The late Canadian poet, Wilfred Watson, developed a poetic method he called
'number grid verse' toward the end of his life, which used numbers to set
off lines, & could allow for a series of same numbered lines for different
speakers. As a playwright, he then adapted this verse form to plays,
especially a trilogy based on the life of Gramsci, which was simply
terrific when I saw it staged. Very much a movement toward ritual yet
keeping the 'realities' of history front & centre.
Gramsci x 3 was published by NeWest Press, but I don't think it's still in
print...
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
Springtime's wide
water-
yield
but the field
will return
Lorine Niedecker
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