So You Want To Be A Writer? (Poetry Analysis)

Audio reading of So You Want To Be A Writer?

This poem by Charles Bukowski reads like a person passionately persuading people that to write poetry or be a writer one must have the conviction and desire to pursue the profession. The poem’s short sentences are punctuated with repetition of the three words “don’t do it” littered throughout the poem and with its strong tone, imagery and examples explain the reasons for or against becoming a writer by going through the stereotypes that writers are associated with like “if you’re doing it for money or for fame, don’t do it.”

The tone is persuasive and adversarial, passionate and blunt but above all truthful. For example, Bukowski says “if it’s hard work just thinking about it don’t do it….if you first have to read it to your wife or your girlfriend or boyfriend or your parents or to anybody at all, you’re not ready.”

In the last few stanzas of the poem the tone shifts to a slightly more optimistic tone but nonetheless still blunt and truthful when Bukowski says “when it is truly time, and if you have been chosen, it will do it by itself…” he continues,  “and it will keep on doing it until you die or it dies in you. There is no other way. And there never was.” which is morbid, perhaps and slightly pessimistic but still nonetheless still rings true like a church bell.

I enjoyed reading this poem very much because I identify with Bukowski’ humour and frankness. I chuckled when he wrote “if you’re doing it because you wan women in your bed, don’t do it” and felt thoughtful at the line “don’t do it unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket, unless being still would drive you to madness or suicide or murder…” Bukowski also makes a great point when he tells writers not to be (paraphrased) “pretentious or consumed with self love” for especially in the age we live in where everyone can be considered an artist, writer, photographer or blogger thanks to all the technology of our generation, the wheat has been mixed with the chaff meaning, that the true artists and writers who have been trained with skills in the craft have been mixed up in the sea of so called writers and artists who are in fact newbies (I am one of these newbies).