[New-Poetry] What is bad poetry?

[James Cervantes]

If you scroll past all that, you come to "The artistic hub that is
Tijuana," which is hotlinked to a NYT article.  I found that
interesting.

- Jim

On 6/12/06, David Graham <grahamd at ripon.edu> wrote:
>
> Some interesting juxtapositions in Ron Silliman's latest blog.
>
> http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/
>
> Silliman presents a link to Robert Pinsky's latest Poet's Choice column
> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/08/AR2006060801348.html>,
> in which Pinsky takes the old warhorse for a leisurely run around the track.
>  Pinsky's typically intelligent take on "what is bad poetry?" quotes a
> famous Edgar Guest poem and gives it is due as a skillful piece of writing
> appealing to a mass readership.  Pinsky understands that this kind of
> sentimental verse, glib and shallow as it is, nonetheless isn't easy to
> write, and does meet a real desire  among huge numbers of readers.  He goes
> on to say that such desires are most often met these days by the lyrics of
> pop music of all kinds.  A decent analysis, I think.  Pinsky closes with a
> poem by Marianne Moore about which he does not need to say much--a different
> kettle of fish entirely from Edgar Guest, obviously.
>
> Silliman doesn't make any comments on Pinsky's piece, just presents the link
> under a photo of Pinsky in a possibly photo-shopped pugilistic pose.  But
> it's not hard to imagine the luscious sarcasm RS might indulge in, were he
> to find Pinsky's remarks worth responding to.  His opinion of Pinsky's work
> is hardly a well kept secret.
>
> Thus it was with fine amusement that I see, just above the Pinsky link, some
> lines presented as an example of palpably *good* poetry.  They are by Lisa
> Robertson, and come from her "new and wonderful" and even "great" book, in
> fact an "instant classic":  *The Men*.
>
> What is good poetry, then?
>
> Here's a taste--
>
> Men deft men mental men of loving men all men
>  Vile men virtuous men same men from which men
>  Sweet and men of mercy men such making men said
>  Has each man that sees it
>  Cray as men to the men sensate
>  And their poverty speaking to the men
>  Is about timeliness men is about
>  Previous palpability from which
>  The problematic politics adorable
>  And humble especially
>  Young men of sheepish privilege becoming
>  Sweet new style
>
> --Lisa Robertson
>
> And one more excerpt:
>
>
>
> Each man – I could write
>  His poem. He needs no voice.
>  But what would I take from it. Our facades are so
>  Minor. What would I begin to say
>  If his words were
>  My poem. I am preoccupied with grace
>  And have started to speak expensively – as in
>  Have joys
>  Which look like choice
>  Ill-matched to its consequence
>  As laughter to a fall – bad memory
>  Poorly researched life
>  The men's
>  Cocks
>  And their faces
>  As we do so
>  Fall upwards.
>
> --Lisa Robertson
>
>
> For Silliman's typically interesting and detailed analysis, see his blog
> (address above).
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ==========================================
>
> David Graham
>
> grahamd at ripon.edu
>
> Home Page:
>
> http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/GrahamD/index.html
>
> Poetry Library:
>
> http://www.ripon.edu/faculty/GrahamD/poetrylib.html
>
> ==========================================
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