Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

Have you ever used the "Vatic Voice" when doing automatic writing?
It was an expression coined by Donald Hall in one of his essays. See below.

In the book": "Breakfast Served Any Time All Day-Essays on Poetry New and Selected" by Donald Hall, one of the essays is titled: 'The Vatic Voice'. In this essay, Hall defines the idea of vatic as "the Greek word for the inspired bard. . ." He feels that this voice "speaks only in dream, often in unremembered dream." He goes on to explain how this idea of a voice has a place in how we think of poetry:

Hall wrote:
"It is the vatic voice (which is not necessarily able to write good poetry, or even passable grammer) which rushes forth the words of excited recognition, and which supplies what we call inspiration.

Two characteristics that distinguish the vatic voice from normal discourse are that it is always original, and that we feel passive to it. We are surprised by it, and we may very well, having uttered its words, not know what we mean. We must find ways to let this voice speak. "

From November Sky Poetry blog...Posted by Christine Klocek-Lim (2006)

--Also posted on revolution rabbit’s topic, “bad faith Friday”, p. 2, on the Creative Writing forum, Studio Eight.

I use the technique all the time without sometimes even realizing it. The ideas and words flow out with ease.

I use voices and phrases from my dreams often or scenes I may not totally understand, but they work as poetry verse and image very well. I'm so haunted by them; I must, I must.

Most recent being wine on the fingertips, heard and seen within the dream, but not sure of the exact direction it was in in it, but it became image and line anyway.

I know what you mean. I usually keep a dream journal beside my bed
in case anything jumps out at me in my dreams. Donald Hall, poet & essayist; and Jack Kerouac, novelist & poet, used similar notebooks. I
imagine quite a few others, including those on this blog, use that tool of a journal or notebook. I always carry a notebook with me--not always the same one.

After the ideas flow out, I revise them and turn them into a poem, essay, or story. Sometimes ideas for articles and commentary also come out of
free association with meditation and dreams. I'm glad to know that others
use the "vatic voice" inspiration. Hope there are more folks out there who would share on my column site. Revolution Rabbit is also familiar with the
technique, if not the term. See his "bad faith friday" topic answer back to me on page 2 of his topic in the Creative Writing forum.

It helps when you can punctuate like Jack Kerouac in your dreams.

Interesting factoid
thanks SP.

To me?

Automatic writing = Word Jam

same thing... flows straight from my heart through my head down my fingers to the keyboard

Never heard the term "Vatic Voice" ... thanks for introducing me to it.

Thanks to you both for your input. I like to share info about writing if I see something interesting. Hey, I think there are others out there. Hope to see them post here about their automatic writing and word jam experiences. Sometimes the word jam, etc. inspires and the punctuation comes later. I don't think even Jack Kerouac punctuated that unstintingly.
But I could be wrong...

I'm refreshing this thread, hoping more readers will read it at the top of the page.