This column by Tom Radzienda, an instructor in poetry and culture at Srinakharinwirot University, aims to encourage your interest and develop your skill in creating poetry. Poetry is a combination of visualisation, observation, imagination and creative use of language. Discover your poetic side, too!

What is your PQ? Everyone knows that IQ is a measure of a person’s intelligence. Similarly, EQ (emotional quotient) refers to a person’s emotional skills and abilities. Poet tree introduces a new concept for measuring and evaluating human potential in terms of PQ: poetry quotient. The following test helps you recognise your poetic personality and potential. Answer these questions and determine your PQ. When listening to music, how often do you cry? A. I would never cry B. Only when I have a broken heart C. When the melody is like magic D. When I touch the unspoken emotions of the composer For how long can you sit and watch a sparrow playing in the park? A. I would only go to the park if it were air-conditioned B. I would throw a rock at the sparrow to make it fly C. As long as they are dancing or playing D. I could watch sparrows all day long When reading literature, how clearly can you create an image of the characters? A. I never read literature B. I don’t imagine much, I just read along C. I get a sense of each character D. I feel like I personally know the characters What do you expect when you go to see a movie? A. A good seat B. A good laugh, or to be scared C. To feel like I’m part of the story D. Insight into the meaning of life What do you do if you find a poem too difficult to understand? A. Put it away and turn on the television B. Find another poem that I can understand C. Read the poem aloud several times D. Close my eyes and visualize the images in the poem How do you respond when you see news concerning war? A. It looks just like the movies B. It’s exciting C. I get upset and try to think of something else D. I write poems about pain or injustice What situations in life make you feel very silent inside? A. Being stopped by a policeman B. Saying goodbye to a departing friend C. Time spent alone with flowers or trees D. Watching the evening sky as each new star appears Which of the following statements describes your concept of poetry? A. Stuff my teacher forced me to read B. Something that rhymes that I don’t understand C. Words that widen my vision D. Something genuine that gives me new insight How often do you write poetry? A. When you put a gun to my head B. For my mom or sweetheart’s birthday C. Each time I hear a voice in my heart D. I seek new poetic experiences every day Which of the following activities are poetic? Which one would you prefer to do? A. Sitting on the sofa watching soap operas B. Shopping C. Going for a walk along the river D. Watching a spider spin a web What is the practical use of poetry? A. To get my degree B. To improve my language skill C. To express my feelings D. To discover my inner spirit What is the relationship between poetry and politics? A. Both words begin with the letter P B. I cannot understand either one C. The lies of politicians are as creative as poems D. Poetry has the power to influence the world as much as politics From how many cultures do you know poetry? A. Only what my teacher gave me to read B. Only my own culture C. From countries with similar cultural backgrounds D. From countries all over the world When you invite friends over for dinner, how do you prepare? A. I order take away food B. I let my mother cook and pretend that I did it myself C. I cook my friends’ favourite food D. I invent something original for my friends to try If asked to videotape falling leaves, what procedure would you follow? A. Cut down the tree, remove the leaves, climb another tree and drop the leaves B. Videotape one falling leaf, then copy that image over and over again C. Climb the tree and shake the leaves D. Lie patiently on the grass, satisfied by just one leaf falling in an hour Scoring your Poetry Quotient For each ‘A’ answer, give yourself 0 points. For each ‘B’ answer, give yourself 2 points. For each ‘C’ answer, give yourself 4 points. For each ‘D’ answer, give yourself 6 points. If your total score is 0 to 20 points, you have a very challenged sense of poetry. Your PQ is very low. Go climb a tree and pick a leaf. Then jump from the tree with the leaf in your hand. Upon landing, write a poem about your experience. If your total score is 21 to 45 points, you show some poetry potential. Go climb a tree, sit there for a very long time and observe the world from a new perspective. 45 to 70 points demonstrates good poetry talent. Continue exploring new poets, and seeking interesting poetic experiences. 71 to 90 points measures a high PQ. You’ve already picked up a leaf that has fallen from the tree and written a poem on it. Now, hold the leaf in your hand, close your eyes, and imagine the leaf becoming a butterfly. Practice this until the leaf can fly by itself. Tom Radzienda is an instructor in poetry and culture at Srinakharinwirot University. Teachers can contact him to present poetry recitals and poetry writing workshops at their respective universities and schools You can send your poem by email. Mark the subject line: Poet Tree and send to this address: learningpost@bangkokpost.co.th Visit Tom's poetry column at http://www.bangkokpost.com/poetry

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Last modified: October 6, 2003