DJB reading in the BPK Studio in the WB: Poems About Poetry #3

[sonofwalt]

My apologies for the sometimes slow responses. I still haven't gotten used to Youtube's most recent "upgrades," and what to me seems like a rather confusing way to follow a comment thread. *shrug*

[Poemsapennyeach]

Is this prose or poetry....? I get confused sometimes...what do you think..? Guide me.

[sonofwalt]

@Poemsapennyeach Hey, PPE! Great question. Personally I have always considered poetry to be "in the line." So I printed the texts in the info of the video above to illustrate what I mean. To me what makes free verse poetry (aside from whether or not it is good poetry) becomes poetry rather than prose when it is set in lines. There is a reason why each line ends with a particular word, whether that be rhythm or some other unknown reason. That's the short explanation. I'd love to discuss it more.

[xyzllii]

@sonofwalt yes...well thanks. But 'a line ?' I think poetry has to have the element of song to it...you know...some rhythm ...not just spoken...there has to be a definition between the 2...Prose and Poetry...we are all so scared these days of rules...but if the poem is not the poem...then it is not the poem...but prose...which is fine...but we should not call it poetry cos that is Alice thru the Looking Glass is it not...? Sorry..I think my puter has answered this as xyz...my other channel..

[sonofwalt]

@xyzllii, What's to discuss? You've already decided. You and I have differing definitions of what is and what is not poetry. :) You said, "guide me," and yet you imply that the poem is not a poem. Hmmm... Penny, I can only say with a smile that if you disagree with me, you disagree. I can discuss my views, but if you already have your definition, and it looks no better to you when you see the lines on screen, what can I do to convince you that the former poet laureate knows what he is doing?

[xyzllii]

@sonofwalt No...I do not have a set definition...I still just wonder...? As for Poet Laureates....as you know yourself...many of them have been Laughable Pillars of Society...James Joyce never won the Booker Prize either...stay cool...

[sonofwalt]

@xyzllii No worries. I'm not ofended. There have been plenty of debates and discussions over this issue over the years, and it intrigues me enough to probably do more discussion on it in videos. I'm just glad that for once someone has a beef with Billy Collins instead of me! LOL

[sonofwalt]

@xyzllii I also think that part of the problem here is the difference between styles of poetry. I think it is likely a mistake to assume that song and poetry are the same. I might argue a song is a song but a poem is a poem. Poe referred to poetry as the rhythmical creation of beauty, but Emerson asserted it was not meters, but "a meter-making argument" that constituted a poem. Longfellow seemed to disagree. Hmmmm... this is an old debate, Penny (Penny is easier than your two screen names).

[mnolanporter]

@Poemsapennyeach

Howard Nemerov has a poem called "Because you asked about the line between prose & poetry." which seems to be about freezing rain & snow. Maybe Mr. Nemerov can help, or maybe just add some fun to the confusion.

[sonofwalt]

@mnolanporter I just now noticed this comment! I'll have to check out the poem in question. Maybe I'll do a reading. I do know that I'll have to do some videos on it. You see, I think part of the problem is the difference between some modern poetic forms (although a proffessor of mine told me that so-called prose poetry has been around for centuries), and what might be thought of as lyric poetry. But not all rhythms are musical, are they?

[sonofwalt]

@mnolanporter As I was saying, it's an old argument. Part of it might be a preference for lyric poetry on the parts of some. Yet, to me lyrics are lyrics, meaning they are meant to be set to music. But not all poetry would work as song. Conversely not all song lyrics (even good ones) stand alone, often limping in the absence of their intended accompaniment, and are therefore to me, less poetic.

[mnolanporter]

Nice reading. Maybe you should get BPK to remix it over some beats.

[sonofwalt]

@mnolanporter hmmm... not a bad idea! Thanks. :)

[wbarreguy]

I loved it!

[leftysergeant]

I can see why you would want to include the second poem in the curiculum of a poetry class.. Too many students are concerned only with the science of writing and not enough with the emotional value of what has been written.

[sonofwalt]

@leftysergeant Thanks, Sergeant! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I am going to look up Nemerov's poem and see how it fits. I also just found one by Phillip Levine that pokes fun at both him and me regarding the turns of the line. It's called "Theory of Prosody."