My understanding from Desmoind's post - was that tragedy is merely human but
comedy is the point of view of the gods. Trouble is, the gods were callous
drunken bastards always having a laugh at our expense - then as now - and
might well, in the modern guise of cultural programmers, be delighted if we
don't take our or anyone elses suffering too seriously. A nearly opposite
view, expressed by Milan Kundera among others, is that it is tragedy which
offers falsely enobled versions of human doings and comedy which depicts us
as the contemptible scum we really are. I seem to remember Ernst Bloch
saying that tragedy is utopian.
But what struck me about the videos was the warmth and good-humour of it
all. The first poem It's History, for example, tried to square the circle of
incompatible points of view -'Essex' and 'Ireland' - in a pub argument and
quite amicably resolved them as different 'cultural stories'. I can't see
any 'serious' poetry that even tries to engage on that level or do that kind
of thing. So maybe 'Slam' as a highly social kind of writing can reach
parts, and say things, that poetry doesn't usually reach for - because of
its different social context.
I dunno, just a thought.
best
John
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