I take both what Randolph & Rebecca say seriously, but i am not sure i feel
quite the same way even if i wasn't at all tempted to try to write a 'bad'
poem (which does suggest that something in me found the concept 'not
useful' *to me*). i laughed at Peter's poem because it seemed to me that
the misspellings gave the game away, which is to say that they signaled the
parodic/satiric intention of the poem.
on the other hand, the reference to 'My Last Duchess' seems off the point
somehow, as that is one of the most carefully crafted poems, a 'classic'
example of subtle character construction, although, as Peter suggested, a
brilliant display of 'bad' morality.
i find myself not too bothered by those who want to try their hand at
writing deliberately bad poems as Jon suggested, but utterly uninterested
in trying it myself... (on the other hand, paraody, which i admire,. seems
to be one of those things i can't do, so this may be just my way of
avoiding making a fool of myself [again]).
doug
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
Why poetry? And why not, I asked,
my right brain humming sedition.
Phyllis Webb
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