Young Writers Society

Ok, so I heard somewhere that too much raw emotion has the potential to put the reader off. Is there really such thing as too much emotion? Can a poem be too personal?
I really want to hear some opinions on this - I 'specialise' in emotional poetry based on my own experiences, but if some poeple see it as repulsive or off-putting...
Opinions please!

Often times when you write something raw you're unable to step back and analyse it technically. It becomes a lot harder to submit it for critique, because when someone says something negative about the work, you take it personally because you're too close to it. That's not to say there hasn't been very good works written from a very emotional space, but usually effective because the writer has developed a disciplined style previously.
Should the work please the reader? Not necessarily. Certainly their is room for uncomfortable pieces, for shocking people, for being dramatic, often times confronting them with a social realism glossed over. But it's like when you're having an argument, if you get angry and just start yelling, you're not very likely to win, and your judgement is clouded. Sometimes it's more effective if you approach the subject objectively.
I think about this in music quite a lot, because when you are a young musician, minor ("sad") keys are easy. The longer you play the more you realise that a major ("happy") key can actually be more tragic, and create layers of emotion. Rarely do we feel the one thing.

Don't be afraid of emotion, if this is your strength, go with it. But refine your technique, become more and more sophisticated, and people won't be able to help finding it beautiful even when it is upsetting.

There is no such things as an emotion too raw. But readers can be step back by poetry while they are reading it because of the language ( profanity) or at the end if it made them think too much. The second scenario is favourable!

I find if you indeed to use great great emotion in a piece, you must introduce it and ease into it well. That way yours reader and experience the piece instead of being hit in the face with it .

also I find metaphors and imagery speak much louder then blunt wording.

Example:

1)I feel like dying, life is worthless to me
2) Wealting, sobbing, barely breathing. Happyness you say, when I see defeat.

Similar in meaning, one more enjoyable and emotional to read (option 2 )

But EMOTION is beautiful, and should never scare ppl off