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TJMF Publishing - Open Mike Cafe Editor's Desk Staff Editor Patty Zion |
Pieces of a Poem, Part Three
The Ending
By Patty Zion
It's time to wrap up your poem and add the ribbons and bows for a first-rate ending. For many poets, including myself, the wrap-up looms as the hardest part of the process. Which thoughts to leave with the reader, which image to enhance or introduce, which angle to take on the entire idea - these questions tug at our minds as we think about the big finish.
Use tape sparingly. My sister chooses the most wonderful Christmas gifts for everyone in the family. A smart, intuitive shopper, she buys just the right thing - something one would never have thought of buying for oneself. But every time she wraps one of these gifts, she adds so much tape to the package, it's a nightmare getting the thing open! I guess she simply wants to make the box secure and finished.
Many poets make the same mistake, adding layers and layers of explanation and introspection at the end of a poem. They want to be sure all the loose ends are tied up, secure, and completely understood. But just as too many layers of tape take away the pleasure of opening a gift, too much explanation at the end takes away the joy of figuring out a poem for ourselves.
Thank goodness, this error has a quick and simple remedy. Look at the final lines of the poem. If they can be omitted without damaging the sense of the work, omit them immediately!
As you gain experience and skill, you will learn how to avoid writing over tell segments, and you won't need to delete the endings you've written. You will know when you have said enough - just enough and no more.
Sound it out. An effective ending reflects the sound established in the body of the poem. A work that uses mournful OH and AH sounds will usually require a similar ending. By contrast, a piece of light verse will work best with a lighthearted ending - the sounds of K, T, and P are some of the funniest in the English language.
Shake the package - but not too hard. A skillful poet can sometimes take the reader totally by surprise, effectively moving the poem in a new direction. A different viewpoint, a new insight, a reversal of thought processes - these advanced techniques can provide a shock-wave finish. But remember that severe shaking can damage the goods inside the box. Use this method on the rare occasion when it simply feels like the only way to express your thoughts.
Hint at what is inside. Although a gift giver places the wrapping on the package last, the recipient sees the wrapping first. A similar process can happen within your poem if you choose the ending wisely. The reader often finds the ending so enticing, it inspires another reading of the entire poem.
Place something in the ending which draws the reader back to your previous words. Keep the theme consistent; drop a subtle hint with similarity to the opening lines. Here is an example from my book, Child at Heart.
They clink, clank, clink, and swish, swoosh, swish:
a cup, a glass, a fork, a dish.
I love the sound, but not the splash;
I'm wet with dinner's cold rehash.
It is my fate, or so it seems,
to wipe, to wash, to clean up dreams;
to make things neat for other folks,
to dry the tears this world evokes.
A washerwoman, that is me;
I go through my eternity
with soap, erasers, safety pins -
first-aiding cuts and patching grins.
I watch the news; I watch the wars,
while lost within these daily chores,
disarmed, and clearly knife-bereft,
but cleaning up the mess that's left.
It's not my role to wear the crown.
(I watch the water spinning down.)
My gloves are rubber, pastel pink;
my mom and I are still in sync.
Note the subtlety and dual meaning of the word sync, which alludes back to the opening lines about washing dishes. This technique surprises the reader in a gentle way, providing a bit of prodding to help in the comprehension and enjoyment of the poem. It requires a careful hand, however; obvious word play can cheapen a poem - even a piece of light verse. Use it with caution and consideration.
Exercise:
Read the following poem and write three different endings for it. The first ending should be sparse and understated. The second ending should echo the sounds in the body of the poem. The third ending should relate back to the start in a subtle but meaningful way.
The Brick
The strength of a wall condenses
into humility -
one cast mud-chunk of earth.
With a color so close to flesh,
burnished by weather, wear, and care,
its pores absorb dirt and dust
while cathedrals stand upon it.
It breathes. Does it feel
the touch of other bricks piled on?
With their flaws showing,
but holes hidden,
they weigh tons atop its back.
Once you have written all three endings, decide which one best fits the overall shape and tone of the poem. Watch the forum An Editor's Exercise for a thread where you may post your three endings if you choose to share them with the Open Mike Cafe membership.
As your poetic skills evolve, you may find yourself writing the last lines first and vice verse. Anywhere the urge strikes, grab a piece of paper - maybe even wrapping paper - and start a poem. Carefully wrap it up and present it to your readers. What a great gift!
Staff Editor Patty Zion welcomes your editing questions and comments. You may reach her by e-mail at