Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

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warooa

Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by warooa » Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:33 pm

Vic Jefferies wrote:
I love Bruce Dawe's work and though he wrote in rhyme and free verse I doubt he would acknowledge this as a poem!
Bruce Dawe wrote so well about the everyday man. He wrote (and still does write) so well in a laconic style that reflects and celebrates the ordinaryness of everyday existance.

His writing takes the natural tones of life and passes them, through his poetry, with a unique empathy to the reader that stops them in their tracks.

Okay . . so this poem doesn't rhyme. But most of Dawe's greatest work doesn't - just get over that and enjoy it for what it is.

Far from driving people away from poetry, I think this offering is as beautiful and succinct as a piece of writing can be, in capturing a moment in time.

I'm hearing you, Neville Briggs and agree with what you said.

Marty

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by Neville Briggs » Sun Nov 03, 2013 7:18 pm

Sorry Glenny, I don't have any Bailey's :lol:


The lines you have quoted Vic, are not as the poem is written. If you are going to critique a piece, wouldn't it be fair to set it out as it was written. That makes ALL the difference. ;) :)

You say Vic that nobody understands modern art, are you sure. How did you arrive at that conclusion. What data did you use to research people's understanding of modern art.
You realise that if we can find just one person who understands modern art, your claim is blown out of the water. :lol:
A lot of way out and downright weird and absurd stuff that is popularly characterised as modern art and modern poetry, is not modern at all. It is post-modern. You do understand the difference don't you ?
For example Monet and Van Gogh are modern , Marcel Duchamp or Jackson Pollock are post-modern.

I am astonished that you are able to determine what Bruce Dawe may or may not acknowledge as poetry. How did you do that ?? :o :)

There's nothing wrong, as far as I can see, in enjoying the traditional forms of syllabic/stress metre and rhyming patterns. Apart from our mob, there's plenty of modern/ contemporary poets, ones that write good stuff, that do just that ( I can produce a list and examples if necessary ) It's just that modern published poetry shows that poetry need not follow any set format or style in contemporary practice. I suggest that what is good or bad about that is a fairly subjective issue.


What's the word for Bruce Dawe, Marty. Gutsy !! :lol: Something that Stephen Fry laments is missing from contemporary poetry.
Neville
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by r.magnay » Sun Nov 03, 2013 7:56 pm

Neville
Because I admire your knowledge of music art and writing, and quite a few other things actually, I will put this to you. Who decides what is art, poetry, or music for that matter?

I am sure if I was to ask you, away from this forum what you thought of rap music for example, you would not even acknowledge it as music! You have already made it clear that what I class as good music ('country' for example) you don't acknowledge as music...... ;)
Ross

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by Neville Briggs » Sun Nov 03, 2013 9:35 pm

I acknowledge that country music and rap are music with musical form and structure. My prejudice is that I find them not much appealing to my sensibilities.

" Who decides what is art, music, poetry " Is it a matter of deciding ( right/wrong, good/bad ) or a matter of recognising and responding to " the ghost in the machine ".
Last edited by Neville Briggs on Mon Nov 04, 2013 8:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
Neville
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by r.magnay » Mon Nov 04, 2013 6:09 am

A very artistic answer Neville... but a matter of who deciding? .. 8-)
Ross

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by Neville Briggs » Mon Nov 04, 2013 8:31 am

There are only artistic answers to art, Ross. :) Unless you're an artist ( or a bush poet ) who makes money from it. ;) ;)

Who decides what art is ?? A question closer to home, who decides what bush poetry is.
On what authority does anyone declare " bush poetry is..." :geek:
Neville
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by Bob Pacey » Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:01 am

You sure you were in the police force Nev or in politics ???? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Bob
The purpose in life is to have fun.
After you grasp that everything else seems insignificant !!!

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by Vic Jefferies » Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:02 am

I wrote the lines in that manner to demonstrate my assertion that a good poem remains a poem however it is written. Try doing it with The Man From Snowy River; The Night Train; Faces in the Street... they all remain great poems. If you read Bruce Dawe's, "Homecoming:" "All day, day after day, they're bringing them home, they're picking them up, those they can find , and bringing them home, they're bringing them in, piled on the hulls of Grants in trucks in convoys, they're zipping them up in green plastic bags..." (and it is not written like that either) you will read great free verse that is undeniably wonderful poetry.
Therefore I agree there are some very fine free verse poems but the poem in question is not one of them. This is chopped up prose pretending to be poetry. Perhaps an interesting story but not poetry.
As I said, in my opinion this is the sort of thing that has driven people away from poetry.

In relation to modern art I am reminded of the fellow who visited the National Art Gallery and for ten minutes stood admiring the fire extinguisher hanging on the wall before declaring it a masterpiece!
Horses for courses I suppose but I really do think political correctness has got us to The Emperor's New Clothes era.

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Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by r.magnay » Mon Nov 04, 2013 12:05 pm

Yes Neville, that is, as Bob said, a very politician type answer!... :)
Ross

Heather

Re: Free verse meets rhyme at Gulgong

Post by Heather » Mon Nov 04, 2013 2:44 pm

There are days I wish I hadn't been away and had stayed to read the forum - much more fun.

Glenny get the glasses out! ;)

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