David Howard wrote:
> However ridiculous it sounds, and however partial my attempts, I work to
>preserve the sanctity of the subjective as it is declared in the poem by
>opposing a market where effective branding is mistaken for value... Art has
>become artefact and the subjective has been objectified so that it has an
>exchange-value. But to yoke art to market forces is to subscribe to an
>ideology every bit as tyrannical as that of Socialist Realism. I am
>heartened when I hear that 'poetry does not sell' - Poetry is not for sale.
> If understanding is a precondition of citizenry then the opposite is
>true of consumerism. An indiscriminate mass consumes more than the same
>number of realised individuals. And poets must resist the pressure to become
>'a product of' this that or the other; instead they must get real. The
>strength of poetry in totalitarian states, where it inspires large audiences
>who are out for more than enjoyment, suggests that oppression also forces
>the authentic voice to develop. If poetry is 'truly democratic' it is so
>because of, not in spite of, its ability to individuate.'
>
I couldn't agree more, David - Hans Magnus Enzensberger has in his own way
said similar things (and back in his prison days, Vaclav Havel said similar
things about the totalitarianism of consumerism, which seem somewhat borne
out by subsequent events). If poetry is only read by those who love
poetry, I can only see that as its freedom. But the same argument goes for
all "minority" arts, such as theatre and new music: they are be loved by a
serious few, and there is nothing wrong with that.
I used to know someone whose mantra was "Be realistic! Demand the impossible!"
I don't know about "authentic voice", which is such a problematic idea -
one of the Romantic criticisms of Stravinsky that his music was unfeeling
because he used so many styles - which goes doubly problematic for poetry -
often "authentic voices" are tied to "authentic selves" which seem
incredibly untruthful to me - though I do think feeling is authentic, and
is what remains, as Pound said.
Best
Alison
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