One more reason why I'm not too fond of this section :P
In a tower of ivory
A poet dipped his pen in ink
His head high up in the clouds
He consulted the muse
He was no skald, nor rhapsode,
No fili and no bard,
Never heard of drapa or deibhidhe,
Nor of shi and ci
Yet floating in the sky
He looked down upon the people
Crawling down in prose
He was a great poet
Yet on a mountain top
A writer took up his ballpoint
His feet firmly on the ground
He scribbled down some words
The writer had a story
The poet just elevated thoughts
One chose to amuse the common man
The other to converse with clouds
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Hi again Ron
Written by jean.day (2387 comments posted) 20th August 2008 |
This is just great. As you are both writer and poet, you can see things from both points of view.
I think maybe it should be poet, not poem in the second line.
The second stanza was very good - showing your expertise in the subject. |
Written by Talisker (1336 comments posted) 20th August 2008 |
Batty! You scoundrel!
"Just elevated thoughts" - the "just" had my blood boiling faster than the express kettle this morning.
Imagine choosing to shit on our ivory doorstep!
Incidentally, I had this very same argument with a patch of stratocumulus yesterday
Oli |
Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3590 comments posted) 21st August 2008 |
I, sort of, agree with what you say. There's a saying:- Clear writers have readers and obscure writers have commentators.
I suppose a lot of poets fall into the second category. I don' t mind working to get the meaning of a poem but it has to be worth the effort at the end.
Incidentally your writer must be very tall if he is on a mountain top but with his his feet on the ground. It's obviously some trope I'm unaware of. Makes for a great mental image, though.
cheers
jane |
Cloud Conversations?
Written by Katanga (1537 comments posted) 21st August 2008 |
Very well put, Fledermaus!
I can only say that I don't think most writers of poetry on GW feel superior - it's just that poetry is their preferred medium of expression. I am one, for example, who finds prose VERY difficult - I have been working, frustratedly, on a novel for years, and really admire successful prose-writers.
Your final 'put-down' line:
'The other to converse with clouds'
I think this unfair and misses the point.
Truth be told, bad poets converse with clouds briefly, bad prose writers converse with clouds at tedious length.
Good writers of poetry or prose are never 'conversing with clouds'.
IMHO of course.
Cheers!
John |
ONE HUNDRED PER CENT RIGHT
Written by Josie (2847 comments posted) 21st August 2008 |
| Ha Ha - How right!!! (not really) - but my husband, hoovering round this morning, told the plumber who called: "Who do you think does the mundane household chores in this house? Not the poet sat upstairs." ha ha. Well, I wasn't quite up in the clouds for I wrote "Education, Education, Education" which is rather down to earth . Well said Fledermaus. Go on have a laugh at this poet and her husband - you can you know! PS He kindly did the ironing too. |
Written by Fledermaus (3506 comments posted) 21st August 2008 |
Thanks everyone. Of course this was meant to provoke a little, for why else would it be in the poetry section? :P Certainly not all poets are like that, but it does seem there are more poets with a huge ego than there are such writers.
Once upon a time, poetry was a profession that carried both responsibilities and status. Nowadays it often seems that poets rely on their muse alone. If one's elitist, it'd better be justified. |
Written by mia_ms_kim (1057 comments posted) 21st August 2008 |
This cracked me up. Very funny. 2nd stanza - they sound like exotic Indian curry dishes to me, and the last line, some cultic branch of oriental martial arts.
But from my very limited experience, I find Asian poets far more lofty than Western poets. And I find haiku's more so than English forms. What's more, I enjoy them!
Mia |
Maus!
Written by Brett (1001 comments posted) 21st August 2008 |
To prick pretention of pretentious pricks!
I remember you saying that you had never read Nietzsche - ironically this reads like a parody of 'Thus Spake Zarathustra.'
Nice.
Cheers |
Written by Fledermaus (3506 comments posted) 7th September 2008 |
Thanks Mia and Brett.
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Written by Gwynedd (83 comments posted) 10th September 2008 |
| Wow! I know that doesn't count as a critique but it's my first reaction. Very nice! Very surprising in the end. Gwyn |
Written by Fledermaus (3506 comments posted) 10th September 2008 |
Thanks Gwynedd.
Of course it's a bit of a provocation to the poets, but then I think teasing them couldn't hurt. |
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