A Masterclass in Poetry GRIFFEN 2024 | 12 Andrew Jamison, Teacher of English, muses on the delights of poetry and putting together his most recent collection. Why is poetry so important? It’s about the freedom of the imagination and yet a distillation of thought and lived life. At a time when our attention spans are dwindling, a poem asks for concentration and focus. In a time of partisans, it celebrates ambiguity. At a time of mourning, it consoles. At a time of celebration, it delights. And is there anything as beautiful as a finely wrought poem? Do you find writing poetry easy? Yes and no. I find the first draft easy and fun. After that comes the editing and drafting process which can take a long time, and bring difficulty, and sometimes lead nowhere. So, poetry isn’t easy, but I like the fact it’s difficult. I like the challenge of poetry. It’s a craft that can take a long time to perfect (a lifetime, in fact, and often that’s not even long enough) but I think that’s what appeals to me. It requires patience and resilience, but it’s worth it in the end when you’ve written a poem you feel happy with and that you think will stand up to the reader, the critic and, more importantly, the test of time. How do your poems develop? Please guide us through the stages of a poem. It usually starts with an idea or maybe a first line or maybe just an image. A lot of the time this comes from reading other books, or listening to music, but could happen during a walk, or even when I’m pushing my son on the swings at the park. The first draft happens in a bit of a blur, and always in one sitting, while the idea is still fresh in my mind. After that, I might leave the poem for weeks or months, or go back to it quite soon; it depends. A lot of whittling the poem down usually happens. Then I’ll send it to some friends for their feedback and I’ll make some more edits. At this point it might be ready, or I might leave the poem even longer. Every poem is different, and calls for a slightly different tack. Where do you draw your inspiration from? Anything and everything. However, a piece of music which I kept going back to while writing my most recent collection – Swans We Cannot See – was ‘The Swan’ by Camille SaintSaëns. The first poem in the book, entitled ‘Listening to ‘The Swan’’ is inspired by it and is set by the river at Sutton Courtenay where I used to take my eldest son for a walk once I picked him up from nursery. That poem captures the sensibility of the rest of the book. Reading other poetry, contemporary or classical, always tends to help fire the creative process for me, too. Funnily enough, there are a number of poems in this book about food and fermentation (parmesan, lime pickle, bread and a long poem about the history of the potato), so I guess that was one too – or maybe I was just really hungry. I became a father for the first time during this book, so my two boys feature as well. How do you manage to fit writing in around the demands of your teaching timetable? I tend to write mostly during the holidays, or just stay up late during the week when the children are in bed and I can get some peace and quiet. In short, I find the time for it. In saying that, I can go for long periods without writing anything. It’s been seven years since my last book, but most of the poems in this book were written in the past two to three years. Can you give any advice to someone wanting to write and publish poetry? I would say read lots of poetry and write lots of poetry. It’s a craft, and it takes a long time to get right, and can take a long time to get published. I’d also say listen to other people when they give you feedback, but be your own harshest critic. But above all else, do it because you enjoy it. Image: Poetry Masterclass
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