Live Encounters Poets on Poetry July 2026
Can one train to become a poet, or is it a divine talent? by Audrey Molloy.
A natural aptitude for language, a musical ear, an artist’s eye for detail – any of these talents can make the writing of poetry come more easily. But all the talent in the world is redundant if one does not do the ongoing work towards mastering this complex craft. The most musically talented child cannot simply pick up an oboe or French horn for the first (or hundredth) time and play in a way that will reward and move not only themselves but also their listener. This takes decades of hard work, regardless of talent. To have a chance at achieving such things, a poet must, like any other artist, undertake a long apprenticeship that requires resilience as well as close reading, understanding what poetry has been written before, listening to their own inner voice, and honing every element of their craft: metaphor, imagery, prosody – the music of language – form and the line. I’ve seen very talented emerging poets pack their notebooks and pencils away, disillusioned with their progress, because they believed talent alone was enough. It’s not.
© Audrey Molloy
Audrey Molloy grew up in Ireland and has lived in Sydney since 1998. Her debut collection, The Important Things (The Gallery Press, 2021), won the Anne Elder Award and was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize. Her most recent collection, Fallen (The Gallery Press / Pitt Street Poetry 2025) was longlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University and is the recipient of a Literature Bursary Award from The Arts Council of Ireland. She is founding editor of The Marrow International Poetry. https://www.themarrowpoetry.com/