Poetry

Rudolph Valentino penned a book of “Other World” inspired poetry, entitled “Day Dreams,” in 1923.  Here he comments on his on-going love affair with that genre.

“You ask about poetry and why I am partial to it. The answer is simple. Poems tell stories in concise and picturesque ways, often with a witty turn of words. As far as the poems in “Valentino Speaks” are concerned, that, at least, was the intent!

There are certain rhythms in my poems which can be both felt and heard. Thusly encoded, they are talismans, dedicated to life itself. All have been inscribed with a personal wish of love to those who wish to read them. 

Poems may also be thought of as paintings on a page. The words are shadings and colorings whose purpose it is to give shape to thought. Each starts out as a blank slate, a tabula rasa to be used by the poet to display his or her creativity with language. The forms are many, from Alexandrine to free verse, more often than not involving the juxtaposition of sound and some sort of play on words. These, however, are merely devices. The single most important aspect of any piece of poetry is that it has the potential of touching us emotionally, on the most basic of levels. 

Poems strike chords in our psyches as do the chimes of a clock or the sounds of an operatic aria.  In other words, they promote visceral reactions. There are harmonic chords afoot in all of life’s circumstances. The gift that poetry offers is to make them more audible. 

What is every poet’s dream? To shed light on thoughts so that they may truly be seen.” ~ Rudolph Valentino

 

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