I'm certainly aware of the qualitative difference
between a Shakespeare sonnet and most contemporary poems to one's
partner.
I reckon there are a lot of conceptual differences
between one and another Shakespeare sonnet.
That your travelling companion understood your
shorthand still amazes me! For the reason I gave, that the Movement would be
such a rare thing to claim an affinity with, though a relatively common thing to
be attacked with.
Well, your story shows great restraint anyway.
Perhaps we should all be sent to small town Turkish bars.
Jamie
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2010 6:43
PM
Subject: Re: "The Conspiracy Against
Poems" by Adam Fieled at The Argotist Online
You're probably aware of the
conceptual difference between a Shakespeare sonnnet and most contemporary
poems to one's partner.
Right, he recognized a couple of names, he
named a few names (Motion among them), and he understood my shorthand version.
This was a minute or two while drinking beer in a bar in Trabzon (bars in
small-town Turkey are incredibly depressing places, by the way), and we went
on to less potentially divisive things.
At 01:25 PM 9/8/2010, you
wrote:
In your story of
the British traveler I didn't quite get one or two things. "A wry smile. And
he mentioned a few associated with his wife. Oh, I said, Movement.
Affirmative."
Why the wry smile? Would the names you mentioned be ones he
knew, and disapproved of? And those poets associated with his wife were
Movement poets? I've honestly never heard anyone in the contemporary
'mainstream' claim a Movement association. I've only ever heard it said
from the other side of the fence as a term of abuse. I don't mean to be a
spoilsport here, but it doesn't quite add up - at least as something that
could describe the divide.
Best wishes,
Jamie
- On the divide. A couple of summers ago while wandering in eastern
Turkey I ran into a British traveler and as one does we became companions
of the road for a few days. I don't remember any names--I'm truly not
being coy. The usual "what do you do" questions, followed by on his part
"my wife's a poet." I'd never heard of her, no surprise there, though it
turns out she's well-known in some circles. So I mentioned a few British
poets I care about, some of them on this list. A wry smile. And he
mentioned a few associated with his wife. Oh, I said, Movement.
Affirmative. And an unspoken agreement not to say a word about poetry for
the next two days.
- Best,
- Mark
