[stylist] Reflections on Bill's poem and poetry in general

[Jacqueline Williams]

Robert,
You have expressed what my two sons tell me about poetry. I get no
reinforcement from either in pursuing such a craft. On the other hand, they
get no reinforcement from me about watching football, playing fantasy
football, and allowing sports to consume their lives.
It cannot be said that it has to do with gender as most great poets
historically were men. 
Consider that a small percentage of our population are fans of poetry, so
you are right in sync. For myself, I appreciate the fact that you want to
appreciate it. Was it Linda, or Donna who mentioned Billy Collins. This
would be a wonderful place to start. Not only was he our U.S. poet laureat c
a few years ago, he is very easy to understand with a wonderful sense of
humor and writing about commonplace things. I would say, "Very Accessible."
Thanks for being so frank in your comments.
Jackie

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Leslie Newman
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 8:27 AM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: [stylist] Reflections on Bill's poem and poetry in general

Bill and others 

Bill- Your poem is one of the types of poetry that I can actually follow
from start to finish. And you know --- as I thought that last sentence out,
and am putting the rest of this paragraph together, I am --- wondering what
is in my makeup that can make it so that some poetry I can stick with and
feel that I can actually understand and perhaps even like? Mostly, I just
don't get what poets are getting at! Bill's type of writing constructs short
phrases consisting of wording that is for me, clear and it doesn't like hurt
my brain to fathom. In saying that, I mean, I usually cannot
follow-see-understand or like most poetry. Is it --- like taste, as in what
pleasures me? Is it a mind thing, as in that hard-wired ability to make
mental connections which end up in the understanding of the world? Or is it
a reflection of my world experience; the nature - nurture thing and this is
the experience/nurture part of it which makes it so I get or cannot get and
like poetry? Like I know there really is a very serious human thing in the
assents of the various forms of language be it spoken or sung or written ---
and yes, even in those other representative forms, like art as in painting,
sculpture, etc.  Yes, I'm wanting to like poetry. 

Another thought- to me, most song lyrics are like poetry; more
representative than actual story-line or conversational. Usually it is the
notes that move me, not the words. 

..The house is quiet, I sit at the kitchen table, the rain patters on the
roof, and I indulge in examination of me and life.



Robert Leslie Newman
Personal Website-
Adjustment To Blindness And Visual impairment
http//www.thoughtprovoker.info
NFB Writers' Division, president
http://www.nfb-writers-division.net 
Chair of the NFB Newsletter Publication Committee 



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