Like parenting, reading poetry out loud doesn't come with instructions. I've
heard Eliot, Stevens, Pound and Dylan Thomas and to my ear they were each
distinct. For me Dylan Thomas and Stevens sounded closest to the music of
their verse on the page, Pound sounded as if putting on aires, and Eliot
like a scratchy 78 LP. You must have had better recordings than I've heard.
In general my experience at readings has been like Stephen's, interesting
work delivered haphazard to the ear balanced against interesting work
delivered in an engaging manner (which doesn't necessarily mean a theatrical
rendering, Robin Blaser comes to mind, intense depth/verse engaging with the
rhythms of conversation).
I figure at best we're each left to make up for any lacking we hear in other
poets with own voices.
Frank
******************
Frank Parker
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http://frankshome.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Felix" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 7:59 AM
Subject: Re: Reading &c
> One time I got my students to listen to clips from 3 Brits (Auden, Graves,
> Dylan Thomas) and 3 Americans (well, you might say "Americans": Eliot,
> Pound, Stevens) and asked them to figure out which was which. Pound was
the
> only one they 'got', and I think that was because he sounded so
> idiosyncratic.
>
> The others sound so similar. It is as though there was an ideology of
making
> the poem sound as much as possible like it does on the page.
>
> P
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to
> > poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> > Behalf Of Frank Parker
> > Sent: 10 March 2005 00:02
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Reading &c
> >
> > If you've ever heard Anne Waldman or Victor Hernandez Cruz or
> > Michael McClure read their work you'd know that there are
> > alternative voices and voicings.
> > While I agree a lot of what I hear read is sad, I also catch
> > some good readings too; my pal David Gitin has done some
> > great work with musicians, etc. And I might add that Miles
> > might have said, "He's a motherfucker!" if he'd heard me
> > deliver my own verse. I think a balance can be struck between
> > performance and being in service to the word. The audience
> > will know when staging is outstripping substance. The Emporer
> > wears no clothes, etc.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Frank
> >
> > ***************************
> > Frank Parker
> > [log in to unmask]
> > http://frankshome.org
> >
> > From: "Sharon Brogan"
> >
> > > the line breaks are great. the point is painful.
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
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