Happy Birthday Kenneth Koch!

[Angeline]

The poet Kenneth Koch would be 100 today so I had to acknowledge that. Are you familiar with his poetry? If so maybe post a poem by him or a link to one you especially like. Also I know he's one of Tzara's favorite poets so maybe he can recommend some reading for us (or not if you're busy T-zed).

In the meantime here's a link to a poem of Koch's that I love, You Were Wearing. He's a great, great poet. Enjoy!

 

[Tzara]

Oh, Kenneth Koch! Probably the second poet whose work I really fell in love with (after e.e. cummings when I was in high school). Member of the first New York School, along with John Ashbery and Frank O'Hara, associate of various New York artists (Koch's work sometimes reminds me of the verbal equivalent of a Johns or Rauschenberg painting). I've always loved his rather silly streak, such as in this poem:

Variations On A Theme By William Carlos Williams
Kenneth Koch

1
I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.
I am sorry, but it was morning, and I had nothing to do
and its wooden beams were so inviting.

2
We laughed at the hollyhocks together
and then I sprayed them with lye.
Forgive me. I simply do not know what I am doing.

3
I gave away the money that you had been saving to live on for the next ten years.
The man who asked for it was shabby
and the firm March wind on the porch was so juicy and cold.

4
Last evening we went dancing and I broke your leg.
Forgive me. I was clumsy and
I wanted you here in the wards, where I am the doctor!

Source: The Collected Poems of Kenneth Koch (2007)
​

The "variations" in this poem are based on WCW's poem "This Is Just to Say" and distorts the Williams poem's (faux?) naïvety through a kind of fun-house mirror of imagery. I like it basically because I find it goofily funny, which is fairly characteristic of much of Koch's work.

Thanks for the post, Angie! I'll try to talk some more about Koch tomorrow.

 

[Ash999]

The poet Kenneth Koch would be 100 today so I had to acknowledge that. Are you familiar with his poetry? If so maybe post a poem by him or a link to one you especially like. Also I know he's one of Tzara's favorite poets so maybe he can recommend some reading for us (or not if you're busy T-zed).

In the meantime here's a link to a poem of Koch's that I love, You Were Wearing. He's a great, great poet. Enjoy!

This poem is full of clothes with brand names of famous persons: was it a satire or making fun of people's desires to wear clothing associated with Icons??!

 

[Angeline]

This poem is full of clothes with brand names of famous persons: was it a satire or making fun of people's desires to wear clothing associated with Icons??!

Hi Ash. I apologize for not responding sooner. I just saw your post.

So I'm no expert on Kenneth Koch but I read this poem and I definitely get satire using cultural images, absurd images. My take is that he's making fun of (I assume) Americans' penchant for displaying popular brand names of things they wear or use. I guess you could go deeper and say it's satire aimed at possessions and materialism. But that's just my opinion I defer to those who know Koch and his poetry better than I do!

 

[Ash999]

Hi Ash. I apologize for not responding sooner. I just saw your post.

So I'm no expert on Kenneth Koch but I read this poem and I definitely get satire using cultural images, absurd images. My take is that he's making fun of (I assume) Americans' penchant for displaying popular brand names of things they wear or use. I guess you could go deeper and say it's satire aimed at possessions and materialism. But that's just my opinion I defer to those who know Koch and his poetry better than I do!

Thank You, Angie: the more we discuss the more light is thrown on facts!!!