>>The instant it becomes clear that a poem is offering us a choice between
proving one's virtue by agreeing with it, or standing condemned of
viciousness, or at least of ignorance, by disagreeing with it, at that
moment it also becomes clear that the poem in question has entered The Land
Of That Which Sucks.<<
This made me think of this quote from Khaled Mattawa's introduction to
Without An Alphabet, Without A Face: Selected Poems of Saadi Youssef
(Graywolf Press): "Poetry can only be an exploration of ideology, not a
means of expressing belief in it."
The entire paragraph from which that sentence is taken has some interesting
ideas to chew on as well:
"While Youssef affirms that his Marxist orientation is a "guide in dealing
with phenomena," he is by no means an ideologue. "The social and political
concept ought to remain latent in the text, absorbed by the artist's blood.
They should not float on the surface, so as not t disturb the structure of
the artistic work," he explains. Poetry can only be an exploration of
ideology, not a means of expressing belief in it. Reluctant to declare his
ideology as the way out of alienation, Youssef shows how his ideology,
transmuted within poetry, generates feelings of empathy and solidarity. For
Youssef then, the commitment to justice and freedom stand [sic] beside his
poetry, not above it. His political values, manifested in active
participation in social struggle, are in reality fulfilling his abiding
devotion to beauty. Justice and compassion in Youssef's verse are presented
in a sensual manner that symbolizes his individualized appreciation of
harmony and balance. They are aesthetic choices first and foremost."
Rich Newman
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