These are marvelous and your recorded voice adds a lovely dimension. I wonder if Billy Collins has been lucky enough to receive that one. It captures his stuff so nicely and I'm sure he'd love it.
Thanks so much, Jonathan! I haven't had the, um, self-confidence to send that poem to Mr. Collins, so far; I picture him inundated with poems from people he's never heard of, let alone the people he's paid to teach, and I can't get myself to add to his mail. Someday I may be so bold.
Years ago I wrote a poem about John Updike that I also would never have considered sending him; but I submitted it to Zyzzyva, and the editor -- who was a bit of a turd, I think -- rejected it but sent it to Updike. I received a really nice card from Updike about it in which he subtly dissed the editor (I thought) and praised the poem and thanked me for it. So, I don't know, I think you should go ahead and be bold. If I were Billy Collins, I'd really appreciate it.
Enjoyed both poems. In the first poem, I liked the different ways you used the bowl of fruit salad: as a metaphor, as part of the striking image of a stranger casually eating from it, and as a reminder of the here and now, the real world.
Wonder if you missed an opportunity, though, in the first poem’s title, which doesn’t tell us very much.
I like to think of a title as an extra line that both the author and the reader get for free, something that doesn’t have to obey the form or voice of the poem, can be used to efficiently supply information or irony, set the topic or locale, whatever.
Example: the only reason we know Prufrock’s name is because it’s in the title. It doesn’t appear in the first-person poem itself. And the title is in third person, so that’s the author’s voice, not Prufrock’s. And if he hadn’t been named there, we would for all time be referring to the unnamed speaker of the poem, rather than to Prufrock.
What about using a phrase from your poem such as “Lives of Poets”? To my mind, that includes the speaker, and you’ve given us a bit of the speaker’s life, whereas “Poets” doesn’t necessarily suggest that. It also has a nice echo of other titles, like Lives of the Saints, or Plutarch’s Lives.
Good use of line breaks in both. I particularly liked the enjambment across stanzas.
Very nice. I am currently in the process of shifting my Substack engagement from politics to fellow poets and others of like mind. Glad to have found you.
I loved hearing you read your poems! My current favorite accessible poet is the current U.S. poet laureate, Ada Limón. She says she wrote her collection, Bright Dead Things for people who think they don't like poetry. Her poems have a vibrant storytelling quality that feel almost like stories you share on the porch in the evenings while sipping an iced tea.
Following our brief conversation about Billy Collins, and poets inaccessible, I greatly appreciate these poems. I will get Poetry 180. I like the audio version of yours, as well as the accompanying photos. 🙏🏻
Such a hoot that poem of yours- one long thumbing of the nose at the general snobbery of “poetry” with all it’s heavy learning, inflated language requiring so much background info- yech. Love Billy Collins too.
It reads so much like snobbery when I see it spelled out in one little bio after another! But when I re-think it, these are people who love to write and were humble (and ambitious!) enough to seek instruction on how to write better, and then found themselves qualified for the kinds of day jobs that they probably thought would help them keep writing. Not their fault that the path they chose intimidates the hell out of me. And the minute I turn back to the poems, [nearly] all the snobbery disappears....
That is STILL good stuff Ms. 26th. And you and I are on the exact same page vis a vis our outlook on poetry.
I LOVED hearing you read you poems! Please do it again!
Can just hear rhe poets in the kitchen with you along with the quiet voice of Billy Collins.
So glad you like it Ms. Looocinda!
There's a recording at the top of the July 12 post as well. ❤️
These are marvelous and your recorded voice adds a lovely dimension. I wonder if Billy Collins has been lucky enough to receive that one. It captures his stuff so nicely and I'm sure he'd love it.
Thanks so much, Jonathan! I haven't had the, um, self-confidence to send that poem to Mr. Collins, so far; I picture him inundated with poems from people he's never heard of, let alone the people he's paid to teach, and I can't get myself to add to his mail. Someday I may be so bold.
Years ago I wrote a poem about John Updike that I also would never have considered sending him; but I submitted it to Zyzzyva, and the editor -- who was a bit of a turd, I think -- rejected it but sent it to Updike. I received a really nice card from Updike about it in which he subtly dissed the editor (I thought) and praised the poem and thanked me for it. So, I don't know, I think you should go ahead and be bold. If I were Billy Collins, I'd really appreciate it.
Enjoyed both poems. In the first poem, I liked the different ways you used the bowl of fruit salad: as a metaphor, as part of the striking image of a stranger casually eating from it, and as a reminder of the here and now, the real world.
Wonder if you missed an opportunity, though, in the first poem’s title, which doesn’t tell us very much.
I like to think of a title as an extra line that both the author and the reader get for free, something that doesn’t have to obey the form or voice of the poem, can be used to efficiently supply information or irony, set the topic or locale, whatever.
Example: the only reason we know Prufrock’s name is because it’s in the title. It doesn’t appear in the first-person poem itself. And the title is in third person, so that’s the author’s voice, not Prufrock’s. And if he hadn’t been named there, we would for all time be referring to the unnamed speaker of the poem, rather than to Prufrock.
What about using a phrase from your poem such as “Lives of Poets”? To my mind, that includes the speaker, and you’ve given us a bit of the speaker’s life, whereas “Poets” doesn’t necessarily suggest that. It also has a nice echo of other titles, like Lives of the Saints, or Plutarch’s Lives.
Good use of line breaks in both. I particularly liked the enjambment across stanzas.
Thank you for reading, Frank.
Very nice. I am currently in the process of shifting my Substack engagement from politics to fellow poets and others of like mind. Glad to have found you.
Glad to have you as a reader! Poems do make a healthy balance from politics. I'm glad you like what you've read so far.
I loved hearing you read your poems! My current favorite accessible poet is the current U.S. poet laureate, Ada Limón. She says she wrote her collection, Bright Dead Things for people who think they don't like poetry. Her poems have a vibrant storytelling quality that feel almost like stories you share on the porch in the evenings while sipping an iced tea.
Oh, thank you for letting me know about Ms. Limon! I'll explore.
I like you reading; it makes the poems come alive. And you may not have a black and white cat, you are blessed to be the Auntie to The Empress.
And what a blessing it is! >^..^<
I like hearing your voice. Keep it up!
Thank you, Sandra! The recording was fun to do.
Following our brief conversation about Billy Collins, and poets inaccessible, I greatly appreciate these poems. I will get Poetry 180. I like the audio version of yours, as well as the accompanying photos. 🙏🏻
Thanks so much, Shari! I think you'll enjoy that collection.
Such a hoot that poem of yours- one long thumbing of the nose at the general snobbery of “poetry” with all it’s heavy learning, inflated language requiring so much background info- yech. Love Billy Collins too.
It reads so much like snobbery when I see it spelled out in one little bio after another! But when I re-think it, these are people who love to write and were humble (and ambitious!) enough to seek instruction on how to write better, and then found themselves qualified for the kinds of day jobs that they probably thought would help them keep writing. Not their fault that the path they chose intimidates the hell out of me. And the minute I turn back to the poems, [nearly] all the snobbery disappears....
That is big hearted of you to say. I agree, in that, if they can write things that move me, I’ll forgive almost anything
Love B. Collins not live
Thank you so much, AP! Resonance with a smile is the best response I could wish for.