Comments on: VerseDay: in praise of transcendent poetry and good poetry teachers

By: Sam Smith

Sam Smith — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:28:06 +0000

In the best of cases the creative and intellectual are integrated. Our most brilliant scientific discoveries occur, I think, when you have a brilliant scientist with a strong creative streak (like Einstein, for instance).

Even when I’m doing things that aren’t apparently about creativity at all, I’m aware of the ability to think innovatively helps me succeed where others might not. And there’s no question that a strong intellect is a boost when we’re doing things that are mainly creative.

However, I find that these faculties aren’t integrated as often as we’d like. The person who has that “whole-brain” thing going on is the exception, not the rule.

By: Lou

Lou — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 01:54:34 +0000

I think the creative and intellectual sides of us are one.
There are entire labyrinths just waiting to be discovered, creatively, intellectually, physically, spiritually..why limit ourselves at any preconceived boundary?

I don’t think you’re really like 50 Cent, I say this to make a point. You are not like fiddy and neither is Charles Wright – there’s a difference.

Business is part of the whole, journalism is part of the whole, the whole world is I and Thou, there is no Other to address…

By: Sam Smith

Sam Smith — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:35:15 +0000

I’ve never really fancied myself an intellectual, although I suppose I am. And I certainly set aside a lot of my creative pursuits to develop the intellectual side, didn’t I?

Still, I have always seem myself as an artist first. The other things I am – intellectual, businessman, etc. – are there out of necessity.

By: Lou

Lou — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:08:54 +0000

you like it because you feel represented.
So, you’re not much different from a hip-hopper in that way

Any art transcends the boundaries of logic and reason, but is the definition of art “feels good to me”

I guess 50 Cent is art then…?

Meaning’s been colonized by the intellectual? I thought YOU were an intellectual? I noticed there’s a PhD aftee your name

What about anything is taught correctly in high school?
I think you’d have to ask your individual teacher.

By: elaine

elaine — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:45:39 +0000

Poor Kermit.

I thought the whole point of good music and writing (to include poetry) was to FEEL it.

By: Dr. Denny

Dr. Denny — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:32:02 +0000

Sam, your experience with poetry parallels mine with classical music. Once I stopped trying to excessively understand it, I was left to feel it, to enjoy it.

Now I understand it better, because I FELT it first.

And cheers for Jim, too.

By: Russ Wellen

Russ Wellen — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 19:03:59 +0000

Took a moment to read “Lonesome Pine Special.” I see now why Wright is held in such high regard.

He handily subverts rhythm problem that besets much modern poetry. Like when jazz drumming moved away from 4/4 and dance beats, poetry lost much of the public when it evolved beyond conventional metric structures and rhymes.

But Wright shows you don’t have to be conventional to be accessible. (Apparently, as you mention, other poems of his are more oblique.)

By: Russ Wellen

Russ Wellen — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:21:35 +0000

“I don

By: Sam Smith

Sam Smith — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:49:25 +0000

Ooh – now THAT’S a line I wish I’d written.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:50:39 +0000

If you haven’t read it before, you should absolutely read “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins.

“But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.”

http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/001.html

Dr. Naton Leslie used that in his writing poetry class. It was partially as an example of good modern poetry, but, I think it was also to remind us of how to *read* poetry.