What Drives A Poet

Recurring debates on important poetry topics.
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Vic Jefferies
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Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Vic Jefferies » Sun May 08, 2011 11:40 am

G'day Terry,

Not a lot can be done for the third category!
There are a number who are in favour of reading and as I said they should be encouraged because they are often the new talent that we so desperately need.
At the moment most if not all competitions discriminate against these people by either out right bans or by penalising them to the extent there is no point in there "having a go." However, if there was a separate section in competitions for those who read I am sure many more would be encouraged to take that very daunting first step into the world of bush poetry.
These are the beginners who so often in time become polished performers.

Terry
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Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Terry » Sun May 08, 2011 11:56 am

G/day Vic,
I couldn't agree more, some written comps have an emerging poet section, why not the same or something similar in the reciting side of things. The trouble is some people get very set in there ways and ideas, but you would only be adding another category, you wouldn't be reducing the standard that now exist and as you say you would probably eventually add to the pool of regular reciters from those who get a bit of confidence and also have the ability to memorize. Good thinking Vic.

Cheers Terry

william williams

Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by william williams » Sun May 08, 2011 12:06 pm

Please Vic I am not trying to belittle you in anyway or trying to insult you or others as I have too much respect for both you and everyone involved with this craft. Australian speech is a craft in its own right a mixture of many different nationalities dialects and sounds that create this unque style and tones.

All I am doing is trying to is letting members realize there is many different ways of performing. I read because of a stroke that left my recent recall system up the put. Is that wrong or should a catorgory be in performance comps for just that problem


Vic if I may call you that, I agree to a point of your statement. I don’t know what age you are or what disabilities that you have. And it is fantastic that you and younger people have a great memory to parrot fashion learn something then graduate to expressions and actions and voice to aceturate the words being told.
To entertain an audience is great, no it is fantastic I can hear the applause the ovation is a great boost. But the greatest pleasure that I can ever get is to see the smiles of children faces as they HEAR the words I tell them. To see the look on old peoples faces suffering from failing eyesight listening and remembering. These people and children I talk about are very poor in eyesight yet for all you exaggerated gestures and expressions are lost which leaves only the your voice to me that is the greatest asset a poet may have

Bill Williams (the old battler)

Vic Jefferies
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Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Vic Jefferies » Sun May 08, 2011 12:21 pm

G'day William,

You have me a little confused.
I am saying that instead of penalising or banning people who read from competition we should encourage them by creating a separate category for them to compete and perform in. I think this would (a) encourage them to participate (b) provide those who wish to do this with a forum and (c) probably increase the number of people interested in bush poetry.

However reading and reciting are two different skills.

william williams

Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by william williams » Sun May 08, 2011 12:49 pm

I am sorry vic as It was me that miss read your post as when writing it I concentrated more on trying to get my message across than thinking about yours and yes they are two different fields I agree

Bill Williams

Neville Briggs
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Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Neville Briggs » Sun May 08, 2011 4:59 pm

I favour the reading practice for a number of reasons.

1. My memory is terrible. My acting ability is worse.

2. I would rather a person read and get it right than get half way through and walk off in embarrassment because of losing their memory of lines. ( seen that happen many times )

3. Reading draws attention to the poem.
I think a bit of enhanced presentation works sometimes, probably better in comical versifying.
I think that in most serious presentations that the object of a poetry reciting needs to be the poem. really it all depends on the poem, some lend themselves to a bit of extra, some don't.

4. Having to torture oneself with memory learning , for me takes away the enjoyment of presenting poetry. It becomes an obstacle race and I am sure to fall at the first hurdle.
I've been to competition events where I derived no enjoyment whatever from the presentations that went before my turn because I was in so much agony over my memorising
rehearsal.

5. I think a great advantage with reading is the unlimited repertoire. I have a folder of something like 120 poems, plus several anthologies. I can use any of these, mix them up, vary the choices as I wish, because I choose what is useful to read for the occasion. A person relying on memory has only a limited number that they can present, and constant repetition is an unavoidable feature of memory performance.

It is true, I think, that a memory recital probably connects better with the audience, but isn't it ( in most cases ) the poem that needs to connect. A well read poem can do that.
Neville
" Prose is description, poetry is presence " Les Murray.

Heather

Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Heather » Sun May 08, 2011 7:01 pm

Agree with everything you've said Neville. I suppose that by reading you draw attention to the words rather than the "performance". Horses for courses. I can, and do enjoy both.

Heather :)

Terry
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Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Terry » Sun May 08, 2011 7:56 pm

Hi Heather & Neville,
Although I favor reading if that is what you wish to do, I personally (From observation not experience) think that a well memorized presentation has a lot going for it, the best presenters I have seen have always worked from memory, but saying that perhaps if a reader practiced and performed as much perhaps it might be different.

Terry

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Irene
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Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Irene » Sun May 08, 2011 10:53 pm

At all of the poets breakfasts I have attended in WA, reading your poems is allowed - again though, it would be expected that you are familiar with the poem first, and read it well. At the montly musters, they have a 'Reading from the Classics' section to allow people to get some confidence at being in front of people. This has indeed fostered new poets, and encouraged them to give it a go.
Even if they don't change the competition rules, being able to read at a breakfast still gives newbies an opportunity to get up and get their confidence. They may or may not choose to take that step forward to reciting, but they are still able to get their poems out to a wider audience, and I agree - I have heard many very well received poems that have been read instead of recited.

Should they change the competition rules? I'm inclined to think that there may not be a need to do so, so long as there are plenty of opportunities for poets to read at the breakfasts, and provide the entertainment that so many of them are so good at. After all, as per written work, winning competitions is not the only qualifying criteria of a good poet/entertainer.
There are many successful poets who have never won or entered competitions - that doesn't mean they are not successful.
Catchya
Irene
What goes around, comes around.

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Zondrae
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Re: What Drives A Poet

Post by Zondrae » Mon May 09, 2011 7:39 am

morning all,

I agree with Irene. There are opportunities for readers, outside of competition, to gain confidence in front of a crowd. If I were to go to an old folks home to entertain, I may consider reading some of the classics that I have only half memorised.
But if I am in the programme of a festival, I think the audience would expect me to 'perform' not read. I have, on occasion, read a new, or theme appropriate, piece that I didn't have time to memorise. eg recent memorials for David Meyers. One would expect newer performers to be nerveous and perhaps fluff lines. One good thing about writing my own stuff is that if I muck up lines, not many people know.
Zondrae King
a woman of words

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