A themed collection where the thesis is restated for 80 pages. A collection of poems I done writ since the last book-thing. A narrative arc story as a poetry collection. A series of poems that add up to something. How?
Why is this poem here with these other poems and not in another book? As with theatre, there should not be a gun on the stage in act I if it will not be used.
What does each poem do to the further the inquiry which is the book? What is the central purpose of the speech. As with Grice’s Maxims: quantity, where one tries to be informative, giving as much information as is needed, and no more; quality, where one tries to be truthful, and does not give information that is false or that is not supported by evidence; relation, where one tries to be relevant, and says things that are pertinent to the discussion.
I love the non sequitur and info that slips out around the edges, but the core should hold. Without a container, it is chaos unconfined and white noise. We have enough white noise.
In past books I have failed, a social criticism poem of the prison system taken as light flarf. I generally need to improve my stage directions in telling people my intent as people apologize for laughing at what I intend as humour.
Why am I sharing these poems together? What to exclude? What gaps need to be cinched and where do I do elaboration so I am communicating not just trying to sell printed paper for someone to read like tea leaves?