The Avant-Garde of Tradition
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex . . .” In the midst of my research for part four of this series, I received the first bit of criticism directed toward my articles. An admired acquaintance—a poet whose talent in description is first rate—was taken aback by a statement made in the second essay …
Continue reading “Toward a Definition of Poetry Part IV: An Interlude on Critical Technique”
Part III: Keeping of Accent I. Iambic Pentameter’s Beginnings The motivations behind the inception of Iambic Pentameter are widely available to be read online; one need only turn to Wikipedia for an accurate discussion on the matter. Less clear, however, is precisely when in the 14th century our English meter came into usage, and who …
Part II: Lifeless Meter 1. The Misunderstood Rules of Bygone Eras It was a young college professor, and widely-published poet, who once set my mind on the the problem of poetry’s recent failure. Upon sharing some of my, admittedly youthful, poetry with this woman, she at once commented, “I wish I could kill the old …
Part One: The Torch-Bearers of Tradition
His tome cast to plunge and fade to subtle worth
In precious fragments faint, he paused to glean
How dimly in winter attends to the heart
That teeming season of our out-bloomed prime,
Banal observations, meek style, and nearly complete absence of poetic images—such is “Yael,” an “important” and “brilliant” “non-binary” epic.