Dear Joanne,
I'd be keen to hear what you think of Louise Gluck's work when you've had a
look- I'm a beginner with her poems, and there is a lot to come to grips
with there. But 'The Wild Iris' really struck a chord with me: moving,
powerful and intelligent.
Best wishes,
Cassie
On Thu, 6 Jul 2000 09:02:10 -0700, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Hi Cassie,
> thank you for answering my query. I thank you again for pointing out a
poet
> I have never read. I will seek out her work. I agree with the assessment
> that it is not what you say, but how you say it since there is nothing
new
> under the sun to quote a tired cliche. (-:) Sending my best yrway. Joanne
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2000 8:40 AM
> Subject: A thought on Plath & all things miserable
>
>
> > Dear Joanne,
> >
> > That's a difficult question. The 'cult' of Sylvia Plath probably
> contributes
> > to her percieved tiresome aspect. yet perhaps it's unfair that she's so
> > commonly seen as purely internal and insular- most of us would seem
that
> way
> > if the diaries of our youth were widely published.
> >
> > Poetry needs shade as well as light to work, it's almost a
prerequisite,
> so
> > I guess what we're talking about is attitude, style and tone rather
than
> > subject matter.
> >
> > Personally, having just read Louise Gluck's 'The Wild Iris', I am
> staggered
> > by her deftness with dark subjects. Here's a quote from Helen Vendler
from
> > the back cover:
> >
> > "Her poems... have achieved the unusual distinction of being neither
> > "confessional" nor "intellectual" in the usual senses of this word,
which
> > are often thought to represent two camps in the life of poetry...What a
> > strange book 'The Wild Iris' is...written in the language of
flowers...It
> > wagers everything on the poetic energy remaining in the old troubadour
> image
> > of the spring, the Biblical lilies of the field, natural resurrection."
> >
> > What is a personal hell? Is it so different from an impersonal one?
Does
> it
> > really matter whether we're talking about death and resurrection in a
> > garden, or in Russia (as in Akhmatova's 'Requiem' Cycle) or in Sylvia's
> > mind? I think it comes down to one of the best phrases I picked up in
high
> > school: it's not what you say but how you say it.
> >
> > How very intellectual of me! But as readers we have interpretitive
choices
> > too: I tentatively feel that three's much existentialism in Plath's
work,
> > along with all the nihilism.
> >
> > But if it was a choice between a night out with Anna and Louise, and
one
> > with Sylvia, I'm pretty sure which one I'd take.
> >
> >
> > Best wishes,
> >
> >
> > Cassie
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 5 Jul 2000 08:05:28 -0700, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> >
> > > which brings me to a question I believe passed by this list a short
> time
> > > ago, but I am afraid I wasn't paying attention. What is the
consensus
> of
> > > poets who think writing poetry of a personal hell is self indulgent
> > drivel?
> > > I for one am moved and enjoy the honest emotions that can come from
> such
> > > self revealing work. What do others say? Humm? just wondering,
Joanne
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Cc: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2000 5:57 AM
> > > Subject: Re: Plath as a miserable, self-obsessed b*****r
> > >
> > >
> > > > Dear Ally and Susanne,
> > > > I have to disagree with this assessment of Plath, who was fully
> > occupied
> > > > most of the time and had a clear and precise eye: her poems attest
to
> > her
> > > > intense interest in things outside herself -- for me they often
have
> > the
> > > > attention and accuracy of Hopkins' letters.
> > > > Mairead
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, 4 Jul 2000, Ally Kerr wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Dear Susanne,
> > > > >
> > > > > Jane Austen, in Persuasion, suggests that folk who are depressed
> > should
> > > avoid reading poetry.... She's probably got a point: so many poets
are
> > > miserable self-obsessed b****rs like Plath! On the other hand, when
us
> > > students were depressed in the 60s, we used to listen to a Leonard
> Cohen
> > LP
> > > and then we knew there was someone who felt worse than we did.
Cheered
> > us
> > > up no end. The Rev Sydney Smith said read humour and get out a lot.
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Ally Kerr
> > > > > __________________________________________
> > > > > Sent by Sofcom Mail - The world's coolest and safest FREE email
> > service.
> > > > > http://www.sofcom.com.au
> > > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________________
> > Say Bye to Slow Internet!
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> >
>
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