[New-Poetry] Where are the war poets?

[jforjames at aol.com]

John,
You're likely to hear some bad poems about any?subject (local, topical, or universal)?at an open mike.
What you're talking about?are cliches, typical responses, well-worn perspectives that are
the stock?& trade of?amateur poets.

But there is something to the fact that powerful subjects, universal subjects, love/war/death/family/nature/injustice/everafter/etc.,
are probably the most difficult subjects to address, particularly to approach in a new way, from a different
angle..but perhaps are the most necessary subjects. I wonder if a poet could create a respected body of work while 
scrupulously avoiding the 'big subjects', as we say? Of course one time-honored approach is to do a poem
on a little/small subject that somehow casts a large shadow when the light of insight hits it.

Finnegan

-----Original Message-----
From: John Jeffrey <jjeffreymail at yahoo.com>
Bcc: jforjames at aol.com
Sent: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 11:10 pm
Subject: Re: [New-Poetry] Where are the war poets?



So tonight I get an email from the Poetry Society of America about an upcoming reading.? And what are they reading?? Poetry and prose of the Spanish Civil War.

I can't take it.

I don't think that there's a lack of war poets or poems; my couplet of thoughts about this thread is that 1) there are too many poems about the war, and 2) most poems about war are gawd-awful--and, luckily, unpublished.

It's just too easy, when torn death is involved, to write something that people think is "powerful."? All you have to do is go to a handful of open mike poetry readings and you'll hear them.

???? Billy's bones are burning
???? a thousand miles from Mom
???? 
(The crowd nods and "Mmmm"s.? One woman sniffles.? Someone mumbles angrily about the President.")

And so on, more descriptions of death, loose limbs, futility, a mention about oil, the wealthy...etc.? Usual stuff.

You don't see that sort of lurid yanking in Owen.? No need for that if you can actually write poetry.? War poems are hard to keep above the simple splashing of blood to draw a gasp or the easy political posturing (which is always assumed to posture against the war. Where are the good poems written that praise a war?? Even, say, fighting Nazi Germany?).

Anyway, have a good night all.? And remember poor Billy.? (More nodding.? "That piece was so powerful," the deaf man says.)

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