From the author of EVERSLEEP: The Beauty of Dark Silence comes a manifesto that explains the powerful psychological influences and hidden power of poetry. In this first ever book on poetic composition by Alexander Bentley, the author and poet, describes his theory on composing poems, their mental benefits, and the persuasion of everyday language. The book is divided into eight main sections, including:
I. Composition - A Discourse on the Fine Art of Poetics
"The beauty of writing poetry is that you can write about a wide variety of topics. Many readers will relate to your words, but you won't know them personally or know what lost treasures their minds will dig up. You will speak to them so intimately they might call you a secret lover."
II. Education - A Discourse on the Art
"Our schools teach students poetry, but a majority of our society has forgotten this ancient art form exists. I believe, that's because most schools don't teach poetry correctly. Our education systems around the globe make it frustratingly difficult for young minds to fully grasp the beauty and mechanisms of this literary art."
III. Language - A Discourse on the Power of Human Languages
"Language is the fundamental building block of consciousness, it is everywhere, in all things, simultaneously revealed yet hidden."
"It's important to understand the value of words and emotions, and how both intimately connect to one another. Language is beautiful, because of this symbiosis. What makes us uniquely human is the vast array of vocal sounds, their meanings and the emotions language shapes in our species."
IV. Persuasion - A Discourse on the Psychological Influence in Poetry
"All readers have desires. What they want determines what things they choose to make a part of their life. If you can tap into the most basic of human desires, you can easily connect and sway the emotional state of readers."
V. Contemplation - A Discourse on Poetry's Mental Benefits
"A poem is a window into the soul. Peer into it, and you'll surprise yourself with what was previously unknown. As the poet, you discover a new part of your life force which remained hidden or out of reach. As the reader, reading a poem you did not write, you see a part that is foreign to you, yet familiar enough to be your own."
VI. Reputation - A Discourse on Writing for Public Consumption
"Each writer, and in turn, every poet, leaves behind a textual impression, in the corpus of literature, of who they are with their words."
"Building a body of work, that is worthy of greatness in the annals of literature takes time and must be done slowly, over many years and decades. A great poet does not only have one mesmerizing and memorable poem but has many outstanding writings attributed to their name. Long-term skilled writing is how artists with remarkable creative aptitude build up their reputation."
VII. Logomancy - A Discourse on Charming with the Power of Words
"A long time ago, there lived the Poets of the Powers -- the Siddhars of India -- who meditated incessantly, wrote moral and theistic poetry, and spoke magical utterances both aloud and in silence. These ascetic poets practiced logomancy or the divination art of words and speech."
VIII. Final Words - The End of the Seven Discourses
"From the deepest parts of our being, our consciousness flows outward. This energy may begin as a thought in our mind but later manifests in speech or as a deed. How we control this power controls the course of our life:
"What we think, we become.
What we speak, we see."
Alexander Bentley started posting small bite-sized poems to Instagram in 2015. He realized the huge potential of the social media platform to influence the poetry communities worldwide and continues to actively share his poetry on it. He has mentored and coached aspiring poets, critiqued and edited poems, and loves to discuss the philosophy of poetic composition with friends and fans.
