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Dear Joanne, I'd be keen to hear what you think of Louise Gluck's work when you've had a look- I'm a beginner with her poems, and there is a lot to come to grips with there. But 'The Wild Iris' really struck a chord with me: moving, powerful and intelligent. Best wishes, Cassie On Thu, 6 Jul 2000 09:02:10 -0700, [log in to unmask] wrote: > Hi Cassie, > thank you for answering my query. I thank you again for pointing out a poet > I have never read. I will seek out her work. I agree with the assessment > that it is not what you say, but how you say it since there is nothing new > under the sun to quote a tired cliche. (-:) Sending my best yrway. Joanne > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2000 8:40 AM > Subject: A thought on Plath & all things miserable > > > > Dear Joanne, > > > > That's a difficult question. The 'cult' of Sylvia Plath probably > contributes > > to her percieved tiresome aspect. yet perhaps it's unfair that she's so > > commonly seen as purely internal and insular- most of us would seem that > way > > if the diaries of our youth were widely published. > > > > Poetry needs shade as well as light to work, it's almost a prerequisite, > so > > I guess what we're talking about is attitude, style and tone rather than > > subject matter. > > > > Personally, having just read Louise Gluck's 'The Wild Iris', I am > staggered > > by her deftness with dark subjects. Here's a quote from Helen Vendler from > > the back cover: > > > > "Her poems... have achieved the unusual distinction of being neither > > "confessional" nor "intellectual" in the usual senses of this word, which > > are often thought to represent two camps in the life of poetry...What a > > strange book 'The Wild Iris' is...written in the language of flowers...It > > wagers everything on the poetic energy remaining in the old troubadour > image > > of the spring, the Biblical lilies of the field, natural resurrection." > > > > What is a personal hell? Is it so different from an impersonal one? Does > it > > really matter whether we're talking about death and resurrection in a > > garden, or in Russia (as in Akhmatova's 'Requiem' Cycle) or in Sylvia's > > mind? I think it comes down to one of the best phrases I picked up in high > > school: it's not what you say but how you say it. > > > > How very intellectual of me! But as readers we have interpretitive choices > > too: I tentatively feel that three's much existentialism in Plath's work, > > along with all the nihilism. > > > > But if it was a choice between a night out with Anna and Louise, and one > > with Sylvia, I'm pretty sure which one I'd take. > > > > > > Best wishes, > > > > > > Cassie > > > > > > On Wed, 5 Jul 2000 08:05:28 -0700, [log in to unmask] wrote: > > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ > > Say Bye to Slow Internet! > > http://www.home.com/xinbox/signup.html > > > _______________________________________________________ Say Bye to Slow Internet! http://www.home.com/xinbox/signup.html %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%