“The speaker… can be used to differentiate yourself from the person in the poem which distances you… and allows you to truly explore your work.” – dimitrireyespoet.com
Let’s talk about voice! No, not the one you speak your language with, but the voice of the entity that speaks in your poetry. It’s important to remember that when writing it isn’t you who is speaking, it’s the embodiment of your character— ie your writing character, narrator, or subject “voicing” themselves in the poem. Read Be the Speaker, Not the Writer to learn more about the basics of the speaker before you continue.
When writing, there are many ways to think about the speaker. It can be used to differentiate yourself from the person in the poem which distances you, it helps to fictionalize certain things and allows you to truly explore the work. Voice is expansive, and therefore, the easiest way to gauge voice is in different perspectives of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person.
Have you ever wondered when you should be writing a poem in the “I” or a third person “he” “she” “they” etc? Do you only write in one type? Considering other points of view when you begin to write or when you are in the revision process can allow a larger field of vision for your speaker which may free you more in your creative thinking.
First Person
As a poet, when you are considering the first person, I want you to think of the “I” and “eye” as the same thing because when a poem is in the “I” you have the responsibility of seeing through the “eyes” of your speaker. Plainly, the first person is in the lens of the speaker.
Third Person
As a poet, when considering third person think “outsider’s perspective.” With an observational eye, the speaker has distance from the subject they’re discussing so we can consider how much information the speaker actually knows. Going back to primary education, 3rd person limited, 3rd person objective, and 3rd person omniscient all offer different ways to navigate the poem.
When writing into a 3rd person poem, your responsibility is also heightened as you have to consider the character as well as the events that happen.
To get examples of 1st and 3rd person speakers, watch the YouTube video below for this blog below.
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