The Intimacy of Brevity: Praise for the Short Poem
By Angela M. Brommel
Brevity is a kind of intimacy. The short poem exists in the spark of a passing moment. It works because it has good emotional shorthand. The writer gives you a glimpse into another world, and you are invested in its story and images because you feel something even if you don’t have or understand all of the details.
I used to treat my short poems like practice instead of recognizing them as whole and complete. Brief work focuses on significant moments and realizations. In longer works we often weave multiple narratives and images around a culminating moment. Some poems only need that moment.
In the past I wrote a line or two down, waiting for a poem to become more. Over-writing short poems dilutes their potency and unnaturally complicates impulse.
Currently, I am working on a series of longer poems about doves, but short forms keep appearing when I sit down to write. Maybe these brief poems will develop into a longer poem, or maybe they will continue to hold their space in the moment.
O, White Columbine
-Aquilegia Vulgaris
Sweet petals
under tongue
without a thought
of fall.
Foolishly mistaking
five white doves
as a jester’s cap.
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Columbine, State Flower, Colorado." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1898 - 1931.
George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "Columbine." The New York Public Library Digital Collections.
Science, Industry and Business Library: General Collection , The New York Public Library. "Columbine." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1739.
Double Down Blogger Image/Angela M. Brommel.
Angela M. Brommel is the Executive Director of the Office of Arts & Culture at Nevada State College and the Editor-in-Chief at The Citron Review. Mojave in July is her debut full-length poetry collection (Tolsun Books, 2019).
Learn more about Angela and her work on her website: https://www.angelambrommel.com/
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