Doug, I've read some New Formalists' work, but usually don't prefer it
[which is no different from my generally not preferring any poetry in any
"school" or era!]. However, Sam Gwynn's a listmember of New Poetry, so I
read a few of his poems. My favourite of his is the following one which
I've posted from The Best American Poetry blog. What he had to do to meet
the requirements for the poem, the clarity, cool "spin", and his
wit/poignance impressed me. First a brief BAP intro:
The Inaugural Ode Contest: And the Winner Is . .
.<http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/2008/12/th.html>
*But first, the runners up.* Last month, we announced The Third Annual Best
American Poetry Poem Challenge, for which poets were invited to write an
inaugural ode, suitable for reading aloud on January 20, 2009. It had to
consist of sixteen lines broken into four quatrains, rhyme scheme optional.
Furthermore, the ode had to include one line lifted from a poem in *The Best
American Poetry 2008 *or from the book's foreword or introduction, and also
include at least three of the following words: *honor, integrity, faith,
hope, change, power. *Poet *Mark Strand* selected the winner and runners
up.
Yesterday, we announced third place winners Valentina Gnup and Michael
Schiavo. Read their poems
here<http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/american-meditation-by-valentina-gnup.html>
and here.<http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/morning-gown-by-michael-schiavo.html>
Now we are pleased to announce the second place poem.*An Inaugural
Prayer *comes
to us from R. S. Gwynn of Beaumont, Texas. *Thank you, R.S. and
congratulations!
**An Inaugural Prayer*
Lord, Whom we may not mention
By name, Great Undefined,
Lend us one dimension
Of Thine awful mind.
The words will come--*faith, power,
Integrity*, and* change*--
To be bartered in this hour,
And may those words estrange
Us from our friends and neighbors
In long-drawn arguments
Till the fruits of our labors
Ripen to common sense.
Let no vote be decided
Save when we disagree.
A nation undivided
Never can be free.
-- by R. S. Gwynn
(The first four words of line 5 are taken from R. T. Smith's "Pentecost";
the second word of line 13 is line 6 of Charles Bernstein's "Ku(na)hay," and
the first word of line 15 is line 19 of the same poem.)
Posted by Best American Poetry on December 24, 2008 at 01:56 PM in BAP Poem
Challenge<http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/bap_poem_challenge/>
, Poems<http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/poems/>
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Best,
Judy
2009/8/5 Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]>
> Given my biases, I dont even know who the, um, 'important' (?) 'USAmerican
> New Formalist' poets are. Let alone whatever poem by one of them might be
> 'close to genius.'
>
> So, I simply cannot even venture an opinion on this one....
>
> Doug
>
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