 |
 |
Keston You ask--- what are you talking about? Where are these clouds? What the hell is an enigma of prose? What's driving them to 'them'? Much of poetry writing on this list strikes me as often cloudy, enigmatic, as your own writing is bizarre, enigmatic and prose-driven. Tongue/pen set aflame with a gift for prolixity, lush language, yes. Though somewhat impenetrable and unassimilable language, (indigestible as a raw pig's foot) not all lacquered with the slick waxed car finish of tabloid prose, thank god. And certainly not honey-sweet barbecued on the hot coals of every man's passions. This is not to say that it is poor writing, though no musicality would I associate with it. Some of the contributors to the list, and I'm guilty of this as well, go off on breezy fanciful platitudes that are lofted high, and yield sparse literary bounty. Yet show no capacity to endure. What is important to ask sooner or later is what makes a poem or poet's work endure? If say a poet writes finely crafted work, but there is an abundance of work similar to his/her own work done during his/her generation, then what that poet is merely a participant. Renewal of language. Poetry defined as a societal force. Which is fine. But what the "real poet" must seek is what of his/her work endures? How can we tell? We can tell from the poetry of the past because we see that it still is being studied and read. What makes a poem endure? Why does one poem survive the ravages of time? This would seem to be a better question than what makes a poem/poet great? Ernest Slyman HomePage www.geocities.com/soho/7514 email: [log in to unmask] "All around the hours run swift their foolish errands." %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%