emily dickinson on poetry-

"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotion know what it means to want to escape from these."

I am not in complete agreement with Dicki here. I don't see poetry as escaping, but, perhaps releasing one from the intensity of emotion. For me, it is the same with painting; an intense amount of what I prefer to call "energy" rather than emotion, being put to use by "releasing" it, and thus, ending it. When I create a painting, it is intensely spontaneous and full of fervent energy. When it is released to its full, like revving an engine and emptying the tank, it is dead. I am happy when it is dead, because then that energy is gone, I can move on to the next experience, gather new energy, and begin again. But, I do agree with her on poetry perhaps being an escape from personality. This, may be true, if one creates in the state of egolessness. Otherwise, it is just self-expression, coming from the ego state. Neither is bad.

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