Poetry
Particularly, modern free verse. You know, kind where they don't rhyme. The kind where I run out of time (rhyme-time, get it?). The ones that look like someone can't. punctuate and .
just broke up sentence. Because.
Yes,
I don't get it. To be fair, I tried. I subscribed to an e-newsletter (minstrels, since you ask) and I often read the footnotes before reading the poem. And again, to be fair, there were some real gems in it. I also come across some good free verse scattered among blogs and I love the insight they offer with such an economy of words. However, they are few and far between. Consider this one, for instance.
Caramel America
Partisan interloper rebuts
Junk
Pause, briefly
A fond farewell.
What do you think of it? Do you like the eerie mysticism? Or the powerful imagery it evokes? Or the subtle commentary on modern life that it makes? Well, if you get something - anything out of it, good for you. Because, I just picked out those lines from a random scan of today's Guardian and strung them together. And sometimes, when I read such random acts of 'poetry', it gets me angry. I feel I'm being mocked. Perhaps, that's the intention. In which case, why doesn't someone come out and say 'gotcha! you pretentious piece of poetry-lover!'?
Yeah, yeah, I know what you are saying. That it's poetry and there are no rules in poetry etc. But hand-on-heart, tell me, who are you kidding? Isn't most of this modern verse thing just rubbish really?
9 comments:
Nice to know I'm not the only one who doesn't "get" modern poetry. Or much of modern art, for that matter. And I often wonder if there's something wrong with me, or if I've had the wool pulled over my eyes. But I think it's time someone said it plainly - that stuff is pure crap.
Kamini
p.s. - you must have a monster-sized headache with all those bees buzzing about!
I'm not sure what the point of the 'poem' you put together is - it's terrible, yes, but it says nothing about poetry, only about your talent (or lack thereof) for it. It's like saying chinese food is crap because look how bad this Ramen I made turned out. Pick a poem from Minstrels that you think is a "random act of 'poetry'", and we can talk about it. Maybe you're just reading the wrong things. Blogs are hardly the best place to be looking for good free verse. Reading a book, for example, is something you may want to try.
I am with you in this one. 100%
:-)
my feeble attempt at modrun poetry.
A Greek Among Romans,
A Jatti Among Banians.
But yendha jatti ?
Adhu dhaan Tantex Jatti.
In Vadapalani, Mandavali
and Ambattur,
Tantex Panty.
In Vyasarpadi, Avadi
and Tiruvallur,
Tantex Ullpavadai.
In Usilampatti, Andipatti
and Ariyalur,
Tantex Velipavadai.
In Arakonam, Ambasamudram,
and Omalur,
Tantex Naada.
In Chidambaram, Mayavaram,
and Coimbatore
Tantex Banian.
Jatti yendru kaytka dheergal
Tantex Jatti yendru kayttu vangungal.
Saniyan yendru thitta dheergal.
Tantex Banian yendru
kayttu vangungal.
Aunty yendru koopida
dheergal.
Tantex Panty yendru
kayttu vangungal.
Vada poda yendru pesadheergal.
Tantex Naada yendru
kayttu vangungal.
Ippoludhu SriLanka Malaysia Cheenavilum
Virpanai Aagum oray porul ?
Tantex Naada.
Kaasu vendumaanal ?
Sensex
Komanathukku badhil?
Tantex.
Paarka Koodadhadhu ?
Paasiyum Panjamum.
Paarthu Rasipadhu ?
Kalayum Azhagum.
Solla Koodadhadhu ?
Tantex Komanam.
Solla Koodiyadhu ?
Tantex Jatti.
Paatukku ?
Naradhan.
Veenaikku ?
Vaani.
Jattikku ?
Surya.
Pantikku ?
Asin.
Avvaiyay, ippoludhu ondru irandu moondru yendru yemmai varisai paduthi padavum.
Sattru porungal manna. Tantex yeppoludhumay Ondrana idathil dhaan irukka mudiyum.
Thavaru, yennai mannikavum.
Parava illai. Inda Tantex Banian. Idhai pottal ungal sandeham theerndhu vidum.
Yella kelvigalukkum oray vidai
T A N T E X.
Oh, Chockalingam, you are a scream! I am splitting my sides laughing!
I beg you, please reveal yourself, your talents are too good to be shrouded behind anonymity.
Chockalingam, you are very funny. You should post this on your blog. I would like to send the link to everyone I know :)
I cannot appreciate modern poetry either. Somehow I feel all it involves is typing out a sentence and hitting "Enter" at random places in the middle.
*Sigh* I guess I am just a philistine.
i am always with you.
Yep, pretty much like modern "art" :) Ammani, I'm just LOVING these bees in your bonnet - they buzz in mine too, y'see. Only I call 'em rants :D
Ah, but much much worse is the kind that *do* rhyme--where meaning is treated secondary to form.
Some examples:
This from Mary Frye
And this from Wordsworth
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