Poet Spotlight: Carol Anne Duffy

Good Evening All!

As poetry is one of my passions and if I ever hope to get my current work published in a poetry journal I can't self publish anything on the internet I thought I'd talk about a poet that inspires me: Carol Anne Duffy!

After hearing Tea (which is one of my favourite poems of all time) on Lucy Moon's YouTube channel I got myself a copy of Rapture by Carol Anne Duffy. I'd heard of Duffy before due to her status as Poet Laureate but I had never thought to read any of her work. Boy was that a mistake! Duffy is now one of my ultimate favourite poets. I absolutely adore her use of unusual imagery when writing about commonly explored themes, such as love and heartbreak. I especially love her use of natural imagery when discussing ideas surrounding love, which to me suggests a healthier and less shameful attitude to romantic and sexual love. This is simply my understanding but isn't all poetry reliant on interpretation?

It could be said that since reading Rapture Duffy's work has in some ways affected my own style. I have been fair more eager to explore natural metaphors and imagery when writing about my own feelings. I have especially played around with the idea of birds which has been a delightful process. In her video Poetry for Punks Savannah Brown explained that the only way to improve your own art is to surround yourself with those who are the best at what you do. I'm definitely no where near as good as Carol Anne Duffy yet but perhaps one day...

I will be sure to get some more of Duffy's works when I have money next and would obviously recommend Rapture to anyone who is interested! I am actually required to do some coursework based on my own reading in English Literature next year so maybe Duffy's poems are something to considered. It would be interesting to explore how Duffy approaches love in comparison to earlier writers!

Is there anyone who inspires you to better your own work? If there is than let me know who that certain individual is. If no one person who inspires you what does? I'd love to hear all your answers!

"I see soul in your eyes and I forget"

I hope to speak to you again soon.

-GirlUnEdited <3

Life should always be lived with a soundtrack!

Hi guys,
Two posts in one day! I know, what's happening? I guess I just have a lot to talk about at the moment!
Having recently got a new Sound-cloud account and having gone to a concert for one of my new favourite bands "Waterparks" earlier this week I wanted to talk to you about some of my new and old favourite bands/artists. As the title says I truly believe that life should always be lived with a soundtrack! Music just makes any experience feel a 100% more real and tangible!
Waterparks
I am so glad that my friend introduced me to Waterparks! One of my best friends messaged me inviting me to their gig in London and it was AMAZING! The first song I heard of theirs when I looked them up on Sound-cloud was "I'm a Natural Blue" which is now my favourite of all their songs. Not only does the song have an awesome sound but the lyrics are also fantastic. Furthermore, they are also just as amazing live and as far as I can tell they are really cool guys.
Angus and Julia Stone
While I have listened to everything this duo has produced I absolutely love what I have heard so far! Their songs are another example of breath taking lyricism. I looked into them after hearing Meowitslucy on YouTube talk about them several times. The vibe is really chilled and every song is basically poetry. My favourite song is probably "Yellow Brick Road" simply because of the imagery.
Juli
Juli is actually a German Band my German teacher recommended me in the lead up to my exams. The band is actually really cool as they have set up a bursary to help up and coming artists in their area, giving them the support they didn't receive themselves. This band is probably good for those who like indie pop, with my favourite song being "Insel."
Hamilton
Now I'm not entirely sure if this counts as cheating, being the soundtrack of a Broadway Musical, but Hamilton has been one of the things getting me through my AS exams! Not only have a learnt about the American fight for independence but I have also found it a brilliant soundtrack for revision, as it always leaves me pumped. I would also recommend that anyone who has previously written off musicals to give this shot and listen to the opening song "Alexander Hamilton." I now REALLY want to see the musical!
Elton John
Now I know that Elton John is very different to the other artists I have discussed but he has ALWAYS been one of my favourites and also a really big role model. While I know many of you may be familiar with much of his work my favourites are probably "Sorry", "I guess that's why they call it the blues" and "Tinderbox."
Florence & the Machine
Florence Welsh was probably my first introduction to popular music, having previously only listened to 80's pop! While I am less familiar with her most recent releases I have always loved her older songs, specifically "Girl with one eye" and "Howl." I have actually seen Florence live and she was absolutely brilliant! Plus I got to meet Matt Smith at that concert so....
Marina & the Diamonds
I don't think I could ever not love Marina & the Diamonds! Marina is on my list of dream artists to see live. While her sound has definitely changed over the years I don't think she has released an album I haven't liked! I think her mix of Electronic Pop and stunning lyricism is undeniably beautiful! Personally my favourite songs are probably "I am not a Robot" and "Hermit the Frog."
Well, those are 7 artists/soundtracks I have been obsessed with both recently and throughout my musical journey. It is clear that my taste is eclectic but I think that is what is so fun about music, there are no restrictions! If you'd like me to discuss music again just let me know and tell me who you have been obsessed with recently in the comments.I'd love to know!
-GirlUnEdited x

Living Life Regardless

Hey Everybody,
Sorry about the hiatus there but I really felt like I had something I needed to talk about today and that blogging is something that I would like to try and get back into. It is for that reason that today I want to talk about making time for the things you love.
Now I am not saying that you can abandon all your responsibilities to go live in a cabin and perfect your art isolated from mankind. We all have commitments that are important and that we need to fulfil. As some of you may know I am currently a full time student in her first year of sixth form and like many other people my age I also have commitments outside of school. These aspects of my life are important and many of my commitments are also things I am genuinely passionate about. However, there are also things I am passionate about that no one is going to give me the time or the permission to do but these things are also important because they are important to me. Some of these things are even things I want to be making a living out of one day, so regardless of what other people think these aspects of my life are significant. They are significant thing to me.
Recently one thing I have been trying to give more time to is my writing. I have been working on poetry as well as more recently attempting to develop a novel idea. In the past when I have told people that I want to be a writer I have not always received a positive response, with some people not understanding how writing can be a viable career. To that I say that writing is a viable career but it requires work and practise and that needs to start NOW! I still need to still need to work hard at school to ensure my grades, not only because I am passionate about my subjects but also because the opportunity to study English Literature at university would enviably help my writing. I also need to and want to remain committed to my other activities. However, I am not going to let other people's opinions dictate what I allocate my time to and if writing is something I want to pursue than that is what I will do. If I truly want it I will just have to find time.
Look at it this way, life is hard regardless and there are always things that are going to make it so but we have the opportunity to make the most of it. I know as well as anyone just how challenging life can be and I am also aware that there is always something you have to do. The choice you have to make is where you put the time you can control. If there is a dream you have you need to give yourself the authority to follow it because I can promise you that in a world driven by status quo and work no one else will. I want to write a book, I want to travel to Tibet, Japan and Berlin (again), I want to create but no one else can do those things for me. You only have so much time on this Earth and you have to decide what you do with it.
-GirlUnEdited