IS POETRY AN LEARNT ART OR A TALENT?

[IamJc_Bembo12]

For me, it is something that is being honed and learnt. I represent myself to substantiate that writing poetry is constant learning on how to perform it. It was when the pandemic arose where my novice hands made me wanna learn how to write poetry, so I did all the best possible way I could to write a piece.

[Siti Rahimah]

Personally, I think poetry is an art that can be learned, but then again everyone has their own level of creativity. So can poetry be learned? Of course.

[AbandonedProfile1]

I think for the most part poets are born... but then a person can always learn to be more skilled at something. Poetry is a very subjective art form. Are we for instance talking about the natural ability to tell a story within rhyme schemes or the modern versions of no rules allowed? I think it is safe to say that those who attempt and enjoy poetry in this day and age might not be the majority of the human population and therefore all should be welcomed to explore this creative world!

[review-specialist]

I think poetry can be a bit of both at times because there are persons who learn the art of poetry writing and from there it became a talent for them.

[DE Navarro]

ALL artistic expression and endeavors are a COMBINATION of natural talent/ability and learned skill, and poetry is no different.

You can easily see this illustrated by simply thinking about learning a musical instrument. Some people who have very little natural ability can learn to play a guitar, read music, follow along, and reproduce music, etc. But the ones with natural ability might be able to pick up a guitar and in a few days or a week be playing and reproducing music without any special training at all. Many classical musicians vary in their innate musical talent, but learned from an early age to play a violin or horn or some other instrument.

This is what makes humanity so beautiful and varied, that no two people have the same combination of natural innate talent and learned skill and ability. Let's look at four possibilities as an illustration of this variance.

1. 100% Innate + 0% Training: This person has incredible natural, innate talent but no formal instruction or education in the art. They seem to be a whiz at reproducing and expressing themselves in the art form and everyone loves what they do. But they lack some of the formal refinement that comes with learning the skill and so some who are more refined do not appreciate their work. (Elton John, Jimmie Hendrix, Eric Clapton, the Beatles are considered in this category).

2. 50% Innate + 50% Training: This person is very well rounded and good in both the natural ability to express in the art form and the technical skill of it. But they are not exceptional, just good, solid, consistent, and appreciable performance in the art. (Most other musicians and artists fall in the category of natural ability mixed with training, some maybe have 25% natural and a lot more training, some may have 75% natural and more or less training, etc.)

3. 0% Innate + 100% Training: This person had to learn everything they know and they are very technically brilliant in the art form and have carved out a niche for themselves and by arduous practice have made themselves able to produce. (Norman Rockwell is said to have had no artistic ability when he began to train himself in graphic design and art and through years of arduous practice became a famous illustrator and artist, purely learned. Whitney Houston claims to have had very little natural talent and had to work hard to attain her skill and fame).

4. 100% Innate + 100% Training: An artistic genius. Not only pure natural ability but masterful learned skill too. (Musicians like Phil Collins and Brian May (of Queen) are considered to be brilliant in both categories).

These are just rough illustrations, but the point is, there will be some combination of natural ability and learned skill in everyone. And yes, people can become artists, poets, musicians by sheer willpower, practice and learning who have little natural ability, but if they don't pick up the "soul" or "heart" along the way, they may be like robots simply reproducing artistic expression with technical brilliance but little heart, soul, and passion.

Most very successful and famous people in all categories of art had some natural inclination toward their art but passionately drove themselves to learn all they could and to perfect their art. It's good to be a combination of both.

[Emidio Inocencio]

I believe its a latent, the teaching only unveils it.

[the_bibliofile]

It can definitely be taught. A lot of poetic pieces is just how you observe and there could be some practices that could help, just like a major skill for auditors is to observe, which is taught through practice. Also, the groups claiming to teach poetry may be aimed at more technical aspects like the rhyme, flow, rythm or it may be directed towards the various types of poetry including haiku, sonnet, etc. While it requires some talent (as with anything, really) it can definitely be taught.

[Ciska C]

I think it’s a bit of both. If you have the talent, you will improve it very quickly through practice, if you don’t though, it will be much harder work to get to an acceptable standard. Much like learning a musical instrument.

[Alexandur Gicov]

Like all this is a combination of both. There is no way to make any progress in something if you do not have even a drop of talent, but even if you do not learn the rules and methods for it, you will not go far either.

[Susan Gibbs]

I think to be a good poet, you need to have a certain inborn talent. I am sure one can learn to be a better poet, but if you don't have some natural ability, you will not be able to become a very talented poet.

[Tori_J]

I think it is both. It is a skill that some people get born with but they still need to work on it if they would be good at it. I also believe people without the natural talent can learn it if they are determined enough.

[Tina Masha 1]

Poetry is mainly based on imagination, creativity, and being able to put it into writing. So if you possess these abilities poetry shouldn't be hard for you. I equally believe it can still be learned.

[Ayomide Solomon]

To me, poetry is an inborn talent for anyone (poets) to harness in their pleasurable style.

[Anthonio042]

I believe that composing poetry is a skill that can be learned as well as a talent. I don't believe I was born with the ability to write masterpieces, but I do believe I was given the resources to do it. The trouble is, in order for that talent to blossom into a full-fledged journey, you must nurture and sharpen it.

[Charlize Venter]

It is both nature and nurture. The talent must be innate, but it must also be fostered and refined.
I come from a strong line of poets and writers, C.J. Langenhoven and the like. I've been 'good' with words and phrasing since I could string sentences together. It's just as if that gift has always been there. My paternal grandmother was one of the people who created translation from English into Afrikaans for the national dictionary. Now, Afrikaans is a very entertaining language if one translates it directly. For instance, my gran, Lientjie, created a most peculiar translation for jumper cables, being skokspringkaan. Most trnaslators would just. translate it back into 'jumper cables', but in direct translation one sees the magic in it, being 'shock-grasshoppers'. There are numerous other Afrikaans words that have this peculiar beauty to them once directly translated, like the word for skunk is stinkmuishon which is directly translated into 'stink-mouse-dog'. Or even the word for giraffe, kameelperd has the direct translation of 'camel-horse'. It has always fascinated me, and I've always found the ineffable beauty in such instances of direct translation.

Having these genes in me, I didn't immediately realize that it was a gift I needed to nurture. I was always surprised when peers looked at my writing and commented something like "wow, you really have an incredible way of describing things", I'd always be like "what...why? Don't the other kids also write like that?". Even the most stern and stoic teachers found surprise and intrique in my papers.

So, in comparison to my classmates, I find that writing, especially poetry, is a art that is best mastered if there already exists an innate talent for it. It's about not only about how the poet sees or experiences something, but how they are able to bring that to life for the reader: poets and good writers are able to paint immersive pictures with words.