Sunday, August 28, 2005

Accessible Poetry-An article by Joan Houlihan of Boston Comment

Click on the title for the link. Personally, I've grown tired of reading poems writ by poets who seem more interested in showing their ability to manipulate the language than to write a poem that, as Ted Kooser says, helps the reader to see the world in a new and different way; to communicate, but to communicate in a fresh 'non-trite' way. The 'accesibility viewpoint' isn't in much favor now, despite two Poet Laureates lauding it. Billy Collins has been ridiculed on at least one major blog for dragging poetry back into the dark ages. Read the essay. Judge for yourself. Comment, if you feel moved to do so.

10 comments:

Geoff Sanderson said...

I read the Joan Houlihan article with interest - but 'methinks the lady doth protest too much' in places. Like the term 'Culture', it all depends on who is defining it; and 'good taste' - we insiders know what it is, don't we? It's what 'we' like; 'bad taste' is what 'those others' like. Any shop which opens up in my local town to sell well-designed, hiqh quality artefacts usually lasts around 18 months to two years at the most; those selling selling gimcrack, mass-produced rubbish prosper from year to year.

I sometimes wish that the whole literary critical industry could be abolished - whole university departments would close, and the staff would have to find real jobs - and just let us readers decide what we like; we can always leave alone the things that don't appeal to us.
There's a busy pseudo-intellectual establishment out there, all busy pointing out that they can see the king's new clothes, and that the rest of us are inferior beings if we can't see them too. To the flames with the lot of them, that's what I say. G.

johnee said...

What is the purpose of accessibility if there is nothing interesting or new to access? Better to have a sound and fury signifying nothing, or not very much; a momentary play of language, something to admire in a line.

easy to excuse vapidity when one tries like hell to communicate, even when most of it is failure, timid and circumscribed. funny: the "other pleasures" - as if they mean less than accessibility? less than being poetically pedantic?

all the poem has to do is be. here's the readers's link to it - be open, expect new experience, not in narrative, but in point of view, in syntax, in finding our pleasures which are new and not built upon words and images and metaphors and sense. not necessarily, anyway.

je

Pris said...

Joan Houlihan, if nothing else, stirs up controvery. Glad she did again here, too. EJohn..long time, no see. And I agree with you, if there's nothing to access, the poem is meaningless.

johnee said...

Pris, i don't think that's what i said... john

Pris said...

Apologies. You said nothing 'new or interesting'. I short-handed your comment, but still agree.

Pris said...

It reaches people in some deep and inexplicable way that transcends superficiality and trends
Rae, you summed it up all for me with the above words. I feel the same way about what good poetry/art/literature does. When I read something that lingers with me long afterwards, then, bingo, it's magic.

Pris said...

Michael
You're never too late to comment. I'm an emotional reader, too, which is how I became the subject of that long blog by Silliman defending Clark Coolidge's poetry. I always get leery whenever someone tries to 'convince' me to like a poem or poet. It doesn't work that way. It's an instinctive reaction..gut level..when one reaches me.

Pris said...

Well said, Jim. I've read that Issa wrote thousands of terrible haiku, yet from his willingness to keep writing, came also those gems he's so well known for until this day.

Coloratura said...

this is a great article, thanks for posting...

i like your site.

Pris said...

You're welcome and thanks for the comment about the blog. I just looked at your profile and your taste in movies is very similar to mine.