SOFIA SKLEIDA

OUR POETRY ARCHIVE FEATURED

POET OF THE MONTH

SOFIA SKLEIDA 

DECEMBER 2019

ALICJA KUBERSKA: What does poetry mean to you?

SOFIA SKLEIDA:

The term derives from an ancient Greek word, poiesis, "making". Is a form of literature that uses aesthetic qualities of language. Poetry means raising spirit and soul! It means joy, creativity, empathy, cultural unification, peoples brotherhood!

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA:

"Wherever my theories went, I found that a poet had already gone there"

(Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939, Austrian psychiatrist).

In today's increasingly globalized world, poets often adapt forms, styles and techniques from diverse cultures and languages. In my opinion, this is a great advantage for us, to be able to use poetry for peaceful purposes. Because, as it is known, poetry and every form of art is beyond any place and time and can lead to universal and humanitarian unification.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: In my opinion, the key for each writer is to have the right stimulus, internal or external, that can lead to the inspiration of a worthwhile work. It is a really difficult project that requires responsibility, patience, intellectual alertness, and a free spirit.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Τhis is something that didn’t happen yet, in  all my writing career. I hope in the future it will be an extra opportunity for beautiful spiritual productions.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: The source of inspiration   for me is everything that is relevant to my world.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: The intense frustration I got from the big love of my life. It was the first and defining factor that led me to write my first verses.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: The truth is that I've always liked to write, not necessarily poetry. But I had never imagined to deal so much with poetry. Thanks, God, for this generous blessing!

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Initially my twin sister, the tireless companion of my life, who always follows my dreams and my desires!

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Six of my poetry collections have already been published, Thanks God. Whenever a new work is born, I feel as excited as the first time I got my first book in my hands! A wonderful feeling that makes me fill with joy and intense emotion!

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: I don't have any particular preference. I read all kinds of poetry, poets from all over the world, and more generally anything that excites me and may interests me.

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?

SOFIA SKLEIDA: It is true that some of my poems are easier to read and more comprehensible than others which require deep analysis. When I am writing I try to be myself. A prerequisite for an author is   to have his own style.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: The themes of my poems are free and aren’t subject to restrictions. I believe that a poet will have an indomitable spirit to succeed   the desired results.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: I don΄t believe that there is a poem that is addressed only to men or women, but on the contrary, they express both sexes.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Νo, I'm not writing exclusively for me. It would be unfair and very restrictive for an artistic nature that is plagued by many unanswered questions.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: I try as much as I can to be myself and not copy other poets, which is sometimes difficult, because we usually tend to identify ourselves with something else.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: There are some quality features which are really important for a writer, like humility, faithfulness, persistence, effort, prayer, honesty, persuasive disposition, and other.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: This largely depends on the individual style of writing.  Imagination plays a decisive role because it opens channels for communication with the outside world, according to one's intellectual potential.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Since 1945 onwards the free verse prevailed and rooted in modern Greek literature, offering excellent and masterful poems, features of modern poetry. The previous time dominated the rhyme.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Attention to detail, patience, perseverance, strong will, intense emotions, discipline, clarity, open to changes, passion for reading and travelling.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: There are many notable poets all over the world, but I would like to talk about my home country. Kavvadias, Kavafis  Saxtouris, Elytis, Seferis, Anagnostakis, Varnalis, Empirikos, Brettakos  are some important Greek  poets. In my opinion, all of them use descriptive and vivid language, are Imaginative, creative,  recall memories of related experiences to the reader or listener, provoke thought, cause an emotional response and so on....

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?

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Exploring imagery in poetry, is the primary vehicle that poets use to transport their readers to a new experience.

The imagery of my poetry is   to try to convey my feelings with the utmost relevance, pictures, tensions, emotional vibrations, using visually, descriptive or figurative language.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: First of all, a poem is an expression of emotion. This means, that you have to engage your feelings when you write or read a poem. While poetry engages your emotions, it does so in a rational and structured way.  Poetry relaxes, soothes, calms the soul, teaches... Εven if my lyrics take the form of a social protest, I always try to have a hopeful message at the end. It is my great inner need. As Fernando Pessoa, (1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer) rightly argued , "Literature is a  proof that life is not enough".

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: Μost of the times I pick myself up and sometimes I reach out to a potential listener. It depends on the message I want to convey.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: My poetry mainly tries to convey the aspect, that our life is short and that everything in this world is time-bound and not immortal.

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

SOFIA SKLEIDA: I think that the social media contribute to the success if there are specific conditions. It is a wrong for a poet to write with the prospect of gaining money and to become known. Time shows what   lasts and what doesn’t.

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?

SOFIA SKLEIDA: OPA, as a literary web journal, is excellent! There’s a long list of advantages associated with OPA literary web journal. First of all, it is highly credible, authoritative and offer clarity. This influences our works, overall quality, making them reliable, as well as enriched with facts and truths. Thus, offer evidence for the claims of the poets, whose poems are hosted on this site. Offer clarity and unlimited visibility. Provides great reading with a wealth of knowledge, focused research and broadened perspective. Warm congratulations wholeheartedly! I wish   more   success and valuable projects!