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Joodles are you actually here!!!as in UK ??am on tenterhooks tenderhooks and have you found your dear rodent it's all the stuff snuff of dreams P D'Raynged Park -----Original Message----- From: Poetryetc: poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Judy Prince Sent: 17 June 2009 01:10 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Laureates and more. I did, indeed---more than you might've thought, David.....especially two immigration agents at BHX. They let me into your country, which Gatwick had failed to do a year ago. All the folk at BHX were lervely, homey, and chatty-helpful. Only wish I could've stayed at least long enuff to check again the awesome architected building, location which you and I couldnae nail. But 6 months'll allow some exploring. hooha!!! Judy 2009/6/14 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]> > Judy > Give Brum my love. > > > 2009/6/14 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]> > > > Ah, David, it's a Christmas every day already. Love the Milton and Fanny > > Howe quotes! Thanks. > > me orf to B'Ham now!!! > > > > 2009/6/14 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > Yes, Judy, poetry is about dedication, not fame. So many people I come > > > across don't comprehend that: they think of it as a form of becoming > > > 'somebody', poor souls, as if they could assuage their emptiness in > > others' > > > eyes, become 'real' within by becoming 'recognised', they talk of > poetry > > as > > > a 'career', as if it were a matter of collecting certificates to hang > on > > > the > > > wall to prove 'development'.Milton, all those years ago, put the task > of > > a > > > poet succinctly: 'to strictly meditate the thankless Muse', emphasise > the > > > 'thankless' in that it's how one should pitch expectation, ask for > > nothing > > > and it'll be a Christmas every time some little does fall one's way. As > > for > > > that reality of being someone, a name, the one, well, to paraphrase > Fanny > > > Howe , we are all always a voice within a body that 'doesn't know we're > > > there'. > > > > > > 2009/6/13 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > > I never go a bundle on political message poems, David, but am eager > to > > > find > > > > one which manages true poeming whilst seeking to give such message. > > > > Duffy's > > > > failed in several ways, of which the message's clarity would be one > [as > > > you > > > > quite rightly note and explain, and which's difficult for USAmericans > > to > > > > figure out unless they know the politics in the UK]. > > > > Would be lovely to keep dissecting the poem, as you clearly have > done, > > > but > > > > really the bottom line's that EXCELLENT POETRY IS DAMNED DIFFICULT TO > > > > WRITE. > > > > And she, amongst millions of other worthy folk, simply cannot manage > > it. > > > > She has grown her work fairly quickly in the last few years, and I > > > > honestly > > > > believe that actually no one COULD NOT write Excellent > Poetry......but > > it > > > > does happen rarely. When it happens, it is instantly known by the > poet > > > and > > > > by the poets' readers/hearers. It happens with your poems > > continuously. > > > > It > > > > happened with Yeats, tho I still believe that your work trumps his. > > > > > > > > A nother of my mantras: If writing Excellent Poetry were easy, or > even > > > > hardlearned but learnable only, many of us would be doing it [and I > > truly > > > > wish I were one of those doing it]. But, alas, there you have it. > > > > > > > > My profoundest respect is for all of us who pursue poems, writing, > > > reading, > > > > saying, and nurturing. It is why I have come to respect UKers, and > to > > > feel > > > > sad that USAmericans are relatively less hooked into poetry. I've > much > > > > gratitude to you and many others in the UK for your reverence for > > words, > > > > your unshrieked but constant attention to the power, freedom, > > > magnificence, > > > > uplift, and durability of words. > > > > One day p'raps a Laureate will be equal to the anointing. I rather > > > think, > > > > tho, that the Professor of Poetry at Oxford will come closer to that > > > ideal, > > > > and much sooner. And I wish that Cambridge would initiate a like > Chair > > > but > > > > with a more transparent nomination, campaign, and election process as > > > well > > > > as electronic voting. > > > > > > > > That's for the academic side of poemworld. As for the Other Side: > > > That's > > > > for you to herald, and for me to support strongly and > > > > continuously---daunting work, but not at all impossible, and worth > > every > > > > word-breath. > > > > > > > > All best, > > > > > > > > Judy now having ducked the much-wanted rain.... > > > > > > > > 2009/6/13 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > > > > The other thing, Judy, that distresses me is that Duffy's poem as a > > > piece > > > > > of > > > > > +rhetoric+ is effective, all those links of discs and hiss and piss > > and > > > > > politics (she misses out the word 'fix' though) - she's really > rather > > > > like > > > > > a > > > > > contemporary Kipling (a poet she derides somewhat) and that if you > do > > > > look > > > > > for political content in it, well, the only politicians deplored > > > > > (inferentially) are Labour, I don't know. It's supposed to be a > > > > 'passionate > > > > > commentary on the corrosiveness of politics on politicians and the > > > > ruinous > > > > > effect on idealism' but bugger me if I can find any of that in the > > > poem. > > > > It > > > > > does though suggest that politics will spoil your appearance on > > Desert > > > > > Island Discs. (Ruth Padel got on that a while back, I wonder ...) > > > > > > > > > > 2009/6/13 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > > > > > > Reminds, me David, now having trashed your UK Laureate.....<g> > ... > > > I'm > > > > > > ready > > > > > > yes ready to read me poems in Leicester. I'll wager that a > female > > > > > > USAmerican could sequester some Leicesters, even sell a pamphlet > > or > > > > two. > > > > > > And soom others may well wish to complement-read, if you know > > > > what/whom > > > > > I > > > > > > mean.... > > > > > > subtle and humble as always, Judy > > > > > > > > > > > > 2009/6/13 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > > > > > > > > H'm, Carol Ann Duffy's first poem as Laureate > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/12/politics-carol-ann-duffy-poem > > > > > > > < > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/12/politics-carol-ann-duffy-poem > > > > > > > >and, > > > > > > > I write in all sincerity, congratulations to the outgoing > tenant > > on > > > > his > > > > > > > knighthood, the verray parfait Sir Andrew, as well as to the > > > previous > > > > > > > Professor of Poetry at Oxford, good Sir Christopher Ricks. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > A Toast, please. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > David Bircumshaw > > > > > > > "Nothing can be done in the face > > > > > > > of ordinary unhappiness" - PP > > > > > > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet > > > > > > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk > > > > > > > The Animal Subsides > > > > http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html > > > > > > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > David Bircumshaw > > > > > "Nothing can be done in the face > > > > > of ordinary unhappiness" - PP > > > > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet > > > > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk > > > > > The Animal Subsides > > http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html > > > > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > David Bircumshaw > > > "Nothing can be done in the face > > > of ordinary unhappiness" - PP > > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet > > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk > > > The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html > > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk > > > > > > > > > -- > David Bircumshaw > "Nothing can be done in the face > of ordinary unhappiness" - PP > Website and A Chide's Alphabet > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk > The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk > No virus found in this incoming message. 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