> I +feel+ that RS Thomas's religious poems are very poor, and well inferior
> to his best work. Les Murray is a difficult area to negotiate ( I mean how
> could anyone with any aesthetic sense ever have appended his name as 'Les A.
> Murray'?) but, he can be a fine poet, though a dubious presence, a loose
> phrase that, but again I don't feel comfortable discussing it.
>
> These are unlike, as religious poets, the genuinely great religious poet
> George Herbert, whom I hope Janet has now learnt about.
Hi David - yes, but who is like George Herbert? (one of my favourites, as
well). Some of us can only wish... But Murray's animal poems aren't so far
from some of Hopkins. I'm very fond of Les, as are a surprising number of
young feminist women. That doesn't mean I agree with everything he says. But
his best poems are very fine indeed, and he's written some great
contemplative poems which might well be described as religious - probably my
favourite is "Walking to the Cattle Place".
And RS Thomas' poems about doubt are really wonderful, I think, if very
tormented.
But maybe it all comes down to what you mean by "religious". Does it mean
using religious iconography? (in that case, despite being a good atheist
I've written quite a number myself). Or does it mean contemplative poems
dealing with some numinous experience? Theological meanderings? It certainly
needn't mean dogmatic doggerel - Doug mentioned Fanny Howe, and she's in
quite a different universe from that.
All best
Alison
Alison Croggon
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
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