Poetry And Fiction
I am convinced that writing prose should not be any different from writing poetry. In both cases it is a question of looking for the unique expression, one that it is concise, concentrated, and memorable - Italo Calvino
What is fiction without the beauty of poetry, and what is poetry without the energy of fiction? Both are inseparable. However, there is a tendency among certain writers to favor only one genre over the other. It is like deciding to take one wife to the zoo while leave the other at Jalan TAR. I once said to Roslan Jomel that writers must read poetry. I don't know if he agrees with me or not. He is a gifted writer who has been reading a lot of Marquez. I really hope he will read more poetry after this.
Comments
Malah, saya pernah terbaca beberapa tahun lepas, dalam sebuah artikel yang ditulis oleh sasterawan Indonesia. Kira-kira berbunyi begini; penulis cerpen yang baik harus bermula dengan menulis puisi.
Puisi mendisplinkan kekuatan bahasa. Lebih dari itu, meminimumkan naratif. Kepadatan, maksud saya. Namun, puisi membawa estetik yang lebih daripada kalkulator aksara semata-mata.
In other words, puisilah cinta pertama saya dalam penulisan. Fakta itu, jangan dilupa. :)