Poem

[Silas Thorne]

Bear in mind that all the onlookers save one saw the emperor in his fine new clothes. The one exception was a child who saw that he was naked - but they ALL saw the emperor!

I don't see any Emperor in this one. Perhaps he was in the afterword.

[Jassy Melson]

All the posts don't change the fact that your "poem" is not a poem. At the most it's a random thought.

[Delta40]

how lovely to be the audience
how wonderful to hold one.

[PrinceMyshkin]

All the posts don't change the fact that your "poem" is not a poem. At the most it's a random thought.

The judging of poetry is not a democrtic process. If it were, it seems to me that your point of view would be in the majority. But there are two distinct ways of assessing the validity of anything that claims to be a poem:

1) If it contains several features that are universally believed to be intrinsic to poetry: diction (i.e., language that is appropriate to the theme), rhyme, rhythm, elevated or interesting language

2) The effect it has on the reader. In this regard, I would turn around your statement here: All the negative posts are not likely to overwhelm the poetic experience some had on reading this.

[MysteryGirl]

The meaning that I had found in this poem is perhaps more complex than what other members seen it to be. I pretty much thought of it as what the OP described it as and to have other metaphorical meanings as well. I didn't want to upset anyone by generally liking or enjoying a poem that others failed to see a meaning in so my apologies but this is a piece that I felt didn't need anything else said about because that's just what it is. A poem. On a blank sheet of paper.

Like the OP said, it is quite taunting to poets who have a blank sheet of paper and so much inspiration but sometimes the weight of the pen is too much to pick up.
Or there isn't a proper way to express what you're feeling.

[Jassy Melson]

All posts thinking this so-called poem by "Prince" is thought-provoking or "important" or profound, or even a poem, are decadents in poetry. They have few values when it comes to poetry. They love chaos in the arts. They disdain order and form in poetry. I laugh at the decadents in poetry because they are like lost children--in the minority.

[qimissung]

All posts thinking this so-called poem by "Prince" is thought-provoking or "important" or profound, or even a poem, are decadents in poetry. They have few values when it comes to poetry. They love chaos in the arts. They disdain order and form in poetry. I laugh at the decadents in poetry because they are like lost children--in the minority.

Ooooh, I want to be a decadent lost child! Will there be more poetry, good or bad, and chocolate?

[Jassy Melson]

Hopefully not

[Jerrybaldy]

I'm with Qim.

Jassy - those long winter evenings must really fly by at your place.

[Jassy Melson]

So you don't want any order or form in poetry? You prefer nothingness?

[PrinceMyshkin]

So you don't want any order or form in poetry? You prefer nothingness?

I would prefer that everyone write their poems according to his or her understanding of what a poem is. No amount of following the rules is of itself going to produce a good or an interesting poem.

[cafolini]

I would prefer that everyone write their poems according to his or her understanding of what a poem is. No amount of following the rules is of itself going to produce a good or an interesting poem.

Isn't that what happens anyway, for better or for worse? Form is intrinsic. Rules are inherent prejudices, ready to be overcome through natural evolution.

[Jassy Melson]

I suppose I'm old-fashioned. I thought a poem contained at least some thought or image. Apparently, the trend in poetry is to celebrate and express nothingness. The loss is incalculable (sp.?).