Published in literary journals worldwide, an international author of seven poetry books told Spencer High School (SHS) students Friday that accuracy, precision, attention, imagination and examination are all crucial to poetry.

Born in India in 1965, Mani Rao moved to Hong Kong in 1993, and currently takes part in the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The poetess, who admittedly "feeds on text" today and appreciates the works of modernistic poets Ezra Pound, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Lorine Niedecker, first realized she was a poet at 14.

(Photo by Kris Todd) Before reading the untitled, five-line poem she wrote to Spencer High School students Friday, international poetess Mani Rao said, "I chose a very simple one to show that poetry doesn't need to be something difficult." [Order this photo]

With translations published in Latin, Italian, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, French and German, Rao's current collections of poetry include "Echolocation," "Salt," "The Last Beach," "Living Shadows," "Catapult Season" and "Wingspan." Her latest collection, "100 Poems," compiled from 1985 - 2005, earned the following online review by SHS Advanced Speech, Rhetoric and Honors English teacher Jan Myers: "Mani Rao's poetry plunges the reader into depths of thought reaching to the soul. One emerges from them an improved human, cleansed and better prepared for a more meaningful and conscious life. I like '100 Poems' for its universality, pithiness and wisdom. Yet, reading the poems isn't a heavy experience; often I find myself smiling. Mani Rao's '100 Poems' is an enjoyable and worthy read, one to share with good friends."

As the international poet stressed accuracy and precision in words, she told those gathered in the SHS Little Theatre during first period, "Unless something is precise, it will not evoke images."

Rao also relayed, "Accuracy is a very important quality in poetry in particular. Precision and an eye for detail make it come alive. ... A poem is your condensed accuracy."

(Photo by Kris Todd) Poet Mani Rao spoke to SHS students throughout the day Friday. Rao's visit marked her second to SHS. The native of India came three years ago as part of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. [Order this photo]

She explained the process of writing a poem as having an idea, growing and exploring it in writing "with no extra filler," sculpting it and putting a writer's voice into it.

"Having a better vocabulary may help you find the right words," Rao added.

Rao also explained that poetry is not a profession.

"Most poets don't make money off poetry, because the income usually is not adequate for normal living," she said. "...People don't write poetry or paint or compose music for the purpose of money. You have to be intelligent and smart enough to be able to have a profession, as well as get your joy, and really live a full life in these other ways."

Rao, who worked in television advertising, marketing and as a copywriter from 1985 to 2004 in India and Hong Kong, was also employed in several advertising agencies.

"When you go out there and get jobs in professions, you have to also make sure that you don't have a job or profession that kills your spirit," she advised SHS students. "So, whatever it is that you really enjoy doing, you must cultivate that. Because you owe it to yourself to be happy and to excel in whatever field you are talented in. ... Put your joy into that, and then you can still have a career in another field."

* Friday's visit by Rao was supported by the Spencer Community School Foundation.

---

"Those love cannot leave alone.

Love those cannot leave alone.

Cannot love leave those alone.

Leave those cannot love alone.

Those cannot leave love alone."