In a message dated 11/17/2003 2:11:23 PM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
<< 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 >> What a thoughtful and intelligent commentary and
how true. Sue
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