Thursday, November 03, 2005

A curious (and pleasant) surprise ...

A couple of years ago I wrote a little essay about what constituted success in poetry. My point was that if you succeed in writing a couple of poems that are widely and routinely anthologized you are in a very select group of poets and, as such, a success in the field. I now realize that in the age of the Internet this notion may have to be modified. I recently found that a poem of mine called "Craft Warnings," which was published a few years ago in First Things, can be found on the Net. But one of the places it can be found intrigues me. I'm not even sure I know what Supernating Superdudes is. So I was both surprised and pleased when I found that someone there who goes by the name of Dragon *Etain* had posted my poem here (you have to scroll down to find it) -- and in a particular context to boot. I like the idea of the poem being out there adrift in cyberspace. Supernating Superdudes seems a youthful undertaking and I'm glad the poem is reaching whoever the people are who frequent the site.
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2 comments:

  1. Frank Wilson12:49 PM

    Actually, I did think of that, and it is certainly a problem -- though in this case I didn't much care: The monetary returns from writing poetry are generally so small as to not be worth fussing over. The only solution for writers that I can think of is to make sure enough payment is upfront to make the effort worthwhile. Remember that everytime you write something, not only do the people who pay for the publication you wrote it for see what you've written, but also everyone they show it to does, and so do all the people who just come upon it in a library or waiting room. That said, it certainly is depressing that many people feel no compunction about arrogating unto themselves the intellectual labor of others.

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  2. Frank Wilson5:33 PM

    I do remember the scene and I think it is "assonance" -- and of course it perfectly punctures the pomposity that can pollute poetic discourse (how's that for alliteration?). But why stop there? The term you were looking for -- for lines that do not end-stop -- is enjambment. I have a predilection for it, especially when I use end rhymes. I like the rhyme to be there, felt, heard -- but not obtrusive. Though it all depends on what works. End rhymes work perfectly in Pope:
    "I am his highness' dog at Kew;
    Pray, tell me, sir: Whose dog are you?"

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