The
poetry wheel starts with a kick-off poem by the lead poet. The
next poet then states a preferred but appropriate axis of comparison,
involving image, theme, subject, form, etc., comparing the lead
poet's poem to their own. The performance progresses, wending
its way through unplanned creative terrain, as the poets spontaneously
improvise their selections.
Often such parallels occur serendipitously at open mics. For
instance, you may go to an open mic and witness a spontaneous
streak of road poems or love lyrics. Theme nights are common
at some venues. The host may hold an erotic poetry reading for
Valentines Day, or Day of the Dead poetry reading for Halloween.
Hosts may also encourage poets in the audience to volunteer
responsive poems.
The poetry wheel both bonds poets and enhances a sense of community
by connecting poets to the audience. The listeners are involved
in the dramatic tension that occurs while they anticipate the
creative reply that each poet will make in response to the previous
poem. The poets are inspired by the improvisational manner in
which they must search through their collections to make connections.
With each turn of the wheel, the poems join together to create
a larger, ongoing poem that resonates with meanings that otherwise
might not have existed. Poets and audience become more attentive
and alert as various creative possibilities and connections
are realized. This is especially true when the poets are reading
fresh material.
The improvisational element here, however, is not in making
up a poem on the spot, although this is another possible variation.
Instead, the poets draw on a wide repertoire of already completed
poems, and invent their connections spontaneously, since the
sequence of topics is not preset. Moreover, any well-written
poem presents an indefinite number of possible relations to
the previous ones, challenging invention and inspiration. The
poets must follow the sequence of selections carefully because
not only does each choice play on the preceding poem, it is
effectual in terms of developing the meanings that emerge at
every turn.
Each poetry wheel is unique. Although poetry wheels may take
a competitive turn, there are no individual winners or prizes.
The interest is in the appropriateness of the response, not
whether or not it knocked out an opponent poet. The wheel is
the "unslam." Every poet is left standing to join
hands for a bow at the end.
Poetry wheels are also educational. They encourage poets to
reexamine their repertoires on multiple parameters, and compare
their achievements with that of their fellow poets on like matters.
The different ways in which the poets relate is illuminating
for the audience as well.
There are very few hard rules for any poetry wheel. One hard
rule is that the each poet (except for the lead poet) must state
as clearly as possible how his or her poem connects, by way
of theme, imagery, subject, form, etc., to the previous one.
Wheels can be set up on a wide open basis, or to explore a single
topic, for instance, God, or love, or travel. Another rule is
that poets should limit the reading of their poems to two to
three minutes maximum in length. Shorter poems keep the wheel
spinning, the connections vivid, and participation high.
There are many ways to set up poetry wheels. Wheels are not
limited to poets with stacks of their own poems. Poetry-lovers
who are familiar with a wide range of poetry can bring anthologies
and run a poetry wheel. Combination wheels in which poets read
poems other than their own are also a possibility. (Tip: If
you are hosting a large group, and are thinking of poets participating
from the audience, you should have them position themselves
towards the front so that you don't lose time getting them to
the microphone.)
Unexpected connections will arise from such a combination wheel,
as recently written poems contrast with those in a canon. Wheels
enable poets to find fresh meanings in their works, which can
inspire them to write new poems or feature and publish new combinations.
Consider Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess." The
poet following the poem could choose to play off of a number
of possible themes: marital relationships and their resolutions,
power relationships that undermine love, the political arrangements
of the time, the form of the dramatic monologue, rhymed or free
verse, a connection between the Duke's artwork as an expression
of his character with a work of art in another poem, a jump
perhaps to a modernist work like Guillaume Apollinaire's calligramme,
"Heart, Crown, and Mirror," in which the poet looks
more deeply into a character-and therefore, more deeply into
his own.
Any poetry
lover can organize a poetry wheel. Read your own poems aloud,
and ask yourself what comparisons you could make to works
by others. Create a dialogue wheel with a fellow poet. Organize
an open mic poetry wheel. Put on a poetry wheel with three
or more designated feature poets. Make the most of the discipline
that using a set sequence of poets requires. Invite the audience
to participate. Or, change the rules. Change them in the middle
of the performance. Respond to the inspiration ignited, rather
than sticking to a set sequence. The choice is up to you.
A wheel that dialogues with the audience is the most complex,
and needs a host to keep it turning. For example, if the performing
group, or inner-wheel, starts the first round by turning the
wheel in alphabetical order, in succeeding rounds, it can
be confusing when anyone from the audience, or outer-wheel,
can join in. When audience members have a response, the last
poet to read in the inner-wheel should simply raise their
hands at the end of the audience member's poem so that the
host can keep track of how the wheel is turning. As the wheel
proceeds, the host should also try to recognize outer-wheel
poets before returning to those who have already contributed.
A round of poems can stay on the outer-wheel as long as the
inspiration for connection to the underlying meaning continues.
The aim is to provide the optimum number and variety of turns.
In this scenario, when there are no more contributors from
the audience, the most recent poet on the inner-wheel becomes
the default.
Wheels ruled by inspiration generally need a moderator to
maintain the balance among participants. If you'd prefer to
host an online poetry wheel rather than a poetry wheel performance,
you will need to develop your own specific rules for posting
poems and responses.
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