On 9/3/04 11:28 AM, "Geraldine Monk" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> If serious poetry equals prayer (Alison) does that make light-hearted poetry
> blasphemous or anti-prayer or what? Once you imbue poetry with some religious
> fervour or aura of veneration it goes down the slippery slope of some kind of
> literary Manichaeism. Serious poetry good/Frivolous bad? Equally David
> quoting Beckett (Sam or Tom?!) Poetry is prayer: prose is - well is what
> exactly? Some kind of secular second-rate cousin? Even if it's the most
> moving devotional prose you've ever read?
>
>
You can dissent any way you want, darling Geraldine. I would say so of
yours, if put on the rack; serious includes the light hearted, what about
all those drunkenly hilarious Taoist monks? I don't make essential
distinctions between poetry and prose, either - but now I'm really exposing
myself - and I should as usual be doing something else -
I should also say that piety and prayer in the sense I'm reaching for ain't
necessarily the same thing. Sometimes they seem to me to be diametrically
opposite things. Blair is certainly pious.
Now I'm going to hide until you bless me with your forgiveness -
A
Alison Croggon
Editor, Masthead
http://www.masthead.net.au
Home page
http://www.alisoncroggon.com
Blog
http://alisoncroggon.blogspot.com
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