Old Habits...

[Stephen Whiteside]

Old Habits...


There are those who would say
That it's done - had its day,
And it's hard to assert they are wrong.
Yet still I insist
I've the right to persist -
It's my way of singing my song.

And I can't quite recall
The strength of it all -
It's lost in the vastness of time.
Yet still I maintain
That it causes no pain -
It's surely a victimless crime.

I speak of the practice
(It's finished? It's cactus?)
Of new line capitalisation.
It's archaic, that's clear,
But I still hold it dear,
And I sense no swift capitulation.

The Banjo, I think it was,
Got me to do it, 'cause
His stuff is wild and exciting.
I was just a young kid,
And I did as he bid...
And that's how I ended up writing.

"You are stuck in a rut!"
Yes, I hear you all, but
I do it...well...just 'cause I like it,
And the call of the crowd,
No matter how loud,
Will never induce me to strike it.

So you can go your way.
I see your bright doorway.
It's modern, and fashioned of pine.
I'm an odd bloke,
But my door's made of oak,
And I'll happily wander through mine!


© Stephen Whiteside 06.04.2013

[warooa]

or your 'puter does it automatically for you and you don't know how to change it

[Stephen Whiteside]

No, that's not it. I didn't know computers did that.

[Neville Briggs]

In the ultra-modernist publication Best Australian Poems of 2012 ( Black Inc) edited by John Tranter, I counted 13 contemporary poets that used capitalised line beginnings.
The idea that this is an outmoded practice is apparently a false notion; going on the examples in the above book.
LIke I harp on, let's be free from rules that aren't rules.

By the way, Our mate David Campbell has a poem included in this book. His poem has NO capitals in the title or the verse,( except for a proper name and the pronoun I ).


So I conclude that contemporary use enables us to be free to use any construction form that we choose . I take it that the choices are to be made from the urge to do expressive poetry rather than conform to some prevailing "correct" textual format.

I enjoyed your little poem Stephen. You made the point.

[David Campbell]

Yes, Neville, that's true...there are a few poems in the book with capital letters at the beginning of each line. But this is a book that's predominantly free verse, and there may well be specific reasons (other than indicating the start of a line) why the poets have chosen to do this. A couple of the poems, for example, are translations from Chinese, and so there may be a cultural background. Mark Tredinnick's dog poem is a sonnet, so there may be a reason in that. Then there's the Michael Farrell poem on page 132 where each line is effectively a separate thought, so perhaps the capitals assist that reading. For other poems, though (pages 18 and 19 for example), I have yet to discover any logic to it...and think both would have been better without the capitals. I'm going to a presentation next Friday which Chris Wallace-Crabbe (he taught me Geography in Form 2) may attend, so I'll ask him about his poem if he's there.

As for my poem, it's a stream-of-consciousness piece, so the format is deliberately chosen, as is the punctuation (what there is of it). There are a few strategically placed question marks, the use of / and the capitalisation of Jason because he's the focus of the woman's thoughts. Otherwise the lines just run on rather chaotically...all designed to create an effect. Free verse gives you the licence to do that, which is why I like it in some circumstances.

I'll stick to my argument (and agree to disagree with Stephen) that punctuation should serve a purpose and assist communication. If Banjo were alive today, I reckon he'd have written those first two lines of 'Clancy' as:

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
knowledge sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,

Getting rid of the usual capital for "Knowledge" would discourage all those reciters who insist on pausing after "better".

Cheers
David

[Stephen Whiteside]

OK.

I've had time to give this a bit more thought. I've been surprised by the strength of the emotions that this debate has stirred in me, and I didn't want to speak before thinking.

To me, the argument is about aesthetics, not reason or logic.

There is no logical reason why anybody would choose to express themselves in rhyming verse these days. It is essentially a form designed for a pre-literate society, when reading and writing were not commonplace, as they are now. Rhyme and metre helped people to remember things, and allowed stories to be passed on from one person to another via the oral tradition.

In fact, when you come to think of it, the whole idea of writing down bush verse is a bit odd in itself.

As a means of communication, it is entirely obsolete. Let's face it, it's much easier to express yourself without the tyranny of rhyme and metre. The only reason for retaining it as an art form is aesthetic - those that write it and read it like it. They enjoy it.

Once you acknowledge the whole art form is predicated on aesthetics rather than reason, it becomes rather fatuous to then try to insist on certain rules for 'logical' reasons.

There is no logical reason for beginning each line with a capital letter. There might have been once, but there isn't now. There may, however, be an aesthetic reason for doing so. For me, there certainly is. I like the look of it.

I would even go a step further and say that I have a strong dislike of bush poetry that does not start each line with a capital letter. To me, it looks lame. I see it as a betrayal of the tradition.

Betrayal - strong word, I know, but that's how I feel.

I don't think anybody can say that I am 'right' or David is 'right'. In the world of aesthetics, there is no final arbiter.

One final word. I don't think editors/publishers mind either way. I have had many poems published (mostly for children) where the first line of each letter is capitalised, and it has never been commented on one way or the other. Of course, David has also had many poems published.

My rule is 'live and let live'. Anybody can do what they like as long as they are not hurting anybody else. I don't lean on anybody about whether they do or don't capitalise, but I start to resent it if I feel they are leaning on me.

Of course, competition judges are entitled to judge as they think fit, and if the judges don't like my style, I will suffer accordingly. I can live with that.

[Neville Briggs]

I wouldn't argue with that !

[Vic Jefferies]

I think that we have now arrived at the point where it is the poet's decision whether he/she capitalizes the letter at the beginning of each line or not and surely he/she should not be criticized for their choice.
I think capitals serve a purpose but do not always capitalize each line.

[David Campbell]

To quote what I wrote in another thread a couple of weeks ago:

"It’s hard to know what’s useful and what isn’t, for, in the final analysis, it’s just my opinion. What works for me isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So I just put it out there and hope for the best."

Cheers
David