Poetry Writing - Contrasting Styles

Mary Oliver V Rupi Kaur

Hi All

Today I’ll look at the minimalist style of poetry writing, characterised by such contemporary poets as Rupi Kaur. This is a very effective style, and one of my favourites.

Let’s compose a simple short poem on the subject of say, an old tree dying, and compare it to a more longform style like Mary Oliver to the minimalist style of Kaur on the same subject.

(Mary Oliver style):

Gnarled branches reach skyward,
Knotted fingers grasping for one more season.

Leaves cling tenuously, chlorophyll fading,
As sap streams slower through ancient veins.

Yet still this oak stands, steadfast witness
To generations of human grief and joy unfolding
Beneath its sheltering boughs.
In fall's brilliant decline, it teaches again:
To everything there is a season.

(Rupi Kaur style):

you survived
ice storms
and droughts

gave shade to picnics
lovers' whispers
saw more than
anyone knows

ready now
to fall
gloriously

So let’s look at how these two poets looked at the same subject matter, and how they would have approached the content, remembering that these two examples were written by me and not these actual poets, but you get the picture.

The two stanzas exemplify some key differences as well as similarities between the poetic styles of Mary Oliver and Rupi Kaur.

Similarities:

• Both use free verse without strict meter or rhyme scheme

• Both employ vivid, concrete imagery (gnarled branches, chlorophyll fading, ice storms)

• Both poetically contemplate themes of nature, cycles of life, and the passing of time

Differences: Structure/Line Length:

• Oliver's stanza uses longer, more flowing lines and sentences that build on each other

• Kaur's stanza utilizes very short, truncated lines - some only 1-3 words

Diction/Word Choice:

• Oliver tends to use more descriptive adjectives and lush phrasings (e.g. "knotted fingers," "ancient veins," "sheltering boughs")

• Kaur opts for starker, more minimalist diction without ornate descriptions

Perspective:

• Oliver's narrator has more of an outward perspective, observing and describing the tree

• Kaur writes more from the tree's perspective in second person, expressing its experience

Rhythm:

• Oliver's lines have more melodic flow and rhythm through longer phrasing

• Kaur's short lines are more disjunctive, creating a stuttering, staccato rhythm

Tone:

• Oliver's has a more wistful, ruminative tone about the cyclical natural process

• Kaur captures the tree's sense of battle-worn resilience and hard-earned grace

So while both examples use free verse and natural imagery, Oliver's style leans more descriptive/flowing while Kaur's is minimalist/staccato. Their different approaches fit their subjects' contrasting perspectives.

When it comes to evaluating which poetic style better describes the subject of an old tree dying, I don't think it's possible or productive to declare one as definitively "better." Both stanzas effectively capture different aspects and resonances of the subject matter.

The Mary Oliver style stanza excels at:

• Providing vivid, cinematic descriptions that allow the reader to visualize the tree's gnarled, aged appearance vividly

• Giving a sense of the tree's longevity and steadfastness as a "witness" to human life over generations

• Placing the tree's decline in a cyclical, natural context of the changing seasons

The Rupi Kaur style stanza is powerful in:

• Stripping down to the tree's raw essence and experience through sparse language

• Conjuring the tree's resilience having "survived ice storms and droughts"

• Giving the tree a voice and perspective in second person

• Honouring the tree's impending death as something not diminished but "gloriously" cyclical

So Oliver's more lushly descriptive, human observer's perspective complements Kaur's starker verse embodying the tree's own indomitable spirit. Together they grasp different facets of the subject.

Ultimately, evaluating "better" or "worse" is subjective. The distinct styles offer different vantage points, both successfully evoking different emotional textures and truths about an ancient tree's life cycle. Poetry leverages various tools and techniques to capture the inexpressible - both examples achieve that admirably through their respective styles.

On a personal note, I prefer to write in the style of Kaur, though this much depends on the topic or subject matter. In the above examples, I prefer the minimalist approach, for depicting the old dying tree:

Emotional Resonance

Kaur's stripped-down, minimalist approach speaks more viscerally and rawly. The terse lines like "you survived ice storms and droughts" have an impactful starkness that drives the sense of the tree's enduring resilience home. The economical phrasing doesn't blunt the emotional undercurrent, but almost amplifies it through its unadorned directness.

Intimacy of Perspective

By writing from the second-person perspective of the tree itself, Kaur's example draws you into a more intimate connection with the subject. You're not just an outside observer, but experiencing the tree's journey from within its psyche. This immersion into the tree's hardships and hard-won grace could resonate more powerfully.

Modernity of Style

Kaur's style exemplifies the contemporary "instapoetry" movement with its short, disjunctive line breaks and minimalist ethos. If you favour more modern, avant-garde poetic styles over traditional forms, you may find her experimental approach refreshing and appealing for this subject matter.

Balance of Positive/Negative

While both styles capture the inevitable dying of the tree, Kaur's puts more emphasis on the tree's perseverance through adversity. The closing lines "ready now / to fall / gloriously" have a sense of the tree raging defiantly against the dying light. You may prefer this ultimate defiant uplifting over a brooding tone.

In short, Kaur's impactful minimalism, intimate perspective, modern style, and elevation of the tree's resilience could deeply resonate with you and your personal aesthetic preferences for this poem's subject.

Next week, we’ll look at choosing a topic for writing a new poem, and how to make the poem pop.