Hi all, below Bob articulates with commendable frankness a type of comment
frequently heard on poetry such as 'Nearer to Thee' which takes as its
subject some ghastly personal horror. I think it is fair to say that
irrespective of the success or otherwise of David's treatment of this
particular material such criticisms would nonetheless be levelled. Bob goes
on to ask: "Can public poems be written these days?"

It's a good question. If by 'public' one intends 'dealing with public
affairs, with actuality,' the answer is most surely 'yes'. One has only to
go to the Corner Bar in Manchester, New York or wherever, to hear any amount
of poetry which, for so long as it is expressive of a suitably narrow vein
of leering non-thought, will have the Saturday night radicals howling for
blood... pizza... or both.

This is 'performance poetry'. But is it 'performative'? Is it 'making a
statement'... or is it just supplying off-the-shelf opinions to people too
stupid and lazy to do anything other than be fashionably alienated?

My own belief is that the best of this agitprop ranting is indeed both
'performative' and very good (oral) poetry. But it is odd that this
particular strand of performative work is often the only one seen as
'rational' or 'reasonable'. Whatever happened to poetry as prayer? Or poetry
as greeting, as augury, as eulogy?

I have a slight knowledge of the position poetry plays in the cultural life
of Bangladesh, and of Japan. These are radically different societies, yet in
both poetry does indeed discharge the full range of  'performative'
functions. Poetry, in short, is a core cultural component: people read it,
people write it, recite it, care about it.

Here I suppose it's a bit like the man at the doctor's:

"Bad news I'm afraid, it's Alzheimer's."
"And the good news!!?"
"In a fortnight you'll have forgotten about it."

Once our mirror-image secular rationalism has finally managed to kill off
the last vestiges of interest in poetry we'll all be too post-modern to
notice.

now they sleep
safe from the tyrant's rage
and winter's storm                       dick

my sheepskin coat returns
to Oxfam's window                      frank

(Dick Pettit and Frank Williams from 'The Scent of Lemons')

Best wishes, john e c



----- Original Message -----



Hi David,
I'm worried about this poem, too.
I've read it once and I don't want to read it again... that's a bad sign for
me.
Somehow it seems as if I want to say: "No... I'm not part of the We this
poem is speaking for" - (even though I might be... but I don't think I am! I
just don't want to study the poem more closely, read it again, to find out).
I sort of feel I don't want someone to say these things on my behalf. I feel
that those closer to the events and experience probably don't need this
said. I feel I don't want it said on my behalf either.
Cruel to say, like all the Diana poems that appeared, I guess it'll not be
remembered - it's a forgettable poem (about an unforgettable subject).
Can public poems be written these days?
Bob


>From: David Anthony <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Nearer to Thee
>Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 18:32:54 +0000
>
>Nearer to Thee
>
>We scanned the headlines for the news
>and sensed what was to come:
>those children in the photograph
>would not be coming home.
>Small hope surrendered with a bleak
>announcement on TV,
>and someone played a brave old tune-
>"Nearer, my God, to Thee."
>
>Can God be near when malice lurks
>throughout the world He made;
>when every generation sees
>its innocents betrayed?
>Each evil lessens all of us-
>Who lets such evil be?
>Grief fills Thy churches, grief and shame,
>and brings us nearer Thee.
>
>We search for meaning, finding none;
>for hope where hope has died.
>We learned this lesson long ago
>when Christ was crucified:
>untainted lives are beacons, bright
>however dark the sea.
>Take them, take them; take our hopes,
>and hold them near to Thee.
>
>(in memory of Holly and Jessica)
>(Revision)
>
>http://www.davidgwilymanthony.co.uk/

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