Building a poetic foundation

[Remec]

Just now I replied to wildsweetone's "Word Order Game" thread, and it made me stop and think. (Actually, posts by several other people in various threads also brought this to a head.)

If it is a necessity towards becoming a better poet to be more and better acquainted with other people's work, what breakdown of periods or eras in poetry would you say there are and which poets are of particular note within each?

 

[bogusbrig]

Just now I replied to wildsweetone's "Word Order Game" thread, and it made me stop and think. (Actually, posts by several other people in various threads also brought this to a head.)

If it is a necessity towards becoming a better poet to be more and better acquainted with other people's work, what breakdown of periods or eras in poetry would you say there are and which poets are of particular note within each?

I think I am paraphasing Bernard Levin right (bit of a contradiction I know!) 'If you just read and allow your mind to be curious you'll gravity towards quality.'

The academic route failed me miserably, I found it so boring but I read out of curiousity and interest and I have ended up widely read and with much knowledge. However I am aware of gaps in my knowledge but you will have gaps in your knowledge taking the linear academic route too and you will miss a lot of interesting by-ways.

I am pretty adament in my belief that reading other poets and writers is vitally important in ones pursuit of improving ones poetry. In fact learning about anything of value is vitally important to become a better poet and that includes taking an interest in all the arts and sciences. I guess it's down to what suits a person as an individual as to what one reads and learns though.

 

[wildsweetone]

i'll see your natural gravitational theory and raise you one. the amount of poetry in the world is overwhelming for newbies (like me)... it's nice to have half a dozen basic recommendations to begin with as it gives a good starting point from which natural gravitation can emerge.

i like the freedom that natural gravitation allows. it means i can read and retain, or read and rubbish, at will (i seem to do a fair bit of the latter).

 

[My Erotic Tale]

"To Be...Or Not to Be..."

pure poetry boils from eras in man's existance, chisled into our culture for nothing more than historic fine arts relived. I can only relay that we all will miss the famed poet that has moved each and every one of us. For you name names I heard not of and as I ask have you read 'Temples Hub?" You say you 'have not' but we both did tabble in toe tapping hearts when we read this poets witty word charm, for childrens hearts 'we still live' and Dr. Suess no longer lives, yet his words do.

hello Remec
bows humble (~_~)

 

[jthserra]

Lives of the Poets

...what breakdown of periods or eras in poetry would you say there are and which poets are of particular note within each?

Michael Schmidt has written a book titled "Lives of the Poets". In the book he very briefly touches on the lives and writing of more than 250 poets ranging from fifteenth-century Scotland to the Carribbean today. The poets are grouped in a kind of mix of chronological and thematic order.

For instance and not surprisingly Sylvia Plath is discussed in a group titled "Candours" which includes Robert Lowell, Ted Hughes, John Berryman, Anne Sexton, and several others.

"Speaking and Speaking For" discusses Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, Derek Walcott, and others.

The book gives you a fascinating look into the lives of the poets, as well as discusses some on their styles and influences. For someone not familiar with many of the great poets, this book will give you brief, but substantive insight into these great artists.

"Lives of the Poets" is available at amazon.com: Lives of the Poets. The book is about 1,000 pages long... there is a lot of information on a bunch of poets.


jim : )

 

[wildsweetone]

Romanticism
Remec, i was playing with google and came across this site. it's neat. not exactly what you're looking for but it's worth having a wander through. *smile*


maybe this one is:
themes in poetry timeline