Bob,
Well said. I am ambivalent rather than coming down on one side. Afterall it
may be the topical that makes it interesting, not just for the full-blooded
people of today but for people looking back. Taken to an extreme "universal"
poetry would be bland and fail to reflect currents. For some poeople being
sensitive to those currents and carrying out intelligent enquiry re poetry
of an individual or of a time may be much of the fun. I guess I would
formulate it as a spectrum with pitfalls at either end.
Colin
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Cooper [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 7:07 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: new sub : Winter Tips (response to David Anthony's
> "Warming")
>
> Hi Colin,
> You write "topical refs are definately a hinderance..." and I want to
> disagree! I want to come down on the side of today's poetry for today's
> culture.
> I guess what's written now "might" cause a problem in a century or so (if
> the poem survives that long - and luck more than anything else helps
> survival) but I think Willie Shakespeare wrote for his day - and, despite
> the topical refs and words, we still explore and enjoy his plays and poems
> -
> and I think 2002/3 needs us to do the same as Will did in 1602/3. I could
> write: "Full-blooded poems for full-blooded readers - no anemic ones..."
> but
> that may be going a tad over the top!
> If I'm to think of people in 2102/3 browsing through TheWorks archives I'd
> chuckle - but sense they'd have the nous to grasp what we're on about as
> well. If they can't then I, myself, can't help them. Or if they still read
> anthologies I guess it's the editor who may have to provide footnotes...
> Bob
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >
> > > "It means something now (if you live in the UK) but probably
> >won't
> > > in the future." Sorry to paste in but I find this a really interesting
> > > comment. Having something topical can be strong at the expense of
> future
> > > clarity. But where do we draw the line? Could we or should we avoid
> refs
> > > that won't be understood in a hundred years? Quite often I read poems
> >from a
> > > hundred years ago. Topical refs are definitely a hindrance.
> > > (Not expecting answers so much as expressing an interest in
> the
> > > issue.)
> > >
> > > Colin
> >
> >
>
>
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