Popular published collections of poetry in the modern age are not as common as they were a century ago. But we are still finding a way to express ourselves, and to enjoy others' poetic writings through the medium of music. Timeless tales of love, longing, betrayal, and electric passion are woven into lyrics of the songs we listen to on the radio and download onto iPods.
So true,
stephhicks68 from Bend, Oregon, so true. This opening paragraph hits all the buttons prescribed by the more reputable how-to-write guides, and its sentiments, while dabbling in human conditioning, are scarcely objectionable. No doubt 16th century balladeers were the poetic rock stars of their time, writing timeless tales of wenching and quaffing with a profligacy more than equal to Messrs Jagger and Richards'. stephhicks68 is indeed weaving timeless truths into her own writing -- but what comes next?
Obviously, the most successful artists and the songs that climb the charts are those that provide insightful observations of human nature that connect with the audience on an emotional level.
Whoa Nelly! Leaving aside the fact that our author goes on to profile the lyrical genius of Alanis Morissette, Sir Elton John (despite acknowledging that he doesn't write his own lyrics), Sting and Sade, what's all this about the most chart-dwelling artists and songs all "provid[ing] insightful observations of human nature"? Presumably stephhicks68 has in mind the lyrics of Des'ree's chart-topper
"Life", which includes the oft-slammed, all-too-mortal lines:
I don't want to see a ghost
It's the sight that I fear most
I'd rather have a piece of toast
Watch the evening news
Of course it was this lyrically poetic song's ability to "connect with the audience on an emotional level" that saw it reach No. 1 in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain in 1998. Hopefully most of Des'ree's fans in those countries were not cursed with enough English to comprehend her timeless insights into human nature. Equally hopefully, the notion that all popular (i.e. widely read/heard) poetry (what this is exactly will be covered in 100 subsequent posts) is insightful (this adjective has been misused so often that it should be proscribed) will one day be abandoned, instead of blithely evangelized by the likes of stephhicks68.
What do you mean, NZ Gerald? Des'ree is DEEP, man. The evening news, with its litany of horrors and too-chirpy weather presenters, really is the third most scary sight in the world. After eating toast. And seeing ghosts. And making roast. And cycling the coast. And playing host. And delivering post. See - she wasn't scrapping the barrel for what rhymed, she actually CHOSE those words over others.
ReplyDeleteJEM, you are, as it turns out, bang on. This post generated a rather terse response from an Auckland University PhD student who is preparing a critical edition of Des'ree's lyrics. As evidence of Des'ree's deepness, she included this fragment of Des'ree juvenilia, from an aborted collection of lyrically poetic poetry which the PhD student is going to publish for the first time:
ReplyDelete"The Origin of Bread and Toast"
When the master baker God first made bread
He was most heartily pleased and did boast
To the angels and it did go to His head.
But Lucifer turned Him white as a ghost
And in His Holy tracks did stop Him dead
When by breathing fire he created toast . . .
Wotcha- jeez your a harsh bastard eh? Poor wee stephhicks68 is just making a simple mistake ipso facto ergo sum that what she feels about something must be felt by all, innit?
ReplyDeleteArent we all the centre of our own universes's?
What a curious dialect! Some of us are the centre of our own anonymous universes, it seems. Come on, step out of the shadows! It is stephhicks68's writing of nonsense that I am inditing her for, not her putative belief that everyone feels what she feels.(I do admit she was an easy target, but one has to start somewhere -- whose writing do you suggest I critique next? Yours?)
ReplyDeleteTry this me old drainpipe
ReplyDeleteCEOs sleep rough for homeless cafe
in yer namesakes filthy rag...
Coz I mean to say, aint it sweet the The Angleable Steve Tinadall is putting bread in the jar of those poor dickensian wretches wot e'helped put on the street wiv 'is shiny red boxes... "ees buyin a stairway to Heaven..."
ReplyDeleteA very fine observation! Think of all the survival tips the homeless can teach them! Let's go the full "Trading Places" with this one, and have Samson (one of the more visionary and notorious of the city's homeless) appointed to the Warehouse Board!
ReplyDelete