MARGARET O'DRISCOLL

OUR POETRY ARCHIVE FEATURED

POET OF THE MONTH

MARGARET O'DRISCOLL

AUGUST 2018

ALICJA KUBERSKA: What does poetry mean to you?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: Connection in concise form...a glimpse of soul

ALICJA KUBERSKA: What’s according to you the meaning of poetry in the contemporary world?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:   Poetry has the power to validate, question, soothe, empower, raise awareness, reach out, bring joy, unite... and so much more!

ALICJA KUBERSKA:  Can you describe your creative process while writing a new poem?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: I respond to a trigger...could be anything...then expand on the idea

ALICJA KUBERSKA:  Did it happen to you that a poem was just your dream ?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: Yes...I wrote a piece some years back about my dream of escaping to live a simple life...and now I’m living it! 

ALICJA KUBERSKA: Tell us about your inspiration. What’re the most important subjects to you?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: Nature, family, friends, incidents, relationships, issues such as domestic violence, mental health, injustice, the environment etc

MARIA MIRAGLIA:  Which were the emotions that inspired your first verses?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  Sadness and anger regarding injustice

MARIA MIRAGLIA:  Was your aspiration to become a poet or did all happen by chance?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  I wrote for family at first but then tentatively reached out to others with my work

MARIA MIRAGLIA:  Who is the first person you read your poems to and why?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  Family members...because I wanted to share some memories with them

MARIA MIRAGLIA:  Have you published any poetic anthology, if so what did you feel the first time you got it in your hands?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: I published my first collection in June, 2016…’The Best Things In Life Are Free’...felt great to see my painting of a newly emerged butterfly as the  cover image..(representing me) and it was the realization of a dream to see eighty of my pieces in one compilation!

MARIA MIRAGLIA:  Who are the poets you prefer reading? Do you get inspiration from them?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Gerard Manly Hopkins, Patrick Pearse, William Wordsworth, Irina Rathushinskaya, Shevchenko, Ken Saro Wiwa, Seamus Heaney, Mary Oliver, Adrienne Rich, Derek Mahon, R.S. Thomas, Richard Wilbur, Anna Akhmatova and so many more! Yes, I feel both inspired and empowered by reading their work

APRILIA ZANK:  How important is accessibility of meaning to you? Do you challenge the readers to work hard to decipher your poems, or do you prefer transparency of meaning?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: I prefer transparency of meaning, mostly...being beautifully simple is a perfect art!

APRILIA ZANK:  What kind of poems do you write mostly? Do you have recurring themes, or are all your poems unique?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: I mostly write pieces with rhythm and rhyme….it flows naturally and is classical! On occasions I write in free verse.

The most recurring theme in my work is the wonder of nature!

APRILIA ZANK:  Do you think your poetry is typically feminine / masculine? If yes, in what way?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: I don’t question such aspects of my poetry...I allow the muse to guide me!

APRILIA ZANK:  Do you write mostly about yourself, or do you also have an open eye /ear for the issues of the world?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  Both! I write  personal pieces and also write about issues of the world

APRILIA ZANK:  In what way is your poetry different from that of other poets?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: I remain true to myself...I don’t follow popular styles or themes..I don’t slave over pieces...I allow them flow naturally and let them be!

LEYLA IŞIK:  What are the main factors to make poetry real poetry?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  It has to be felt in the soul

LEYLA IŞIK:  Do you think imagery is important in poetry? Where does the importance of imagery begin in a poem, where does it end?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: Imagery is wonderful...it summons up the senses! Imagery may even begin with a title and great imagery does not end...it lasts forever !

LEYLA IŞIK:  What are the most used types of poetry in your country?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: Free verse, spoken word and slam poetry are popular

LEYLA IŞIK:  What’s important to be a good poet? To write good poems!

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  To light a spark with the reader!

LEYLA IŞIK:     Who are the most important poets and their main properties nowadeys?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: For me it’s someone who has an unique voice, not afraid to be different, not necessarily those who are well known or those who have won awards, but those whose work strikes a cord with me

DEBORAH  BROOKS  LANGFORD: Understanding poetry begins with visualizing the central images in the poem. What do you see, taste, smell, hear, and feel? What is the imagery of your poetry?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  So agree! My nature poems especially are rich in imagery, a feast for the senses, from lilting birdsong, beauty of sunsets, succulent wild berries, scent of wildflowers, touch of moss,  etc

DEBORAH  BROOKS  LANGFORD: What is the mood of your poetry? (Or How does it make you feel?)

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  My lighthearted pieces are sweetness and light! My dark pieces reflect deep issues but I try to add a note of positivity to finish!

DEBORAH  BROOKS  LANGFORD: In your poetry who is the speaker of the poem? Are you speaking to yourself or to others?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  I try to reach out to others usually, to bring, at least,  a moment of reflection to their lives!

DEBORAH  BROOKS  LANGFORD: What is the message of your poetry?  What messages do your poetry convey?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:  Bright pieces: happiness & joy in the simple things in life

Dark pieces: raising awareness of difficult issues

DEBORAH  BROOKS  LANGFORD: Does the internet and social media contribute to the success of your poetry? Is this the reason you write for?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL:   

●          My primary reason to write is to make this world a better place and Facebook is a means to promote my work and touch others

NILAVRONILL SHOOVRO: Thank you so much dear poet for the interview. We would like to know your personal experience with OPA as a literary web journal. Would you like to share anything more with our readers?

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL: OPA is an international journal of repute, edited by Nilavro and team and I feel very privileged to be invited as guest poet for August 2018. I’m glad to have this platform to share some of my work and hope it encourages readers to enjoy the simple but most meaningful moments in life!

MARGARET O’DRISCOLL lives in West Cork, Ireland and is a poetry writer, curator and editor. Her poetry has been published in various international anthologies, ezines and journals. She published her first collection in 2016, ‘The Best Things In Life Are Free’, it has received star reviews and many of the poems included have been translated into many languages worldwide.