Hello! I am very confused. I was assigned this poem for a project in my literature class, and honestly I have read it upside down, inside and out, and I still have no idea what it is about. I understand how she's linking the word pretty to nature, and how she's commenting on our overuse of the word, but other than that I am lost. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much!
@luisaswims Well, you might talk a bit about the irony of it as well. She starts by asking why the word pretty is under-rated, but in the end she is, as you say, talking about the opposite, the over-use of the word. Or maybe it is commentary on the limitations of language, or the laziness of speakers. Much of what we call pretty could be better described by other words... Or is she saying that pretty is a better word than we think it is? Any of these ideas help to get you thinking?
@Illusive93 You have no idea how very happy it makes me to read a comment like this. I am honored and tickled that I could be of some help. Good luck with your exam! :-)
A wondrous delivery! I smiled all the way through this. When the stunningly beautiful Grace Kelly was asked about her views on the up and coming film about her life in which Cheryl Ladd was to portray her, she merely replied "Cheryl is very pretty, I was never pretty' :)
One of your comments compliments you with "nice", now there's a word that's even prettier than "pretty". I'm ashamed at myself having to use the "n" word here, but Stevie's with me in this, we're on a mission. :p
It occurs to me that YouTube is bringing poetry back. It's the perfect format for poetry b/c both are brief and personal. There's so much poetry up here on YouTube & I'm discovering new poems & poets here every day, like this one. But maybe I'm just a geeky English teacher wishfully thinking.
Nice reading. Hearing it gives me the impression that Smith wanted to reach that point in the repetition of the word pretty where it almost loses its meaning.
@mnolanporter I think you are right. At the very least we are shown how meaningless we have made the word in our use of it, but I like her idea of getting beyond pretty and losing our humanity, or reverting to something instinctual, more in touch with the rest of nature around us. The irony of it is that state she also defines as pretty. We often forget what Wordsworth and the Romantics knew; humans are not apart from, but part of nature, and we make that false separation ourselves in our heads.
@mnolanporter Oh! and I meant to say that I hope you are right about YouTube bringing poetry back. I am heartened and very interested in your saying that because just recently I confessed to my bf that this is part of my dream-- not being a youtube poet exactly, but being an instrument who helps bring poetry back. I am very glad to hear that I am not alone in that longing. And that maybe Charles Bukowski wasn't just a crazy alcoholic. He was over the top, perhaps but not entirely wrong.
continued: I confess I am a little concerned that we poets have become such a closed group. Actors don't only act for other actors. But maybe we are all actors-- might we all be poets also? To use maybe a better metaphor, doctors do not minister only to other doctors, do they? So why have we become a subculture, that people cannot relate to?
I worry that it makes us feel important and special, and so we rationalize why our audience is so small. Do we miss our calling, sitting around in little rooms with our coffee pots and gourmet cookies, being special, conducting workshops, talking only to each other... in voices that are not heard over scream of pop culture?
I hope this makes sense, instead of pisses my favorite poets off. It should have been a blog post instead.
@mnolanporter Spoken like a true poet, thank you. :) I hope you realized that the spirit of these questions have been bothering me for some time and none of my gentle rant was directed toward you. I agree with you that the YouTube poetry society (don't anyone go looking to join, there is no such group, I think) is an inspiration to me as well in this dream. Yes.
Yay, it is uploaded! :-) I love the spike in your hair. This is one of your best readings. You are so engaged with every word and communicating it and the pacing is superb.
@wbarreguy I got cut off, but I was going to say that I enjoyed it even more in the process of doing this reading. Sometimes after one of these, I worry that I had become much more animated than I was aware of being at the time. I'm glad it works, and that you even liked the "spike." :)
Hello! I am very confused. I was assigned this poem for a project in my literature class, and honestly I have read it upside down, inside and out, and I still have no idea what it is about. I understand how she's linking the word pretty to nature, and how she's commenting on our overuse of the word, but other than that I am lost. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much!
luisaswims 1 week ago
@luisaswims Well, you might talk a bit about the irony of it as well. She starts by asking why the word pretty is under-rated, but in the end she is, as you say, talking about the opposite, the over-use of the word. Or maybe it is commentary on the limitations of language, or the laziness of speakers. Much of what we call pretty could be better described by other words... Or is she saying that pretty is a better word than we think it is? Any of these ideas help to get you thinking?
sonofwalt 1 week ago
Thanks for the info and very nice read--you're very cute too!
1zangelique 3 months ago 2
@1zangelique You are welcome, and thank you. Very sweet. :)
sonofwalt 3 months ago
This is great! Thanks for the video it has certainly helped me study for my literature exam.
Illusive93 9 months ago 2
@Illusive93 You have no idea how very happy it makes me to read a comment like this. I am honored and tickled that I could be of some help. Good luck with your exam! :-)
- David
sonofwalt 9 months ago
@sonofwalt Thank you very much! It went fairly well by the way :)
Illusive93 8 months ago
@Illusive93 Yay! Thumbs up. Well, I am honored and happy at whatever tiny role I may have played. :)
sonofwalt 8 months ago
A wondrous delivery! I smiled all the way through this. When the stunningly beautiful Grace Kelly was asked about her views on the up and coming film about her life in which Cheryl Ladd was to portray her, she merely replied "Cheryl is very pretty, I was never pretty' :)
JaneLearmonth 10 months ago
@JaneLearmonth Thank you, JaneL! I appreciate it, as I have been truly enjoying your vids as well. :)
sonofwalt 10 months ago
One of your comments compliments you with "nice", now there's a word that's even prettier than "pretty". I'm ashamed at myself having to use the "n" word here, but Stevie's with me in this, we're on a mission. :p
PoetLina 1 year ago
@PoetLina That was a pretty nice comment!. ;-)
sonofwalt 1 year ago
Very nicely delivered Walt jnr..well done..
Poemsapennyeach 1 year ago
@Poemsapennyeach Thank you, oh traveling one! :)
sonofwalt 1 year ago
MMM. I like her stuff. Thanks for sharing it. Don't you love it when you fall into something unexpected?
tinySpectacle 1 year ago
@tinySpectacle Thank you! Yes, I have another Stevie reading coming up. :)
sonofwalt 1 year ago
It occurs to me that YouTube is bringing poetry back. It's the perfect format for poetry b/c both are brief and personal. There's so much poetry up here on YouTube & I'm discovering new poems & poets here every day, like this one. But maybe I'm just a geeky English teacher wishfully thinking.
Nice reading. Hearing it gives me the impression that Smith wanted to reach that point in the repetition of the word pretty where it almost loses its meaning.
mnolanporter 1 year ago
@mnolanporter I think you are right. At the very least we are shown how meaningless we have made the word in our use of it, but I like her idea of getting beyond pretty and losing our humanity, or reverting to something instinctual, more in touch with the rest of nature around us. The irony of it is that state she also defines as pretty. We often forget what Wordsworth and the Romantics knew; humans are not apart from, but part of nature, and we make that false separation ourselves in our heads.
sonofwalt 1 year ago
@mnolanporter Oh! and I meant to say that I hope you are right about YouTube bringing poetry back. I am heartened and very interested in your saying that because just recently I confessed to my bf that this is part of my dream-- not being a youtube poet exactly, but being an instrument who helps bring poetry back. I am very glad to hear that I am not alone in that longing. And that maybe Charles Bukowski wasn't just a crazy alcoholic. He was over the top, perhaps but not entirely wrong.
sonofwalt 1 year ago
continued: I confess I am a little concerned that we poets have become such a closed group. Actors don't only act for other actors. But maybe we are all actors-- might we all be poets also? To use maybe a better metaphor, doctors do not minister only to other doctors, do they? So why have we become a subculture, that people cannot relate to?
sonofwalt 1 year ago
I worry that it makes us feel important and special, and so we rationalize why our audience is so small. Do we miss our calling, sitting around in little rooms with our coffee pots and gourmet cookies, being special, conducting workshops, talking only to each other... in voices that are not heard over scream of pop culture?
I hope this makes sense, instead of pisses my favorite poets off. It should have been a blog post instead.
sonofwalt 1 year ago
@sonofwalt Lots of good questions. Here's the best answer I can think of (it's ee cummings):
wish by spirit and if by yes
mnolanporter 1 year ago
@mnolanporter Spoken like a true poet, thank you. :) I hope you realized that the spirit of these questions have been bothering me for some time and none of my gentle rant was directed toward you. I agree with you that the YouTube poetry society (don't anyone go looking to join, there is no such group, I think) is an inspiration to me as well in this dream. Yes.
sonofwalt 1 year ago
nice one! :-)
purpledogstar 1 year ago
Yay, it is uploaded! :-) I love the spike in your hair. This is one of your best readings. You are so engaged with every word and communicating it and the pacing is superb.
wbarreguy 1 year ago
@wbarreguy I'm so glad you liked it. I enjoyed this one on many levels.
sonofwalt 1 year ago
@wbarreguy I got cut off, but I was going to say that I enjoyed it even more in the process of doing this reading. Sometimes after one of these, I worry that I had become much more animated than I was aware of being at the time. I'm glad it works, and that you even liked the "spike." :)
sonofwalt 1 year ago