The idea that there are perhaps guided procedures, or approaches to poetry is criticized by Bernstein. Bernstein calls poetry a wilderness, one that is unconquerable. Just admitting to this, means a surrender of the ability to conquer it. He offers the opinion that preference for the most part is inarguable, people will gravitate to their own taste. However, this does result in repetitive same production. How would we ever get something new? He offers the idea that projects-in-language are not limited to those who can, who have or who will. That it is not a matter of Proper Names but of Works.
It's been over 20 years since this article. Though I agree with Bernstein that poetics is something that can not be contained or pinned down, most new poets are still having to find ways to defend or legitimize it. It's not poetry that usually finds publishing. The Bernstein of that article wouldn't be too happy today; it's still more of the same being published.
It's been over 20 years since this article. Though I agree with Bernstein that poetics is something that can not be contained or pinned down, most new poets are still having to find ways to defend or legitimize it. It's not poetry that usually finds publishing. The Bernstein of that article wouldn't be too happy today; it's still more of the same being published.
I think that all literature has some sort of need to be defended and accepted by people. The market for literature would not exist if people weren't drawn to any specific type of literature or any literature at all. Interest in literature should be expanded, sure, but it's important to realize how lucky we are that writing skills are valued at all. The fact that some literature is considered popular while other types are seen as outsiders or distinctly "unpopular" can be attributed to the issue of time and popular adjustment as opposed to a problem directly with poetic content.
ReplyDeleteLike any new product (and I apply "product" here in the way that poetry is produced by the poet, not (mass) produced by a publisher), new literature needs to be explained and "justified" to show their purpose and present the reason(s) that they exist.