FORUM TOPICS (5)
1. New Perspectives on Shakespeare for the 21st-century?
Coming soon:
An Alternative, Modernized Canon of Shakespeare's 39 Plays is currently being written by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Coming soon:
An Alternative, Modernized Canon of Shakespeare's 39 Plays is currently being written by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
2. The Relevancy of the Poet Laureate
In a previous poll taken by this journal, readers were asked about the relevance of the Poet Laureate. The results ranged between “Not Relevant” to “Marginally Relevant.” I realize now that the poll was imprecise: “Relevant in what sense?” an impatient reader might very well have asked. “Relevant in terms of quality, or relevant in terms cultural impact?” I’m inclined to believe that most respondents were referring to quality rather than cultural impact—for who can deny that the Poet Laureate of the United States* stands at the pinnacle of our nation’s literary culture and , for better or worse, has a substantial influence upon it.
It would be disingenuous of me, at this point, not to state outright that, in my opinion, the Poet Laureate selection process (especially since 1987) has been pretty much a disaster. The caliber of most Poet Laureate poetry since 1987 has been mediocre at best and (perhaps more telling and embarrassing) strikingly unpopular. However, it is wrong to say that the selection procedure is solely responsible. After all, the pool of acceptable poetry may be small—not because of the lack of praiseworthy poetry in America, but rather because the recognition and dissemination of praiseworthy poetry is being thwarted by an combination of the mainstream media, academia, literary critics, publishers, and editors—in short, by the literary-cultural establishment/elite. In all likelihood, there are deserving poets in many (if not all) of our 50 states and territories that are not being allowed into the limelight. In the current dispensation, even a Robert Frost might be passed over. Something is terribly amiss, but the blame certainly cannot be placed solely on the Poet Laureate committee, for they are as much a symptom of the problem as the cause.
In anticipation of further Forum discussion, I have devised a series of survey or poll questions to gauge which way the wind blows on this subject with The American Aesthetic’s readership.
In a previous poll taken by this journal, readers were asked about the relevance of the Poet Laureate. The results ranged between “Not Relevant” to “Marginally Relevant.” I realize now that the poll was imprecise: “Relevant in what sense?” an impatient reader might very well have asked. “Relevant in terms of quality, or relevant in terms cultural impact?” I’m inclined to believe that most respondents were referring to quality rather than cultural impact—for who can deny that the Poet Laureate of the United States* stands at the pinnacle of our nation’s literary culture and , for better or worse, has a substantial influence upon it.
It would be disingenuous of me, at this point, not to state outright that, in my opinion, the Poet Laureate selection process (especially since 1987) has been pretty much a disaster. The caliber of most Poet Laureate poetry since 1987 has been mediocre at best and (perhaps more telling and embarrassing) strikingly unpopular. However, it is wrong to say that the selection procedure is solely responsible. After all, the pool of acceptable poetry may be small—not because of the lack of praiseworthy poetry in America, but rather because the recognition and dissemination of praiseworthy poetry is being thwarted by an combination of the mainstream media, academia, literary critics, publishers, and editors—in short, by the literary-cultural establishment/elite. In all likelihood, there are deserving poets in many (if not all) of our 50 states and territories that are not being allowed into the limelight. In the current dispensation, even a Robert Frost might be passed over. Something is terribly amiss, but the blame certainly cannot be placed solely on the Poet Laureate committee, for they are as much a symptom of the problem as the cause.
In anticipation of further Forum discussion, I have devised a series of survey or poll questions to gauge which way the wind blows on this subject with The American Aesthetic’s readership.
*A quick note on the designation of “Consultant” (pre-1987) and “Poet Laureate Consultant” (1987-present): both hopelessly bureaucratic designations by the Library of Congress have nevertheless been popularly known as “Poet Laureate” since 1937.
(Discussion to follow after a consideration of survey responses.)
(Discussion to follow after a consideration of survey responses.)
3. The Intractability of Postmodern Poetry
(From: The Intractability of Postmodern Fine Arts, Poetry, Music, Design, and Architecture)
“Intractable Poetry,” because of its minimalist, often elusive content and meaning, is very often difficult to analyze, compare, criticize, or even comprehend.
(From: The Intractability of Postmodern Fine Arts, Poetry, Music, Design, and Architecture)
“Intractable Poetry,” because of its minimalist, often elusive content and meaning, is very often difficult to analyze, compare, criticize, or even comprehend.
4. The Convergence of Postmodern Poetry and Architecture
(coming soon)
(coming soon)
5. The Elusive Poetic Voice
From "Find Your Poetic Voice" by Laurie Zupan, Writers Digest
"Poetic voice is rooted in the use and repetition of specific elements—technical elements that make a poem recognizable as belonging to one poet. I’ve identified these elements as:"
Grammar and syntax,
Form,
Music,
Subject matter
Magic--"the elusive connection between a reader and a poet that transcends the work."
Full Article: http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-genre/poetry/find_your_poetic_voice
From "Find Your Poetic Voice" by Laurie Zupan, Writers Digest
"Poetic voice is rooted in the use and repetition of specific elements—technical elements that make a poem recognizable as belonging to one poet. I’ve identified these elements as:"
Grammar and syntax,
Form,
Music,
Subject matter
Magic--"the elusive connection between a reader and a poet that transcends the work."
Full Article: http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-genre/poetry/find_your_poetic_voice
Soundings: Possible future Forum topics:
- Why must poetry be a refuge for bad writers?
- Is the poetic voice no longer relevant?
- A scourge of prose poetry and versified diary entries
- Establishment Media and Poetry
- Idealism and Poetry
- Endless Mid-East War and Poetry
- Establishment critics and Poetry
- The Emperor's Clothes Syndrome in Poetry, Architecture, Music, Environmental Design, and the Visual Arts