Stephen Spender - The Making of a Poem

Summary of Stephen Spender “The Making of a Poem”

Stephen Spender writes poetry has certain traits consisting of concentration, memory and faith.  In addition, poets need “qualifications of ear, vision, imagination, “ the ability to think in images and the mastery of language (113).  He writes that the poet has to adapt himself to the demands of his vocation and the “peculiarities of poets and the condition of [their] inspiration” (113).  He is critical of people in that they are only aware of poetry as the final product.  Items like meter and rhyme, thinking in images and free associates are elements he believes to be absent from the amateurs (114).

Spender distinguishes between concentration for the poet against concentration for the average working man.  With poetry, the poet needs to focus in a way to increase their awareness of implications and possible developments (114).  He also describes concentration as a form of lucid thought through habits and distractions.  He writes that the mind needs to be slightly distracted to focus creatively (115).  He views the act as a “compulsion” that strains the mind to “higher heights” (115). 

Spender notes two main forms of concentration.  There is the immediate that is an outpouring of ideas and words that generally do not need revisions.  There is also the plodding that is work and usually has many revisions (115).    Maintaining a purpose of integrity, or pursuing the vision to the end is more powerful than speed or intelligence (115).   He also notes that everything in poetry is work except for the inspiration (119).  Inspiration is the initial and final goal and, “In between this start and this winning post there is the hard race, the sweat and toil” (119).

Memory is the ability to re-live sense experiences (Spender, 121).  Spender writes that memory is important to all the arts and once clearly stated, the memory transforms into experience (121).  A particularly interesting notion is Spender’s comment that imagination is part of memory and “There is nothing we imagine which we do not already know” (122).  The idea is furthered with “And our ability to imagine is our ability to remember what we have already once experienced and to apply it to some different situation” (122).  In essence, Spender is suggesting that the artist can take a memory and transform it into an experience.  Once articulated, linguistically, musically, or visually, the memory becomes an experience.  The notion is furthered that the imagination can develop a memory and apply it another scene that will also have the effect of creating an experience.

Spender believes that faith in one’s work is the sustenance of the poet (123).  He cites that poets have a truth about their work, as their work is a reflection of their inner selves, their freest perceptions, and their deepest feelings (123).

Spender discusses inspiration and song.  Inspiration is when ideas or a line of thinking are given to the poet (124).  Song is a bit more difficult to understand.  However, Spender frames the notion that song is the final music the poem will assume, though “unthought” at the time (125).

Spender does not enjoy writing as it is painful. He perceives words as a difficult medium, words can come out dully, and the act of writing forces one to face one’s own personality (125).  He writes that one can act as a man in normal phases of the day.  However, when dealing with poetry, “one is wrestling with a god” (125).  He has a tendency to want to publish new works as they are fresh and appear new.  However, he writes that he “relegates them to the past of wasted efforts” (125).

Spender’s final thoughts reflect an idea that every writer is writing for someone specific (125).  He also notes that poets tend to be sensitive to criticism because they themselves are sensitive and so is the nature of their work (125)

Spender, Stephen. “The Making of a Poem.” The Creative Process: A Symposium. Ed. Brewster Ghislen.  Berkeley: University of California Press. 1985. 113-126. Print.