William:
In female land it is very hard for me to tell a male not to write sensitive
poems, about children, mothers, childbirth, suckling babies, etc 'in a
masculine way.' Why should you. You are male and you have absolutely every
right to write the way you want. What I was saying is that perhaps if a male
poet attempted (as we do) to write in feminine language it would
substantiate the female voice. It would also be a challenge for any male to
write about 'those great, joyous feelings of child-birth or a child's first
steps across the room' in a specifically chosen language.
The difference to me is..choice of words
This is the female voice and it's a (part) poem by Kelly Rowe
Women at Play Group
How ordinary we are, beautiful
only to our children,
and without much to say,
not really friends,
we stroke our babies' heads
absently in the lulls between...
and so it goes on... I never read a poem where a father strokes his son's
head? Perhaps that's the difference between the sexes.
Helen
>From: "William Herbert" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: The Female voice says thanks!
>Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 10:02:18 +0100
>
>Dear Helen,
>
>I go along with this statement until the last clause, where I get confused:
>could you say a little more about why these things shouldn't be written
>about 'in a masculine way'? Or are you just referring to the bit about
>mothers?
>
>Best,
>
>Bill H
>
>'However, what I would like to see are the male poets confirming the female
>experience, in turn this would confirm the female voice and substantiate
>what women are saying in poetry as being equally important. Men writing
>about for eg. the beauty of childbirth, the closeness to children, taking
>them to the park, teaching them to ride a bike, or perhaps write about
>their
>mothers' struggles in life from their perspective, or an omniscient POV,
>but
>not in a masculine way.'
>
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