Well, my lifelong belief has been that poetry is a private statement shared
in public, or not. Except, of course, those preachy/rant poems which are
more often verse than poetry. If your intellectual habit is to pursue new
knowledge, then some experimentation is bound to be part of your creative
expression. If you gain knowledge and stay happy in that swirlpool then yr
poetry will remain in whatever mode you finally become happy expressing
yourself in (to yourself and/or others).
Each new poem is an adventure for me. I like to try my chops at various
forms when I'm not achieving anything in organic form. I do write notes
everywhere - back of shopping receipts, my wife's shopping lists, dr's
notes, parking centre receipts, etc. Most of this goes in the bin, but the
occasional phrase will catch and I'll play with it further. (I'm still
further surprised when readers applaud one poem above others, often
something slight I played with and abandoned early on.)
Fashion changes, even in poetry. Just as language is always expanding and
contracting, poetry has its new styles and its old. One of my favourite
definitions of poetry is: 'Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking.'
Just think of the changes in dancing over the decades! And even the variety
of walking styles at the local shopping mall. Times change and with it our
art forms. I really enjoy work like Sheila Murphy's which covers a lot of
territory and retains her same character.
... And I'd better stop there or this will turn into an essay. My wife has
written her shopping list and we shall explore a new shopping mall (in
Canberra, not our home town).
Andrew the Innocent
On 7 February 2015 at 03:26, Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Well, I'm partly with Laurie Duggan.
>
> And don't quite get that 8th one as he parches it.
>
> & then he praises Bök...
>
> Where would he put, oh say, Adamson? Let alone some of the younger ones I
> don't know about...?
>
> It's an old argument, & will continue...
>
> Doug
>
> On Feb 5, 2015, at 11:56 AM, Max Richards <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Thanks for the fresh detail, Andrew.
> >
> > Has Geoff seen it?
> >
> > Amused by nice Geoff getting himself in trouble -
> >
> >
> http://southerlyjournal.com.au/2014/11/12/obscurity-in-poetry-a-spectrum/
> >
> > as detailed by -
> >
> >
> > http://www.sydneyreviewofbooks.com/australian-poetry-reviewing/
> >
> > best from Max
> >
> > On Feb 3, 2015, at 23:36, Andrew Burke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> >> He sits, eyes closed,
> >> by the bandstand.
> >> All about are watching
> >> each move of singer
> >> and horn men, bass player
> >> in back like a tree swaying.
> >> Now, the volume rises,
> >> melody tighter and tighter,
> >> and his left arm jolts up,
> >> hand waving a figure in the air.
> >> The drummer is his puppeteer,
> >> stringing him along, then
> >> dropping his left hand to
> >> join his right, patting a fast
> >> drum roll on his knee.
> >> The diner beside him turns
> >> and, seeing his eyes closed,
> >> smiles and looks back
> >> at the band.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Andrew
> >> http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
> >> 'Undercover of Lightness'
> >> http://walleahpress.com.au/recent-publications.html
> >> 'Shikibu Shuffle'
> >>
> http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/new-from-aboveground-press-shikibu.html
> >
>
> Douglas Barbour
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Recent publications: (With Sheila E Murphy) Continuations & Continuation 2
> (UofAPress).
> Recording Dates (Rubicon Press).
>
> that we are only
> as we find out we are
>
> Charles Olson
>
--
Andrew
http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
'Undercover of Lightness'
http://walleahpress.com.au/recent-publications.html
'Shikibu Shuffle'
http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/new-from-aboveground-press-shikibu.html
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