It Feels Like Cheating

I guess this is an interesting way for you to experience the classic dilemma of what is written vs. what is implied. My concern here is that I’m using too much of what’s transpired a few days ago in the poem (below). Specifically, I worry that I’m relying on a backstory that isn’t necessarily in the writing.

If you’ve been following the blog, then you know what happened. And my entries on here will probably influence how you read the poem. But the big question is: does the poem make sense on its own terms, without you knowing all that additional information? Could you have arrived at this page, not having seen the entry on October 16, and have the words still make sense?

I’m a big ranter about exclusionary references in writing, and the requirement of outside knowledge to fully understand or appreciate a poem. There are plenty of willful cases out there (which I really dislike). But in some instances, it gets difficult to determine what you’re actually expressing/communicating and what it is you’re taking for granted in your head.

I guess it’s akin to telling a story to someone. What details do they need to know? Too little and the listener gets lost; too much, and the listener gets bored. How much is enough?