Poetry Is an Art That Paints Life: An Abstract Take

by | Sep 26, 2024 | Guest Article, Life, Poetry | 2 comments

Photo by Trust “Tru” Katsande on Unsplash

Life encompasses its intricacies that somehow embody abstractionism. Poetry, on the other hand, is a reflection of life. As we place both fractions together, poetry is an art that paints life.

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

Poetry and painting are both comparable in many ways especially in the area of creative process. That said, poetry serves as a means of expression of words. While painting accomplishes an artwork without the use of words, it utilizes different colored paints. Both have the same inner process of tapping into human emotion and thought while letting the poem or painting flow onto the paper. Regardless of the difference in medium, poetry and painting can be integrated into one. This creative linkage explains the art of poetry – poetry is an art.

When we write poems, we tend to let our feelings guide the pen into forming the words. Similarly, when we paint paintings, we also allow our feelings to take over our paint brushes to create the art.

Poetry Is an Art That Paints Life

Ultimately, the art of poetry heavily relies on expression. Often, our emotions and thoughts don’t make sense. We tend to experience a sense of confusion at times because we just can’t put a finger on it. And that’s a normal thing for us humans. We cannot consistently articulate our feelings, especially about life. Life itself is already complex enough to handle.

However, in the realm of poetry, we can consider employing it to express ourselves without needing to capitulate to the technicality of writing. Hence, we can be as random and abstract as we can be to better capture what we truly feel through writing poetry. Deep down, poetry is an art that happens to be successful at illustrating the madness of life and emotion.

a photo of a pen and paper

Photo by Álvaro Serrano on Unsplash

An Abstract Take on Poetry

Poetry is an art made of words. While some poems are more direct and straightforward with their portrayal of certain emotions and thoughts, some happen to be vague and sometimes senseless on our end as readers.

This implies that there are actually no fixed rules on how we should write a poem. At the end of the day, it’s under our control, and whatever we yearn to attain through poetry is up to us.

Poetry circles around creative expression, conveying thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a creative and artistic tone. On that note, the use of metaphors, figurative language, and symbolism is the typical approach when writing a poem. Ultimately, poems are not in high respect with strict rules, so in this case, it is actually a freeing way of depicting the experience of life. The creative freedom of poetry never fails to astound us.

That said, the ability of poetry to reveal the beauty of life conforms as immeasurable.

a tree painting, portraying ‘life’

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

Successfully Illustrating Life Through the Art of Poetry

As aforementioned, poetry has the remarkable ability to unfold the intricacies and beauty of life

“Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.” Percy Bysshe Shelley

With that, engaging in poetry and writing a piece allows us to be immersed in life in a way that touches our very cores to understand on a deeper level the existence of purpose and meaning. To simply imply, poetry inspires and motivates us in our approach to navigating through this journey of life, imparting with us a sense of purpose and introspection.

The experiences we have delved into with time become significantly ignited with added value by writing a poem about them. Poetry may not precisely portray how we feel to the very depths, but it does become an outlet for our detained emotions and thoughts to finally acquire freedom and tranquility.

Poetry In Motion is a poetry book that depicts the landscape of life by Quattlebaum. It delves into how poetry is life in motion and motion is the poetry of life. The magnificent poems in this masterpiece exceptionally capture the grand scheme of life and how we all play a part in its beauty.

We highly recommend checking out Raymond Quattlebaum’s Poetry In Motion and grabbing your own copy by clicking this link for your purchase. Without a doubt, this book is a must-read, especially for poetry lovers and enthusiasts out there.

Raymond Quattlebaum

Raymond Quattlebaum

I'm Raymond Quattlebaum, an African American poet known for "The Color of Love" and "Poetry in Motion." My writing explores love, faith, and growth, aiming to inspire readers with heartfelt poetry that shares my devotion to God and life's beauty. Follow me on my social media accounts Facebook, Goodreads

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2 Comments

  1. Cass

    i’ve had instances where poetry really encouraged me through life. its verses depict a different kind of beauty that move you to believing in life’s beauty. wonderfully said!

    Reply
    • Pauline Adams

      I agree with you on this Cass!

      Reply

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