A Writer's Notebook, Day One-Hundred-Six
I did some work on the new piece, but didn't get much done, honestly. I also did a bit more preparation work for revising my play, but I am waiting until after the first official writing session tomorrow night. I thought, however, that I would take and write a bit tonight about the ideas that I am considering for the poetry workshop I'll be teaching over the Summer. It is only a one day class, but I want to think about this carefully to make certain I can share something that is useful and concrete for the participants. As well, I know that I need to send a short description of what I plan to do in for their PR materials, so I want to do this tonight in order to put together that blurb tomorrow.
The general idea is about how a poet references the world to bring meaning into a poem that can then be transformed. I had read this poem which begins in a way that is very clearly echoing Williams This Is Just To Say. What interests me about this is that the poem is extremely removed from the work it is referencing. Indeed, it seems to bring it in at the beginning only to create a background to move against. The echoed meaning informs the reading, but the two exist in different worlds. Which, of course, is part of the point the poet is making.
Now, the thing is, to me that is only a small example of something larger, and not only about the way a poem can relate to another poem. Poets often use specific images that will be familiar to the reader in order to create those contexts. Honestly, the examples are not popping to mind, though I know I can find many if I spend an hour or so poring through my library of poetry books and even some of the journals, to find more contemporary examples.
The idea is largely to discuss the question of how does a poet bring in information that will inform how the reader understands the poem and how do they use that context to synthesize something new. To explore this in terms of reading is one aspect, but I want to actually start thinking about how I can offer some concrete examples of these ideas. One way I think is to ask people to start with a reference to something familiar, but create a piece that is, in some way, opposes the original. This could be in terms of tone or emotion, or in terms of disagreeing with the attitude, but should not as a response to the original. In fact, I should really think of it the other way around. It should start with thinking about an occasion for a poem (as I have learned the germinating idea is often called in poetry) and then considering what might contrast or inform that by providing a background for the poem.
I think, as well, that I might want to talk about image systems a bit. One idea is to write a list of connected ideas that all attach to some image or context the reader will get and use them in a poem that is about something which will have a tension with these images. To make this work, I would suggest the lists be somewhat abstracted. While any one item might not connect to the concept, the collection of them should. I can definitely find examples of this in other works, and I think it is a good exercise in this direction.
The idea is sort of shaping up, now, and I think I have a better understanding of what I am on about. It is, as I mentioned above, about the ways in which a poet can seed meaning into a work in order to create tension and context for the reader's understanding, and about developing specific ways of thinking about how meaning passes from a poem to a reader, outside the direct communication. I think a third aspect of this that is important to discuss would be sound, and that is something that I can definitely see as having great value for a poet.
In terms of sound, my intent is to discuss how sound can carry meaning and context through the musicality of the language. These sounds can be echoes of things we know. I think Roethke is a great example to use here, as he drew sound extensively from nursery rhymes and it is definitely possible to hear that in many of his poems. As well, there are poets I can think of who are able to echo musical styles in a way.
For an exercise in this, I would probably do something that might sound silly and rather simple, but I think it is likely something that would be very much more helpful than it sounds on paper. It would be a bit of a challenge, but fun. The first part would be to think of an animal and the sounds it makes. Now, consider what sounds in our language can be used to replicate that. For example, an owl is going to have a lot of long "o" sounds, and soft consonants, as well as a lot of hushed noises, such as "s" and "h". A snake, obviously, is going to be a lot of "s" sounds and breathy noises, without many of the other aspects discussed above. As well, I think cadence and rhythm play a role here, too, echoing the duration and tempo and other aspects in order to replicate something like that sound.
In some ways, the goal is not to replicate the animal, but to have the concept of it replicated through the sound. It is not a conscious thing, of course, but it is likely to be picked up on some level by a reader, if done well. I can easily imagine a poet using language that uses a lot of insect like buzzing type noises. Of course, it is possible to use things beyond animal noises for inspiration here. The concept is more to be able to consider the context the musicality creates in a more direct way.
I think that I will have to refine these exercises, in particular the last, but I have a real sense of the subject at this point. I don't know if I am explaining it well yet, but I have plenty of time to refine the exact approach, and to come up with great examples for the class to discuss. I have a lot of ideas about how to develop the material, and I am really excited for that, but I think right now, this is a good place to stop for the night.
The general idea is about how a poet references the world to bring meaning into a poem that can then be transformed. I had read this poem which begins in a way that is very clearly echoing Williams This Is Just To Say. What interests me about this is that the poem is extremely removed from the work it is referencing. Indeed, it seems to bring it in at the beginning only to create a background to move against. The echoed meaning informs the reading, but the two exist in different worlds. Which, of course, is part of the point the poet is making.
Now, the thing is, to me that is only a small example of something larger, and not only about the way a poem can relate to another poem. Poets often use specific images that will be familiar to the reader in order to create those contexts. Honestly, the examples are not popping to mind, though I know I can find many if I spend an hour or so poring through my library of poetry books and even some of the journals, to find more contemporary examples.
The idea is largely to discuss the question of how does a poet bring in information that will inform how the reader understands the poem and how do they use that context to synthesize something new. To explore this in terms of reading is one aspect, but I want to actually start thinking about how I can offer some concrete examples of these ideas. One way I think is to ask people to start with a reference to something familiar, but create a piece that is, in some way, opposes the original. This could be in terms of tone or emotion, or in terms of disagreeing with the attitude, but should not as a response to the original. In fact, I should really think of it the other way around. It should start with thinking about an occasion for a poem (as I have learned the germinating idea is often called in poetry) and then considering what might contrast or inform that by providing a background for the poem.
I think, as well, that I might want to talk about image systems a bit. One idea is to write a list of connected ideas that all attach to some image or context the reader will get and use them in a poem that is about something which will have a tension with these images. To make this work, I would suggest the lists be somewhat abstracted. While any one item might not connect to the concept, the collection of them should. I can definitely find examples of this in other works, and I think it is a good exercise in this direction.
The idea is sort of shaping up, now, and I think I have a better understanding of what I am on about. It is, as I mentioned above, about the ways in which a poet can seed meaning into a work in order to create tension and context for the reader's understanding, and about developing specific ways of thinking about how meaning passes from a poem to a reader, outside the direct communication. I think a third aspect of this that is important to discuss would be sound, and that is something that I can definitely see as having great value for a poet.
In terms of sound, my intent is to discuss how sound can carry meaning and context through the musicality of the language. These sounds can be echoes of things we know. I think Roethke is a great example to use here, as he drew sound extensively from nursery rhymes and it is definitely possible to hear that in many of his poems. As well, there are poets I can think of who are able to echo musical styles in a way.
For an exercise in this, I would probably do something that might sound silly and rather simple, but I think it is likely something that would be very much more helpful than it sounds on paper. It would be a bit of a challenge, but fun. The first part would be to think of an animal and the sounds it makes. Now, consider what sounds in our language can be used to replicate that. For example, an owl is going to have a lot of long "o" sounds, and soft consonants, as well as a lot of hushed noises, such as "s" and "h". A snake, obviously, is going to be a lot of "s" sounds and breathy noises, without many of the other aspects discussed above. As well, I think cadence and rhythm play a role here, too, echoing the duration and tempo and other aspects in order to replicate something like that sound.
In some ways, the goal is not to replicate the animal, but to have the concept of it replicated through the sound. It is not a conscious thing, of course, but it is likely to be picked up on some level by a reader, if done well. I can easily imagine a poet using language that uses a lot of insect like buzzing type noises. Of course, it is possible to use things beyond animal noises for inspiration here. The concept is more to be able to consider the context the musicality creates in a more direct way.
I think that I will have to refine these exercises, in particular the last, but I have a real sense of the subject at this point. I don't know if I am explaining it well yet, but I have plenty of time to refine the exact approach, and to come up with great examples for the class to discuss. I have a lot of ideas about how to develop the material, and I am really excited for that, but I think right now, this is a good place to stop for the night.
Comments
Post a Comment