There are some writers who, at the same time as delivering a great story, do it using language so evocative, pure and sometimes even lyrical, that they are a true delight to read. These are our literary chicks.
| Bringing back the Bard |
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by Ellen Bashford The poet, like the radio star, in recent years seems to have been replaced by iPods, fast paced movies and caffeine. But sometimes when there’s no money in it, there’s love. Slowly brewing away in that corner of Waterstones that you can’t see behind the three wall tribute to Twilight, is the poetry section. There is always one person there, and that person is always sitting on the floor reading, with a small smile on their face (unfortunately, on closer inspection you find they’re not reading a poetry book). So why have we lost touch with our poetic souls? Did we lose the time to sit and lament over blades of grass? Do we need to take a second to look at the rain and see more than the need for an umbrella? But the Bard hasn’t gone yet - It’s changing. It is true that no longer can you walk down the street and see a young man with floppy hair and a dusty brown jacket sitting outside Starbucks, already bitter in youth, scribbling ferociously into a leather-bound note book. They are instead with us when we listen to music. IPods and poetry go hand in hand. Artists like Alicia Keys, Sarah Barielles, Jay-Z and countless others have beautifully poetic lyrics in their songs. Prada recently opened a new concept store inspired by Apollinaire’s poem 'Le Pont Mirabeau', and the internet absorbs every day the musings of millions in their blogs, with websites like http://www.splut.com/001/009.htm you can keep up with who’s writing what. Poets nowadays are free from iambic pentametre and rhyming couplets, and in the last decade there are those who have even broken through the decibels of modern society. Carol Ann Duffy was the first woman poet laureate and is one of Britain’s best. Her poems even appeal to those who would normally tut at the thought of those people who don’t have the stamina to write ‘proper novels’. One of my favorites is ‘Valentine’, and when the fourteenth rolls around again and I’m staring at the rows of ‘I love you’ chocolates, and ‘kiss me’ candy, all I’m going to be thinking about is whether or not I should just by him an onion. Leonard Cohen has incorporated just about everything you can into his life. A poet, musician, novelist, artist…the list goes on, but The Book of Longing (published in May 2006), a collection of poems written from his time in a Zen Buddhist monastery, stirred some 3000 people to turn up at its first book signing. Some are witty, some more serious but all contain the fine-tuned wonders of a man who has spend five decades honing his talent. Christopher Reid won the Costa Award for his collection of poems written shortly after his wife died, using poetry as a way of expressing his helplessness and grief, described as ‘poetry that can move a man to tears’, his latest collection A Scattering, also explores the relationships between life and death and, being an atheist, Reid’s take on these matters is less conventional. Felix Dennis, the entrepreneur, turned his attention to poetry earlier this decade to attract huge success. It is said that now he spends four hours a day writing and studying verse, part of the reason why he’s written over a thousand poems. If you are someone who can look at the world and laugh – then pick up ‘When Jack Sued Jill: Nursery Rhymes for Modern Times’, because it’s just that. And it’s not just the West who are at it, Mahmoud Darwish, regarded as Palestine’s national poet, has won numerous awards. He died on the 9th August 2008, but if you want Eastern society portrayed through another medium than BBC news, get a copy of ‘A butterflies Burden.’ There are so many poets out there, most of whom cannot be judged by popular opinion, because they rarely stick to strict genres. Poetry affects us each differently, so you must explore and discover those who express feelings in your lives. I believe poetry to be as adaptable as the human spirit, and because of this, indestructible. So when you are next in Waterstone’s, do not be overwhelmed by the latest Jordan ‘novel’, nor vampire saga, but wander back into that poetry section and be the person reading an actual poetry book. |
| Posted: 08/02/2010 14:34:35 |
Chick Lit > Literary Chicks :: Bringing back the Bard