelle or a piece of spoken work or a sound or concrete poem. When poetry does this I think it can be so moving and powerful and good.
It is this kind of poetry that really become a fan of poetry and inspired me to write myself.
Yet whenever I think or have thought about "Christian poetry" I can't say that much of it has moved me in the same way. And I know that there must be good Christian poetry out there - but I have never been able to find it. And usually if I do see Christian poetry it is the kind of ditty in rhyming couplets printed in cards with pictures of rippling waves or a snowcapped mountain range on the front or etched on bookmarks or carved on pieces of wood, the kind of thing for sale in the Christian Book shop. I have also looked online and will admit that there is a lot of Christian poetry but like with any online poetry these are the kind of poems have perhaps been written as a journalling exercise or a persons own expression of creativity in that one moment. Which is absolutely great and wonderful and I encourage everyone to be creative in this way as I do this myself.
I am concious of what I want to say and would never want to belittle or discourage anyone. That is the last thing I want to do. I think any poetry is special and any poem is a precious thing. I love that a poem can be written by a 5 year old or a 95 year old. I love that poetry is that accessible and that people will have a go at writing poetry, that they will be creative and that a poem allows them to do this.
But I don't think that this kind of poem is the same kind of poem that I am talking about. Just because something seems easy and accessible doesn't mean that it is easy to master. I can run but I don't believe I can be an Olympic sprinter
The kind of personal reflective poem that I write in 20 minutes before I go to bed is different for to me than the poem that I spend days and hours crafting, fretting over the right metaphor and simile, trying to get right. And I'm not saying that amazing poems can't be written in 20 minutes on the back of an envelope on a bus but most aren't. Most good poems take time and are rewritten and redrafted and don't come easily.
My point is that most Christian poetry I have seen doesn't seem like this (which is OK - see above) but I guess I want to celebrate the poetry that is grafted on, that is full of sweat and tears. And as a poet I aspire to write poems that are as good as the poems that I love, that will fully glorify God through my creativity.
I will say that in the past few years I have discovered some great spoken word poetry by Christian artists but I don't think that spoken word poetry works in the same way that written poetry does. I know some spoken word poets who don't like their poems to seen as written pieces because part of the poem is the way that they deliver it. And I get that, as I have started doing my own performance poetry and spoken word I will admit that the way I am doing the poem live isn't the same as if someone was to read it off the page. This kind of poem stands as it's own thing whereas a poem written down is there to be used. A poem that is written down is blank in a way, it allows you to put your own voice to it, it isn't defined by the definitive interpretation of the performer and so you can use the written poem for yourself, it can be taken with you and read silently without the use of Youtube or an ipod, it can be on a scrap of paper in a bible, it can just be in your memory for when you need it. and it can also be used to be spoken out load (and I think poems should be) but unlike the spoken word poem, the written word poem is like a piece of classical music, whoever reads it is like a conductor, bringing his own thing to it.
Basically, I am passionate about poetry and I want to find poetry that can be used, poetry that can be used to worship God, to discover who God it, all of that.
And so I have gone looking for it and this project is one of the things that has come out of that search. As with a lot of the books I have put together I am doing this for myself, because I want this resource and I want to discover great poetry. If it blesses other people that so much the better. I have started compiling poems, seeking out poets but I also welcome people to contribute.
I have waffled enough now but will be putting information on the homepage link with details for submissions. So please check back there soon!
Dan
