Something one often hears when discussing narrative poems with their authors is a concern about "how it really happened." I am not able to discern any pattern controlling when this concern is or is not voiced, i.e., it doesn't seem to matter whether the poet is young or old, experienced or inexperienced, "good" or "not that good", or close to the subject matter or distant from it, either emotionally or in time. Some events just seem to request a faithful accounting--a request which, it seems to me, would turn poets into journalists.
By way of full disclosure, I'll mention that, for me personally, I always ignore such requests. I just write the poem as well as I know how, and let the facts fall where they may. I invent things to fill in the blanks, often not very consciously. But it occurs to me that ethical and even legal issues might arise from this practice, such as when making mention of the names of private citizens, or well-known businesses & products.
So I wonder: what are the ethical limits of poetic license?
Thoughts on the subject would be much appreciated.
--CS
|