Basil Bunting's advice to me was 'Never repeat yourself'. And when
I feel I am starting to parody myself in a sequence of poems
(I prefer to write sequences) I stop dead. Even though it would
be very easy to continue churning out poems in a similar vein.
I think that was the point that was being raised.
REgarding content in poems I believe that poets are basically
storytellers and have to have some substance in what they write.
(There are always poems that are exceptions). The dominant trait
in British mainstream poetry is the autobiographical. Which is
much sneered at by the innovative poets. But the problem about
the innovative poets is that without a story to hang their structure
of words on they finish up seeming rather ridiculous. I am thinking
of buying this new Neil AStley Bloodaxe Anthology 'Staying Alive'
when I see it to see what has been happening in the mainstream
in the past ten years when I have been reading relatively little.
The Keith Tuma and Other are a distinct waste of time.
I was struck watching on TV tonight the Brian Wilson Pet Sounds
documentary. But Iwont talk about that. Rather say that I was
upset at Tiger's collapse in the gale when Duffy kept going.
I wont see the golf tomorrow as I am off to see Nelson's Victory
at POrtsmouth. I hope ERnie will win.
Back to poetry. If poets pretend they are intellectuals then they
are a dead duck. THe fragmented words that make up a poem jump
out of the subconscious and are then intellectualised. THe basic
poem comes from the emotions and has nothing to do with reason.
Douglas Clark, Bath, England mailto: [log in to unmask]
Lynx: Poetry from Bath .......... http://www.bath.ac.uk/~exxdgdc/lynx.html
|