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which brings me to a question I believe passed by this list a short time ago, but I am afraid I wasn't paying attention. What is the consensus of poets who think writing poetry of a personal hell is self indulgent drivel? I for one am moved and enjoy the honest emotions that can come from such self revealing work. What do others say? Humm? just wondering, Joanne ----- Original Message ----- From: <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Cc: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2000 5:57 AM Subject: Re: Plath as a miserable, self-obsessed b*****r > Dear Ally and Susanne, > I have to disagree with this assessment of Plath, who was fully occupied > most of the time and had a clear and precise eye: her poems attest to her > intense interest in things outside herself -- for me they often have the > attention and accuracy of Hopkins' letters. > Mairead > > On Tue, 4 Jul 2000, Ally Kerr wrote: > > > Dear Susanne, > > > > Jane Austen, in Persuasion, suggests that folk who are depressed should avoid reading poetry.... She's probably got a point: so many poets are miserable self-obsessed b****rs like Plath! On the other hand, when us students were depressed in the 60s, we used to listen to a Leonard Cohen LP and then we knew there was someone who felt worse than we did. Cheered us up no end. The Rev Sydney Smith said read humour and get out a lot. > > > > Cheers > > > > > > Ally Kerr > > __________________________________________ > > Sent by Sofcom Mail - The world's coolest and safest FREE email service. > > http://www.sofcom.com.au > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%