The 'abstract lyric' as practiced heavily by Language Poets in the seventies and eighties is now considered a genre. Michael Palmer, a non-LP, is another poet identified within the genre. "No ideas but in things" is/was too often used by many as a witless way not to think at all. The 'red wheelbarrow' still 'depends' on the craft of a major brain in modernist literature.
By the way, for conceptual/political/language interest, read the review of Bolano's new novel in today's NY Times - to have build this opus around the mystery of the yet unsolved murders of women in Juarez is really quite something.
--- On Thu, 11/13/08, Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: The Mermaid
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 8:07 AM
To tell the truth, I have no idea, but for me, it's if you can make
the word a kind of thing I guess in the roll of language....
Maybe, once the abstract enters, howsoever, it moves beyond 'lyric'...?
Doug
On 12-Nov-08, at 11:22 AM, bj omanson wrote:
>
> Does an abstract idea have any place in a lyrical poem, or is "no
> ideas
> except in things" still the inviolate principle?
Douglas Barbour
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http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/
Latest books:
Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
Wednesdays'
http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-from-aboveground-press_10.html
We now know that 95 per cent of the universe is made of the something
other than those 12 particles. And we have very little idea what the
other 95 per cent is, which is kind of embarrassing.
Brian Cox
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