It's so nice to appreciate something like poetry. I'm guessing that since you're here, you like poetry. What kind of poetry do you like? That question might be somewhat difficult to answer because there's so many types of poetry.
I cannot count the times I have been asked what kind of poetry I write. My answer is usually all kinds which is often met with a bewildered look. I honestly don't know what people expect me to answer. I usually follow up with the answer of "a lot of free verse", and sometimes explain what that is. That's poetry that doesn't technically follow a form. It doesn't rhyme throughout.
There are so many types of poetry, I went to college and got a degree, and am still learning about different kinds today. Last year I went to an intro to poetry class and learned about even more forms of poetry. For example, the list poem is a poem where you make a poem out of a list, and I didn't know about it. I write Sonnets sometimes. And Haikus. Is that what people want to know? Do you want to know which form of Sonnet I write? (There's more than just Shakespearean sonnets). I don't remember the name for it, I'm not 100% there is one, but I think there is: but I write using the Shakespearean form without the iambic pentameter. If you're not a poet or English major, do you even know what I'm talking about? Would you be able to say that's the type of poetry you like? Something in an ABAB rhyming format, in iambic pentameter, with a couplet with a CC Rhyming scheme at at the end? You might say Sonnet, but I'm guessing you'd say you like Shakespeare's poetry. That's more understandable. (And I would never be so bold as to compare my poetry to Shakespeare's poetry). Some poets stick themselves into one type of poem, and that's not me. I want to write, and actually read all kinds of forms!
Maybe you want to know about the subject matter of my poetry. What subject matter of poetry do you like? Generally I write something that has nature woven into it, and except with the case of the Haiku's where that's actually a rule, it's unintentional on my part. I just love nature that much I guess. But really, for me, no subject matter is off limits in the case of writing OR reading poetry. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for the more violent, darker stuff, sometimes I am. I am a horror fan after all (Thanks Edgar Allen Poe)!
Or maybe you like "depressing" poetry, or maybe you like more cheerful stuff. So maybe you want to know if the kind of poetry a person likes or writes, is actually what kind of mood of poetry a person likes. In high-school, a friend and I were doing some sort of poetry thing (go ahead and comment, friend, if you read this). We were trying to make a poetry publication or something like that and trying to collect poetry from students. A couple of girls came to us and told us that they wrote depressing poetry like it was a bad thing or something. Me and my friend gave each other a look saying, "So? Poetry is supposed to be depressing". I'm not in High-school anymore, and most of my poetry is more hopeful now actually. I find nothing wrong with either mood: hopeful or depressing. Or anything in-between, hence the 3 parts in Un-Clenched Emotion, Enjoying, Despairing, and Philosophizing.
(I'd like to take a break to plug my book here a bit.) The Kindle version of Un-Clenched Emotion is going to be on sale for .99 cents on Prime Days again. Actually, before and after. June 22nd-June 29th 2026 are my sale days. I haven't sold many copies for .99 cents yet, which is weird, because I've sold copies at the $2.99 price. Oh well, I suppose I'll keep doing it. Took over a year to get my first review. I couldn't give my book away for free at first, then gave away a few, then it made the for free best seller list. So one day, maybe more people without Kindle Unlimited will pick up my book for $0.99. (Or people with Kindle Unlimited will decide they want to keep it forever!) While I might not compare it to Shakespeare, I definitely think that's a good deal for a book with an average 4.4 star rating on Amazon and Goodreads! The link is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZNVH4Y
Back to the main subject. What do you answer when someone asks you what kind of poetry you like? Do you say an authors name? Do you say a form, a subject matter, or a mood? Or something else entirely? I mentioned 2 poets I like in this post. I like many more. I like all subjects, emotions, and moods. I can't say I like all forms, but I like learning about all of them, and sometimes I won't like one at first and then it will grow on me. What do you want to know when you ask a person what kind of poetry do they like to read or what kind of poetry do they write?
And in follow up from previous blogs this year: I did work on Seasons of Sensation this month, plus I wrote a lot of reviews. I went to Poetry Open Mic Night again and read some poems. Next I'd like to make a video of "Relating to a Mystery". June is Pride Month. I feel that it only effects me indirectly. I just learned it's PTSD Awareness month which does affect me directly, since I've been diagnosed with it. Also, since me and my husband come from military families, it affects our families too. I did/am writing a poem about that in Seasons of Sensation. Have fun with whatever type of poetry you like in anyway you want to have fun with it!
