So You Want to Be a Writer?

“Poetry” by Marianne Moore (1924)

Like Charles Bukowski’s poem, Marianne Moore's poem “Poetry” expresses a negative attitude toward writing. The writing in question is specifically poetry. "I, too, dislike it,” declares Moore. She jabs at "half poets” and states there are more important things than poetry’s "fiddle.” The "fiddle” relates to Bukowski’s depiction of a faux writer pursuing trivial goals like fame and money. Although Moore and Bukowski are down on their respective writing situations, they are not without hope. Bukowski lays out the process by which a true writer emerges, and Moore concedes that there is a "place for the genuine” within the often-overdone poetry milieu.

“America” by Allen Ginsberg (1956)

Allen Ginsberg’s "America” is another example of an epistolatory poem. While Charles Bukowski’s poem replies to a question about writing, Ginsberg addresses his letter-poem to the United States of America. Like Bukowski, Ginsberg espouses a peevish tone. "I don’t feel good don’t bother me,” Ginsberg tells America. Ginsberg touches on a range of issues from politics to drugs to religion. When Ginsberg mentions poetry, he articulates ideas that relate to Bukowski’s poem. Ginsberg declares, "I won’t write my poem till I’m in my right mind.” As with Bukowski, Ginsberg positions the creation of poetry as a personal matter. Like Bukowski's true writer, Ginsberg separates himself from the rest of society. "Everybody’s serious but me,” exclaims Ginsberg. While Bukowski didn’t always have pleasant things to say about Ginsberg, he recognized Ginsberg’s influence on late-20th century American poetry. Both Bukowski and Ginsberg believed skillful writing was visceral and uncensored.

“to the whore who took my poems”by Charles Bukowski (1974)

This poem is another example of Charles Bukowski’s caustic voice and his inclination toward the epistolatory poem. Here, Bukowski addresses his poem to a woman who stole 12 of his poems. The importance of these poems relates to the principles in “so you want to be a writer?” For the real writer, nothing is more important than writing. In “to the whore took my poems,” Bukowski demonstrates the prominence of poetry when he says he would have preferred if the woman took his money or even his left arm. This poem expands on the religious allusions in “so you want to be a writer?” and takes additional shots at the writers of his time. Quoting god, Bukowski writes, “I see where I have made plenty of poets / but not so very much / poetry.”