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

I was going to do some editing on this clip, but I decided to leave it up exactly as it was. It was a fantastic night, as always visiting the WB and staying in BPK's studio. I had planned to read some of my own work, but there were technical difficulties. I hope you enjoy the poems I chose.

This is another in the series of Poems about Poetry. Now get on over to BPK's (WBarreguy's) channel right now and listen to his music! http://www.youtube.com/user/wbarreguy What an inspiration that boy is to me!

Ok, in answer to some good questions I often get about the differences between poetry and prose (and let's not even talk about "prose poetry," a concept I still have difficulty wrapping my mind around!), here are the printed words to both of Billy's Poems that I read here. I only hesitated to post them before due to copyrights. So without permission (yet), but hopefully with his blessing, and to help explain, here are the poems in writing:

................................................................................­..........................

The Rival Poet

The column of your book titles,
always introducing your latest one,
looms over me like Roman architecture.
It is longer than the name
of an Italian countess, longer
than this poem will probably be.
Etched on the head of a pin,
my own production would leave room for
The Lord's Prayer and many dancing angels.
No matter.
In my revenge daydream I am the one
poised on the marble staircase
high above the crowded ballroom.
A retainer in livery announces me
and the Contessa Maria Teresa Isabella
Veronica Multalire Eleganza de Bella Ferrari.
You are the one below
fidgeting in your rented tux
with some local Cindy hanging all over you.

................................................................................­......................
Introduction to Poetry

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

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

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

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[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*

[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."

[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.

[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]

@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]

@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

[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, 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 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..