[stylist] Mary Oliver

[Jackie Williams]

Bill,
I agree with you about Mary Oliver. I passed three of her books of poems on
to friends when I lost my sight.
I did want to point out one thing. During all of my classes on poetry, it
has been emphasized that one should cut the "ands," the "buts," and so
forth. If you read some of Mary Oliver's poems, please note that she starts
a great many lines with "and."
I re-read many of them, and they did not detract from her poetry for me in
the least.
I think it proves the rule, that one must know all the rules, but then has
the wisdom to break them by how that rule works or does not work in a poem.


Jackie 

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of William L
Houts via stylist
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2014 10:56 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: [stylist] Mary Oliver


Hi Gang,

I've just been listening to some Mary Oliver poems.  You know, sometimes 
--well, occasionally anyway-- I get sort of snarky about the quality of 
other poets' work as compared to mine.  I mean, I'm respectful, but 
inside I may think, hey, noble effort.  I know, real jerkaholic, right?  
But a friend of mine just read me some Mary Oliver stuff, and all sense 
of ego and competition just drained out of the soles of my feet like 
some noxious black oil. The lady is a prophetess.  In one poem, for 
instance, she refers to "the soft animal of the body".  And the poem 
entitled "Peonies" completely humbles me.  That's basically where I go 
in response to all of her work:  humility. If you hear that she's giving 
a reading nearby, or you have a chance to catch her on the radio, you 
could do yourself a great favor by pointing your Victor Reader Stream at 
her station and tuning in. As black youths used to say a while back, 
it's dope.


--Bill




-- 


"Oh, Sophie! Whyfore have you eated all de cheeldren?"

_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
stylist mailing list
stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/jackieleepoet%40cox.net