Poetry NonScenes Workshop

Student, book club member, and poetry lover Sharon-Rose K. Chisango attended the Poetry NonScenes Workshop. This is Ms Chisango’s account of the workshop:

Inevitably, everyone is a poet.

Whenever poetry comes into question – for instance, when thinking about what it is and the extent to which it can encapsulate human experiences – often an unending debate ensues, as in the question of "What is worth terming 'poetry'?".

On Monday 22 April, the South Africa Poetry Project (ZAPP), together with the University College of London and the University of Pretoria’s Department of English and the Department of Library Services, hosted a full day poetry workshop in the Merensky 2 Library auditorium, called Poetry NonScenes. The group of facilitators comprised of poet, children’s book author and educator Jolene Raison, Deirdre Byrne (poet and academic from UNISA), Adam Levin (postdoctoral research fellow at WITS), and Thomas Penfold (academic at UC of London).

After introductions, there was a meditation session led by Jolene Raison, in which participants visualised being trees swaying softly in the wind, before being guided back to reality (to be “grounded” again). Given that writing is a creative process, conscious meditation can often calm the mind and allow the artist to be more in tune with their ideas. This was followed by a lesson on metaphors, which explored how metaphors are easily accessible literary devices, as they transfer to conversation without the need for the crude juxtaposition often exercised in rigid curricula. Take, for instance, the phrase "life is a journey", which is understood across multiple languages. This is not to suggest that structure has no place in poetry, but rather, that misused structure can become an obstacle. Even creativity is the same. The key is moderation, and such a line varies from artist to artist.

A process of "mapping the metaphor" followed, which incorporated both creativity and structure. This tool was put to use with the first poetry prompt of "My body is struggle". It was enlightening to hear the different interpretations from various walks of life, as poets explored internal conflict, solitude, external validation, a search for identity, the strife against history and the present; or took inspiration to write a mantra or a prayer. Only in sharing poems does one become aware that life is the essence of poetry.

Afterwards, Deirdre Byrne also shared two poems: “Tomorrow’s Daughters” by Lebogang Mashile and “#FeesMustFall” by Zewandé Bk. Bhengu. After analysing the respective writing styles, as a conscious effort to understand the context, participants attempted replies to these. Whether the poems critique financial and social situations, or otherwise; are a callout for allegiance; or offer hope and advice, participants explored to what extent they resonated with these. Some of the reply poems were shared and each performance was followed with feedback, as the audience shared their views pertaining what they found striking, necessary or ingenious, as well as how the poets could improve their craft and performance.

The workshop made it clear that poems are not always simply words written on paper or kept in secret. More often, poems speak of pieces of ourselves we are willing to share with others, with or without a styling brush. Thus, because we live, it is only a matter of time before each one of us writes about living, and the workshop equipped those present with more writing tools.