Excellent poetry and prose works are difficult to come by in these technology-based times. One would think it easier, however everyone (or at least a large percentage) is about fictitious friendships and vainly attempting to make a name for themselves rather than be satisfied and do something useful.

Much of the past excellence, apart from say Shakespeare who still continues to stride on (but he certainly does not deserve all the attention) , has been drowned in a flood of epic proportions. Like all floods, this one is dangerous, but poses a greater threat to poetry and prose. It continues to threaten but has been successful in making almost everything mediocre and with uncanny similarity. Possibly mediocre is too kinder word to describe current standards.

Today, those once inspirational names only manifest in history lessons, homework assignments, or if they are lucky (or unlucky), a guest appearance in some university course. But even these are so watered down, banned or censored that younger generations cannot understand why these names were so highly regarded among writers and poets.

As a result, younger generations only see what immediately precedes them, and this is the lagan. At one time cast overboard but someone found the maker, and now it is the possession of anyone who cares for it.

There is so much to be learnt from the past masters, their work and how they presented their work to the then general public. These people need to be brought back to the masses and read with the gusto they once were.

This, in part, is the reason for xiv lines coming into existence, and in some small way resurrect the art of poetry, prose, reviews and criticism.

Out of these, criticism is something we do not see a great deal, and the reason for that lies with the general attitude of writers and poets today. For whatever reason, they believe that what they write is perfect from inception, especially poets, or those of whom consider themselves to be poets. There is not revision, no rewriting—nothing at all. Mostly it is typed into an ‘app’ and quickly disposed of onto some social media forum to await praise from the herd. This is how degenerative the writing of poetry and prose has become.

Will this state eventually be rectified? I doubt it, and I can only see the problem becoming worse now that Artificial Intelligence has entered the arena. It astounds me that some people, who knows how many, are prepared to utilize this tool to create work and publish it under their own name. It seems that no-one wants to think for themselves anymore.

So hopefully with xiv lines, we can do something different to what is generally seen. I would also ask that if you wish to contribute an article to appear in xiv lines to please get in touch through the contact page.

Ferrick Gray