'Old' poetry v 'New' poetry
Fri, 2002-03-22 15:54
#1
'Old' poetry v 'New' poetry
Since becoming involved in this site a few weeks ago, I have noticed a trend in the 'Poem of the Day' section - the poems selected are very much in the modern style. You know; free verse form, domestic subjects, quite open and personal about everyday feelings.
Is it that the people who select them are biased in favour of this modern style? Or is it simply that no-one uses established structures (like the sonnet) or uses complex techniques (like the extended metaphor) any more? Does anyone want to read that kind of stuff these days?
Reinardina
I had two poems chosen as 'Poem of the Day' and both were traditional. 'Autumn 2' is a pantoum and 'Party Animal' is a (rhyming) bit of light hearted nonsense.
So they're not all in free verse, both categories are represented.
ely whitley
I have two poems in a slightly traditional style (not rhyming) one is about my girlfriend and how others must feel as she passes them in the street called "a vision in the missed" and the other is an ode to one of my black labrador's litter that died on the day the others opened their eyes called "the loss of mother blackness".
Apart from being a shameless plug to get my poetry read I do have a point.
The first is more romantic and the second more atmospheric but I thought they were both as good as each other, in fact I thought "a vision in the missed" was better but the general concensus of those who have read it is that the first is too much like a romantic poem and so it seems to lose points on that score alone. I think people are scared of out and out lovey dovey stuff regardless of how well written it is and it's easier to be 'gritty' and contemporary.
fish
i happen to know that poetry poodle had a recent poem of the day with the jolly old verse form the villanelle ...
i know this because he was proudly licking his balls all day ... which can be a trifling tiring on the eye i can tell you ...