Bill,
sorry for being overly hermetic. You do indeed explore the issue of
communication later in your post. And in fact, I think that poems do & even
should communicate, but I'm very uncertain about what I see as the
instrumentalism of the word "purpose." I guess I would say that we can't help
communicating when we write poems & that poets need to be aware that language is
held in common with others. But the usual meaning of a sentence like "the
purpose of a poem is to communicate" carries the implication that accessibility
or ease of comprehension is the primary virtue. See my post on Emily Dickinson
for further thoughts on this.
Joe
William Herbert wrote:
> Dear Hugh & Joe,
>
> Wasn't I trying to say something about this in the rest of the email or
> indeed in the rest of that sentence? If you think not, or if your positions
> are different again, let's discuss that a little more than below.
>
> Best,
>
> Willtam
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Joseph Duemer <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2000 1:32 PM
> Subject: Re: poets who eschew clarity
>
> > Joe doesn't either.
> >
> > Hugh Tolhurst wrote:
> >
> > > Really a reply to willtam Herbert, who wrote:-
> > >
> > > We all seem to agree that the purpose of a poem is to communicate,
> > >
> > > hugh doesn't.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Roddy Lumsden <[log in to unmask]>
> > > To: Poetryetc <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2000 10:03 PM
> > > Subject: Re: poets who eschew clarity
> > >
> > > >
> > > > >Roddy invited comment on the "laziness and bad manners" of poets who
> > > eschew
> > > > >clarity. I'd say it was more a fault of ego than of laziness and bad
> > > > >manners.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hang on a minute, before this becomes a chinese whisper - that sounds
> like
> > > > it's my 'soundbite'. I was inviting comment from a specific poet, who
> had
> > > > expressed this opinion. I've a lot of time for clarity, but I like a
> bowl
> > > > of minestrone now and then, just as much as I like consommé.
> > > >
> > > > Roddy
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> > --
> > ________________________
> > Joseph Duemer
> > School of Liberal Arts-5750
> > Clarkson University
> > Potsdam NY 13699
> > [log in to unmask]
> > ________________________
> >
> > "Always come down from the barren heights
> > of cleverness into the green valleys of folly."
> > ::Wittgenstein
> >
> >
--
________________________
Joseph Duemer
School of Liberal Arts-5750
Clarkson University
Potsdam NY 13699
[log in to unmask]
________________________
"Always come down from the barren heights
of cleverness into the green valleys of folly."
::Wittgenstein
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