Our Real Love Is Poetry

One of the most frequent questions people ask me is this: “How do you make your poetry so approachable?” Before I answer, let me tell you a little bit about me.

I was born and raised in France and am a former English major. I spent six years at university surrounded by linguistics, phonetics, translation, and literature. I loved it. Well, the only thing I disliked beyond belief was poetry. I still remember the grueling hours spent scanning every line, sentence, word and syllable of poems to find hidden meanings — the goal being to produce long handwritten essays for my literature courses.

It has been ten years now since I stepped out of university. I have been a professional writer for more than six. And one of my passions is poetry. Strange, right?

One night of January 2005, I became a poetry addict. This addiction led to five books and a spoken word album. I still do not know exactly why things took such a turn. The only thing I know is that I finally understood the value of poetry.

Now, let me answer the initial question. I believe that poetry has always been approachable. It is man who has made it otherwise. Our education system has turned it into a dry and boring subject that most teach without understanding it. As a result, the art form is now considered a scourge, and poets, bizarre individuals who have no right to call themselves writers. Because, after all, “poetry should always be free.”

Most of those who claim that they do not like this art form are actually scared of it. I know because I was one of them. I also know because of Five Years and Counting. A Journey into the Mind of Soul Poetry. Strong opponents of poetry have enjoyed my latest book because it is different from what they read before.

Five Years and Counting is not about rhymes, pretty words or hidden meanings. It is about life, good and bad experiences, and what makes us human. In the book, I invite readers to immerse themselves in each poem and decide what they want the meaning to be. Unlike school, there is no teacher to grade your thoughts. There is no right or wrong answer, only you, the reader, and my book.

Poetry is not made to be dissected, but to be felt, experienced and embraced. Poetry is the language of the soul, a place of learning and discovery. The day the world starts understanding that, there will be a place for poets in society again.

About the author

Cendrine Marrouat is a self-taught, bilingual entrepreneur with eight years of experience in the freelance industry. This journalist, reviewer, blogger and author focuses on social media for small businesses and independent artists. Her articles have appeared in a number of websites and blogs, including Examiner.com, Digital Journal, Blogcritics, Technorati, and Creative Ramblings. Originally from France, she currently resides in Winnipeg, Canada, and holds a bachelor degree in English to French translation.

Cendrine is also the author of five collections of poetry and a spoken word CD, including Five Years and Counting: A Journey into the Mind of Soul Poetry and Rizen

For more information on Cendrine Marrouat, visit www.cendrinemarroauat.com.

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