"Do You Have Any Advice For Those Of Us Just Starting Out?"

In “‘Do You Have Any Advice For Those Of Us Just Starting Out?’”, Ron Koertge paints a tranquil and relaxed tone as he uses comparison and an analogy to show that great poetry isn’t forced and there is no specific formula; it comes naturally through joy and experience. He uses a technique of explaining one example but actually referring to a general rule for creative thinking. For example, he warns not to be in a room where “more than three people are wearing turtlenecks.” He does not mean this literally, but he’s saying that you need variety in order to think imaginatively and write effectively. Finally, he uses an analogy of a child making a tower of books. When the tower finally falls, the child laughs. In life, you just have to life while everyone else is upset. Don’t take things too seriously; this attitude will help you be happy and write good poetry.