Chapter 15:Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of someone else’s writing. It is illegal to plagiarize, whether in school assignments, college papers, or in the professional world. It does not just apply to adults, which is why writing assignments of any kind usually require a reference page, bibliography, and/or footnotes.
Consequences
In college, it could cost you dearly, including the grade for the paper, the course grade, and, for repeat plagiarists, expulsion. That could make it difficult to get accepted at another college or university. The school keeps a record of serious offenses. Those will follow you throughout your college career.
On the job, you could be sued and incur financial losses. If you are working for a company, you could be fired. Even if you are self-employed, you will still suffer because your professional reputation is what gets you hired. In addition, the damage to your reputation could cost you earnings in the future despite your talent and experience.
Quoting Others In Your Own Writing
If you use someone’s work, it is to be done as a quote. In it, you use quotation marks, the name of the work you are quoting, and the author’s name so others know it is not your original thought. Quoting shows that you respect the work of others and deserve respect for your creative thoughts as well.
Quoting During Recitals And Readings
Also, remember this when you read a poem by someone else. Give credit to the author before you read it. It is fine to admire another poet’s work and read it aloud to a group. Just don’t mislead the listeners into thinking that you wrote it yourself.
You are even to quote other budding poets when you refer to any of their work. Not only the famous or published poets deserve your respect.
No Need For Plagiarism
There is enough creativity and imagination to share. In fact, there is so much that no one poem topic assigned to any number of people will yield the same result. That is how individual and unique you and your poems are. They are based on your experiences or thoughts.
That is also why there is no need to plagiarize. To do so is to admit that you do not believe in your gift, talent, creativity, imagination, or yourself. Worse, it implies laziness and a lack of self-knowledge. Why put that on display for the world to see? You have no need for that, and you are a bigger person than you think.
Recap
Plagiarism shows disrespect for the work and creativity of other writers and poets. Do right by others who create by giving them credit for their work.
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Conclusion
Now you know how to write poetry! You know where to start, how to brainstorm, how to choose which words are the most important to you in your poem, and how to construct it. You know what attitude or mindset you should have as well. You have learned a little about a few of the different types of poems and their origins, and how to be original with your own poetry.
In addition, you know how to present your poetry and where you can meet other poets. A new world is now open to you, and you can thrive in it. People may approach you and want to collaborate on poems or other creative projects that involve poetry. It could even lead to a job or career—you never know!
Poetry is not just some privileged, refined practice limited to the intellectual or the upper class. It is for anyone willing to create it or appreciate it. You will develop your own style of writing .Just try to do your best and be honest with yourself. The rest of what you want regarding your poetry will fall into line after that.
Being around others who write poetry will help you polish your skills. You can all help each other be the poets you were destined to be. You can truly become someone or something to which you never thought you could aspire.
Being a poet is an art. You have entered a realm that can be a permanent part of your learning curve. Practice, perfect it, value it, and treasure it. After all, it is you on paper and in the words spoken. Enjoy yourself and your creative expressions!
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About the Expert
Deidre Simpson is the author of two books of poetry. During her teen years, she wrote often and was an avid reader as well. Writing poetry kept her balanced and gave her an excellent outlet for her emotional personality. She later became a member of a creative writers’ group at her high school. When the group decided to publish a magazine, she gladly contributed by writing poems and inviting other students to submit their work. In her senior year, she entered a poetry contest held by a local university and received Honorable Mention for her poem.
Receiving two diaries for her 10th birthday is what started her writing career. Fiction novels and studying poetry in her middle school English class helped her hobby grow. Her worst experience was having to memorize a favorite poem by a famous author and recite it on video. She was petrified, but her poetry skills were advancing. One of her best memories is of two local poets that visited her creative writing class.
According to her, doing what you truly love is the definition of work. Writing is one of the best ways to say something, even if it is only to the self. As she puts it, “Poetry is like a firecracker. It is small and has one form when unlit, like when the poem is finalized. Then when you share it with someone or a group of people, much like lighting it, it shoots into the sky and becomes a huge, beautiful, untouchable cloud after the rain.”
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Recommended Resources
HowExpert.com- Short ‘how to’ guides in unique topics by everyday experts!
www.HowExpert.com/poetry - Recommended resource for poetry enthusiasts!