Poets may feel themselves and appear to others to be solitary, especially as they write.

Yet poets have the company of other poets whenever they are reading poems. Not only do I learn what poetry can be and what I might do as poet when I read Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens, I feel I am in the choicest literary company imaginable! They are my poetry family, familiars who are always there for me, to use a cliche about friendly supporters.

Most poets are thick with at least some other poets, poet friends in real time. They correspond, swap poems and comments. They provide impetus and response well before the poets have other readers or a wide readership.

The advancing amateur might feel lost and deserted when publication of her poetry seems so elusive, so distant, and, as the rejections pile up, so depressing. The terms of sending out poetry are dire: submission, rejection! Even with periodical or even book publication there might be little feedback. Very few published poetry books are ever reviewed, yet poets can take comfort in the response of family, friends, and other poets.

To expect fame and fortune in writing poetry is a mistake, one that creates acute feelings of isolation, of being underappreciated, of never being able to achieve those high marks.

The poet needs to be her own best friend, expectant, grateful, curiousWhat will her next draft bring? What a surprise her new poem is!

Then, of course, there are connections via poetry instructionclasses, degree programs, workshops, or craft books. In Eugene we are lucky to have all of these. The Lane Literary Guild has manuscript workshops led by fellow poets. Go to their website: www.laneliteraryguild.org. Maxine Scates and other accomplished poet-teachers offer private classes. The U of O awards an MFA. And the books? Our own Oregon Barbara Drake has a good one: Writing Poetry. And the former U.S. Laureate Ted Kooser has the engaging Poetry Home Repair Manual.

In some ways writing poetry or writing anything else is the most accessible artyou use a familiar medium, you can use the original lap-topa notebook and pencil, and now with computers you have an easy way to enter, store, and transmit your poems and through the web enjoy access unlimited.

If you want to talk about poetry, shoot me an e-mail! No need to write the stuff alone!