Memories

by soccerstar17

Published April 21, 2012

In poetry

Memories are incredible.
Like the saying the same but different,
They are good but bad,
Sweet but painful.
 
Flashbacks paint beautiful pictures,
Before our very eyes.
We have a gallery of photos,
Stored in our mind.
 
No one gallery is the same.
Some paintings are shared,
But others have locked access keys,
Belonging to those of a heart in a safe.
 
Not only are memories attached to the mind,
But to the heart,
The soul,
The spirit of a human being.
 
Describing anyone as having short term memory,
Would be to make a false statement.
Every human’s mind,
Decides how long to keep a memory.
 
Sadly we do not dictate,
The memories we keep.
The wanted are lost,
The guarded are found.
 
The pain or sorrow,
The joy or happiness,
Whatever they bring us,
We all have memories.
Comments & reviews · 1
User avatar
Kale
Review
Kale wrote a review Review · May 10, 2012

On the one hand, I like simple and literal poems. On the other hand, there is such a thing as being too simple and literal, and this poem is both.

Let's take the first stanza, for instance:

Memories are incredible.
Like the saying the same but different,
They are good but bad,
Sweet but painful.

The first line is not bad, but it would be better if you actually explained what it is that makes memories incredible. You tried, but the explanation was so vague and general, it doesn't really affect your reader or impress upon them just how incredible memories are. For example, you say that memories can be good and bad, but you don't explain how or give an example of a specific case where this is true.

Images are very important in poetry, and the more specific your imagery, the easier it is for your readers to envision it. Also, the more specific your imagery, the more unique and memorable your poem becomes, which is always a good thing. There are countless poems out there that cover the same topic — what is it about your poem specifically that makes it stand out from all the rest?

Imagery is one of the simplest ways to make your poem stand out from all the other similar poems out there. Right now, this poem doesn't have much imagery at all, and that leaves it feeling too general, too vague, and ultimately empty.

You might find this topic on imagery helpful: viewtopic.php?f=152&t=19225



constant state of confuzzle
— Quillfeather