Don't Cry for me Argentina - Joe Flach's Blog

Okay, I am coming clean here and wish to hear what other poets think about this subject.

I am a very lucky man. My life has been lived relatively free of heartache, pain, loss or suffering. I have not lost a wife, child or even many friends to tragic or young deaths. Most of the death I have personally experienced has been that of older relatives who lived long and fruitful lives.

But … and here is where the questions come in about your opinion …

I write a lot of poetry, in first person, about death. I have written many a poem about losing a child, losing a wife, lover or someone else very near and dear to me … ALL FICTIONALIZED!!! I just seem to do a better job of writing my poems in first person. What do you think about writing poems in first person about an imagined experience? Is that, somehow, wrong? Or, deceitful? What do you think?

I sometimes get personal comments back from people saying things like, “Sorry for your loss”, etc., and I feel like I have lied to them about my circumstances. But, it’s only a poem. Written in a style that I seem to have the most success with.

What do think? Should I change my ways? Try to make these poems third person?

All comments are welcomed. I do value the opinions of many of you here.

Thanks.

Jancarl Campi Date: 1/31/2014 11:32:00 PM Many poets wrute about death the way you have described. I do not think you should change your ways. What you could do is at the end of your poem may a note. "Fictional Account". I have no idea on what else to say. Login to Reply

Andrea Dietrich Date: 1/30/2014 9:52:00 PM I kind of thought it was fictionalized, but here is what I would tell you, Joe. When I read a poem in the first person and it's a tragedy that could very well be true for the writer, I really feel confused what to say. So my solution for that, when i do such a poem myself, is to make a notation at the bottom: Fictional account. something like that. problem solved!! Login to Reply Joe Flach Date: 1/31/2014 5:45:00 PM Thanks for your input Andrea. Yeah, most of my facebook friends and folks who know me, recognize my fiction right off. My wife hates the fact that I "kill her off" in so many of my poems. ;-) Good idea about putting the "Fiction" tag at the end. Others have suggested the same thing.

Cyndi Macmillan Date: 1/30/2014 9:42:00 PM :D I'm a fiction writer but most of my poetry is true to life. Some of my poems are not my life but are true, which is usually apparent by its title, like Darfur or Sylvia Plath. I wrote a poem about about a child dying of the plague in 13th century London. Every one knew it wasn't me. , I suggest that, when you write fiction which may cause others to worry about you, to simply choose IMAGINATION as the category, Nothing else, not love, loss, I-need-hugs-now etc, as I have (like when I wrote one based on that hit song, I kissed a girl and I liked it. LOL.. didn't want a rumour to start I was changing teams, though, hey, that team looks nice, no toilet seats up, no refusing to ask directions lol). Anyhow. That should solve the confusion, for the most part and save that "awkward" feeling for all. Smiles from Cyndi Login to Reply Joe Flach Date: 1/31/2014 5:43:00 PM Thanks for the input Cyndi. Good idea about choosing IMAGINATION as a category. I sometimes have a big problem selecting a category that fits my poems and just use "Life" as my default category.

Dr.Ram Mehta Date: 1/30/2014 7:17:00 PM As many as 52 poems I have written are fictionalized. I don't think it is dishonesty. Sometimes we observing the people, friends and relatives write about them in first person or add spices in. Joe Login to Reply Joe Flach Date: 1/31/2014 5:41:00 PM Thanks for your insight, Dr Mehta. That is what I do - I witness life and then put myself in their shoes and imagine how I would feel. I have even written first person poems in which I am a woman - I don't think anyone mistakes those for being autobiographical. ;-)

Joseph May Date: 1/30/2014 5:20:00 PM I think if you leave a note at the end of the poem saying it is fiction, that should suffice... Login to Reply Joe Flach Date: 1/31/2014 5:39:00 PM Thanks for your input Joseph. I have done that on a couple of my poems, but not on all of them. Good idea though.