Shah,

I agree with this and thanks for the sentiment. You have saved me a lot of
typing. I have also printed it out to have a closer look in a few weeks
time.


Best wishes

Colin (also non-writer of one "good" poem so far)




----- Original Message -----
From: "c s shah" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 4:33 PM
Subject: Re: Show or tell - Colin and others


> Dear Mike,
> Thanks for bringing up the topic of 'show, don't tell'. Here's what I
> feel:
>
> The new mantra in poetry writing is "show, don't tell". However, the
> highly individualistic approach that modern culture has brought in
> should allow an artist "to show" or "to state" as he or she chooses.
>
> Another thing of interest is that the poet himself (or herself) is
> encouraged to offer critique even if he has had hardly written one good
> poem. I feel the job of discovering poetry and offering criticism belong
> to two different categories. They are different; and it requires two
> separate artists to accomplish the jobs with finesse and dignity. One is
> a poet, the other a critic.
>
> Instead of floating with the current, it would be worthwhile for a
> sincere critic to pause for a while and contemplate on the changing
> trends in criticism.  What was "correct and in-thing" in criticism
> yesterday finds dustbin (see I have tried to 'show' and not 'tell')
> today. Why is it necessary and compulsory to change our views from time
> to time regarding 'what constitutes true artistic excellence'? It is
> indeed very difficult to answer this question. This particularly
> happens in the field of poetry and painting. Modernity replaces
> Romanticism, and post-modernity tries to show weaknesses in 'modern'
> art. In fact all the three phases or stages have had produced most
> wonderful artists and poets, and a few geniuses of high order.
>
> Then why the change is desired, and insisted upon? Why does one
> rebellious critic finds faults with prevalent literature, and how does
> he foresee a paradigm shift in the exposition of art and creativity? Two
> things are possible; either he must have come across a definite
> freshness of thought and novelty in the writings of a lesser known poet,
> or his own thought must have found something new, intuitive, in the
> world around him that he feels needs to reflect in the field of poetry
> as well. However, nothing new is ever created; all that appears new is
> discovered by higher evolved intellect, both individual and collective.
> An individual stumbles upon a new discovery, new ideas in the field of
> art, etc., and puts the same in his poem.
>
> His discovery might be nearer the truth; his discovery might be
> universal in appeal. He finds new meaning in the same symbols around us.
> New poetry takes birth based on the same 'ocean and the sky, rivers and
> clouds, the sun and the moon', and on the same emotions and feelings of
> human mind. But now the poet finds new meaning therein, a meaning that
> elevates humankind, both at individual and societal level, to new
> heights of understanding and glory. The search to find new paradigms
> will continue, till one reaches the highest truth, which for an artist
> may be ever elusive Beauty.
>
> c s shah
>
>