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I believe that's Anastasios you're quoting, James, and I thought of his post last night when I was at a comedy club (no, not _this_ one) and heard a comedian open his set with "People are always asking me, 'Is that your real voice?' What do they expect me to say?" Any fans of Emo Phillips out there? I think you made some good points in response to A.'s series of questions, and it's started me wondering (again) about the difference between a poet's style and his/her voice. Why do we need "voice" as a critical category for poetry (or for writing more generally)? Why doesn't "style" cover it? Might have something to do with that relationship between poetry and memory some of us have been circling. Whaddyarekkon? Candice It wasn't him. on 7/12/01 11:40 PM, [log in to unmask] at [log in to unmask] wrote: > But, what is something that comes up in my world lately is the notion of >> "voice." Michael said, "and that problem can be the universal one of >> finding one's own voice." Is there anything more cliche in poetry? Does >> not one have more than one voice? Is there a "voice" in poetry? How does >> "voice" mix with form? Does form control content or is it vice versa? I >> think these are questions that come with the poet's skill and talent. >> Skill and talent, I think, can be developed through a training in form, >> which is what Allison was saying, I believe. > > I lost track of who said this; but "voice," I believe, is just critical > shorthand > for what we (readers) find in the work of a poet that distinguishes > his/her poetry from that of another poet...partly style, party attack > or perspective, partly predilection toward certain kinds of subject matter, > orders of imagery or philosophical notions. Voice can be thrown...can be > mimicked...echoed...but by & large it's hard to fake: Creely's voice is > different from Bronk's; few readers would mistake Olson for Duncan. > That's voice...the distinguishing characteristic (as a whole) of a particular > poet's poetry. "Finding one's voice" has a kind of romantic ring to it; but > generally it's a matter of poet being unable to shake one's voice even > if s/he tries. > Finnegan