Post by Dmitri on Oct 18, 2007 13:46:25 GMT -5
I know that some of us here are into poetry, so I figured I'd hand out a few picks, and hopefully get some ideas of good stuff to read as well.
Rebel Angels - An excellent intro into the somewhat undernoticed world of modern formalist verse. Nice anthology, though there are a few "filler" poems and poets who are subpar but included to provide "diversity". Oh well, can't be perfect. Kevin Waltzer's excellent companion volume, The Ghost of Tradition, is a good buy too.
Satan Says and The Dead and the Living - If you like poetry, especially the modern, free verse, confessionalist stuff, this is about as good as it gets. Put Strand down, lay aside Angelou, and feast on some of the most personal poetry I have ever read. If I have to read this style, Olds is my choice.
Anything by Dana Gioia - IMHO, one of the greatest of the modern poets. He has the courage to abandon free verse in favor of metrical poetry even though the academy derides this, and still produce some amazingly potent verse. Also great essayist and critic - "Can Poetry Matter?" was one of the best essays I have ever read.
Well, if you can't figure it out, I dig formal poetry. There are good non-formalists out there, but I generally find the work of the formalists to have less "literary junk" and more meat than free-verse poets, especially the published variety.
But whatever your bag is, if you know of some good stuff, post it here!
Rebel Angels - An excellent intro into the somewhat undernoticed world of modern formalist verse. Nice anthology, though there are a few "filler" poems and poets who are subpar but included to provide "diversity". Oh well, can't be perfect. Kevin Waltzer's excellent companion volume, The Ghost of Tradition, is a good buy too.
Satan Says and The Dead and the Living - If you like poetry, especially the modern, free verse, confessionalist stuff, this is about as good as it gets. Put Strand down, lay aside Angelou, and feast on some of the most personal poetry I have ever read. If I have to read this style, Olds is my choice.
Anything by Dana Gioia - IMHO, one of the greatest of the modern poets. He has the courage to abandon free verse in favor of metrical poetry even though the academy derides this, and still produce some amazingly potent verse. Also great essayist and critic - "Can Poetry Matter?" was one of the best essays I have ever read.
Well, if you can't figure it out, I dig formal poetry. There are good non-formalists out there, but I generally find the work of the formalists to have less "literary junk" and more meat than free-verse poets, especially the published variety.
But whatever your bag is, if you know of some good stuff, post it here!