The above YouTube video is my visual poem entitled "LIGHT", which I uploaded on April 26th, 2022. I must say, it has been quite a while since I have reflected on this piece. It brings back so many memories, even though it was only six months ago. After my first visual poem, PACE had been posted on YouTube and remained there for a little while, I had an internal urge to continue my visual poetic endeavors and focus on making my poetry more cinematic in nature. The thought that I could further enhance the transformation of my words into a visual piece from which audiences can view my work, pushed me to dive headfirst into making "LIGHT" a visual poem. Other than the title being self-evident as to why it would appeal best to audiences as an "ocular piece", I believed that the content and words of the poem would be best illustrated on the screen.
The combining of music with my narration was intended to add a semi-music video element that would create an Afro/Latin-beat rhythm that would give the visual piece a bit of texture. The poem itself was an expression of the importance of light in one's life, so the musical accompaniment allowed the reader to have an audible reference point in mind and pace (no pun intended 😂) listening to the poem. By engaging the mind with a background instrumental accompaniment, there is an evoking light having equivalence with music. Those correlations are quintessential to the points I was making because music typically is the alleyway that leads to a portion of self-discovery for many people. You tend to remember where you physically or psychologically were during that moment in your life. Those memories and critical junctures in your life sometimes most often than naught are the defining significant choices that can decide the course of your future endeavors. I wanted the poem to be synchronized and cohesive in its overall message and theme which is another reason why the music was so drastically important for that. The upbeat nature of the beat allowed for the sun-filled cinematic piece to be lively and enjoyable instead of a long drawn-out poem that doesn't always capture the reader. Thankfully, I was able to work with producer Ryan Frazee, who created the beat and executed my vision perfectly in that department.
The main filming and video portion of the piece was a crucial element in its overall composition because it was the hook that many readers would pay even more attention to. Sometimes with poetry, people can tend to space out due to it being laden with so much vocabulary and fewer visual elements. Being a major fan of film and the cinematic art form, I chose to delve into visually accompanying my poems, adding an integral layer of intrigue. In today's time of social media and constant information, I decided to meld both worlds together and not contrast them. By creating a visual poem, the slower reflective world of poetry and a fast-paced media form of cinema became a cohesive unit that resulted in a completed video. Each camera angle and shot was intended to portray light in some variation that added to each line of the poem I was speaking. There were portions in the video where I am dressed in all black and playing the part of a villain (darkness) that contrasts with the beauty of light. The duality presented there in different settings really created a separation between the two characters without specific dialogue between the two. This allowed for the poetry I was speaking to be the main primary source that the audience can draw from in order to understand the underlying dynamics between the two. Thankfully, I was able to have a fun shoot at a great location that really expressed what I was visualizing with the poem.
This post was just my mere reflections on my visual poem, LIGHT, which are simply opinion based. The beautiful thing about this art form is that it speaks to us individually on a personal level where we can derive our own interpretations and conclusions about the material. I am in no way stating that this post is the only way how to interpret the piece, I'm only giving my opinion. Tell me what your thoughts are on the visual poem and what you received from it below in the comments!
I hope you enjoy this post and that you have a great rest of your day or night!
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>>Check out my other visual poem "PACE" by clicking the link below:
>>Also, listen and watch my most recent INTERVIEW here:
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