[New-Poetry] Carol Ann Duffy gets the laurels

[Bob Grumman]

Judy Prince wrote:
> oh dear, and welcome back, Uche.  I'm a relative newcomer to NP, but 
> recall Robin having talked so well of you, of your being on NP some 
> time ago.
>
> I've been wanting to like Carol Duffy's poems, really really wanting 
> to like them.  But I do not.  Without using poetry jargon, I'll say 
> that her work's pedestrian and 'reaches' hard to do poetic things.  I 
> do not feel that she's mediocre *because* she is popular or *because* 
> she writes simply; these are not qualities that militate against 
> excellent poetry.  
>
> She gives no fresh-beauty collidings of words and images, and a reader 
> feels as if it's necessary to help her along somehow whilst reading 
> her poems.  The Latin chanting of a train perhaps theoretically could 
> work, but it actually fails frightfully.  None of its called-up images 
> works happily with the others.  Here is a train chanting, and one 
> thinks of nuns with rosary beads saying "Hail Marys" whilst rounding 
> the tracks towards Houston Station.  The little engine that could 
> [pray in Latin].  Just not an image that evokes much besides an 
> imminent train crash or ruler-slaps and paddlings, or for us in the 
> USA, Sally Field in *The Flying Nun* nuisancely flying round the tracks.  
>
> If Duffy has had editors, and surely she has, then WHAT WERE THEY 
> THINKING, besides ignoring their job as editors?  Did they say to 
> themselves:  "Aha!  Just what the young folk want--simple stuff that 
> passes as poetry!  YES!  Work up a study guide or two, a few lovely 
> syllabi to tuck into those deliciously heavy backpacks!"  And some of 
> the editors had to be saying: "Do not touch her 'common touch'---it's 
> pure, it's her, it's them, it's The New Something!"
>
> Again, I will say what I always say:  writing good poetry's damned 
> difficult.  
>
> I have done a good poem or two and can't figure out how I did them. 
>  All the rest of mine are crap, tho hardwon crap.  And I don't get 
> better at it.  I just get more aware of how awful it is.  
>
> But folks---I'm not applying to be a Poet Laureate of anybody's 
> country!  However, now I think I might just go ahead and apply. 
>  P'raps in 10 years, with a nice polished new double citizenship [USA 
> and UK], I'll be recognised as writing the New Something poetry and be 
> in line to demand 600 butts of sack.
Yeeks, Judy, you think being recognized as "writing the New Something 
poetry" will get you anywhere with bigTime awards-bestowers?! 

--Bob