The Anti-Poet at the end of his tether....but NOT one RON on Thursdays...
"Poetry has washed its hands off me by Nicanor Parra", Translated by T Wignesan
(Poor PARRA, but not on a THURSDAY for Ronald W. HULL, though)
I don’t say I'm done with everything
I don’t feel deluded in this respect
.....I would have liked continuing to poetize
.....but the course of inspiration has run itself out.
.....Poetry has continued to behave well
it is I who is guilty of horribly bad behaviour.
......What do I gain from saying
.....that I (too) have behaved well
..that poetry has not been of good behaviour
when everybody knows I’m the guilty one.
Serves me right having made myself out to be an imbecile!
.....Poetry has continued to behave well
..my behaviour has been despicably horrible
........Poetry has washed its hands off me.
I'm afraid, Ron, you got the wrong end of the stick Nicanor Parra extended. Looks like your well-honed and peaking IQ has taken leave of you on this score. The Anti-Poet in Parra was larking by leaps and bounds in this anti-poem of a poem. And you fell for it ! As usual, he was having himself a load of laughter at the expense of his "serious-minded and glory-seeking" fellow poets.
I'm surprised you didn't see through the tongue-in-cheek attempt to take the Mickey out of his readers! It's time, Ron, to be off on your 30-ton yacht anchored in the Riviera for another cruise soaking up centillion cubic tons of nuclear-energy sunlight by the minute ! Just make certain to be back in time lest the rest of humanity be robbed of fast-waning summer heat. The last time you were away without warning even burqa-clad women were running around with blankets swathed around from head to tiny toe. (Watch out for the electricity bills we'll post on your door!)
Internet poets don't "learn" from one another's comments on their poems: just read what they have to say themselves on the work of those who have commented on theirs. This is a myth you are perpetuating. (Your exceptional comments notwithstanding, even if you are, yourself, averse to distinguishing the "sound" from the "sense" in poems !) With IOWA how-to-write courses and softwares made to measure, AMERICA has already murdered the MUSE, and I wouldn't be surprised if the reaction to accuse and impale those academic proponents will happen through the agency of disillusioned Americans - in America - within the next generation. The poiein in poetry is almost dead judging by the Internet phase of poetry. The question is why comment? Poetry has been around for thousands of years singing in the throats of musically inspired bards even before writing came into vogue. The true poem writes itself. Go ask a Homer or a Valmiki or the innumerable anonymous poets in all languages.
I could go along in the same vein but it isn't worth the while for no "internet poet" (indeed such an ętre really thrives on words) will stomach the truth about his own fate in the years or decades to come. Every good wish and no offense meant even if I must own up to it malgré tout !. Wignesan
Poetry serves different reasons for different people. Apparently, Parra was through with poetry serving his purpose.
My purpose for writing poetry has always been to play with words, ideas and try to paint a different picture than someone might normally see. If I succeeded, so be it. My vocabulary has improved without having to go to books to improve it. And the unexamined is like the old maid at the dance. If every reader would comment and not a lie try to make the poet feel good, the poet could learn from the comments, good or bad, and become a better poet.
Perhaps Parra had so many admirers from his successful fields of study, that catered to his his poetry. When he found it out, he wished no longer to continue what he called, poetizing (your translation?).
Selected poems from previous & forthcoming collections together with Q&R apps on each page to enable audio rendition simultaneously with the written text
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I'm surprised you didn't see through the tongue-in-cheek attempt to take the Mickey out of his readers! It's time, Ron, to be off on your 30-ton yacht anchored in the Riviera for another cruise soaking up centillion cubic tons of nuclear-energy sunlight by the minute ! Just make certain to be back in time lest the rest of humanity be robbed of fast-waning summer heat. The last time you were away without warning even burqa-clad women were running around with blankets swathed around from head to tiny toe. (Watch out for the electricity bills we'll post on your door!)
Internet poets don't "learn" from one another's comments on their poems: just read what they have to say themselves on the work of those who have commented on theirs. This is a myth you are perpetuating. (Your exceptional comments notwithstanding, even if you are, yourself, averse to distinguishing the "sound" from the "sense" in poems !) With IOWA how-to-write courses and softwares made to measure, AMERICA has already murdered the MUSE, and I wouldn't be surprised if the reaction to accuse and impale those academic proponents will happen through the agency of disillusioned Americans - in America - within the next generation. The poiein in poetry is almost dead judging by the Internet phase of poetry. The question is why comment? Poetry has been around for thousands of years singing in the throats of musically inspired bards even before writing came into vogue. The true poem writes itself. Go ask a Homer or a Valmiki or the innumerable anonymous poets in all languages.
I could go along in the same vein but it isn't worth the while for no "internet poet" (indeed such an ętre really thrives on words) will stomach the truth about his own fate in the years or decades to come. Every good wish and no offense meant even if I must own up to it malgré tout !. Wignesan
My purpose for writing poetry has always been to play with words, ideas and try to paint a different picture than someone might normally see. If I succeeded, so be it. My vocabulary has improved without having to go to books to improve it. And the unexamined is like the old maid at the dance. If every reader would comment and not a lie try to make the poet feel good, the poet could learn from the comments, good or bad, and become a better poet.
Perhaps Parra had so many admirers from his successful fields of study, that catered to his his poetry. When he found it out, he wished no longer to continue what he called, poetizing (your translation?).
Ron