 Melden Fred Associate, 1848 posts |
Leanne: I suppose you can make a case for not preaching to the choir, but perhaps your efforts lead to preaching to those not even in the congregation - perhaps in a park or on a street corner. However, success THERE would require a different sermon than one for the congregation, and I doubt you can achieve success across the full spectrum of hyper- and hypo-literates. I suppose, in summation, that both efforts are usefull, but require different kinds of writing. There's nothing wrong with being capable of writing at different levels and in different styles. I think that's good. Alcuin |
 Leanne Hansonfrom Just west of the lounge room Associate, 3708 posts |
Interesting that you should say "writing at different levels" -- and although I don't think one has to dumb down or really alter too much, it is true that certain themes and ideas are only going to appeal to the more literate because they're the only ones who've read what you're referring to. I do believe that certain poems can be used as stepping stones to more "advanced" poetry -- that, as I see it, is our job. If we can't attract new blood, then it's doom and gloom I'm afraid. |
 Derma Kaputfrom Possum Grape, Arkansas Associate, 2156 posts |
Frankly (though I haven't read this thread all that closely) regarding 'different levels' of literacy or sophistication in understanding all that's going on in a poem, there's no reason why a single poem can't touch on all that. Meaning the surface of the poem can incorporate all kinds of accesible meanings and technique while still incorporating quite a bit of very interesting allusions and nuance picked up by the keener eye. In fact, truly excellent poetry often takes that form - layers of meaning and craft that add up to a broader whole without diminishing the immediate appreciation of the poem itself. All that said, there's so many different tastes in poetry and different techniques to be employed, that it's difficult to ever agree on what makes 'quality' poems. All I'd be willing to say is that there is a combination of experience (both in reading and writing), self-confidence, original expression, and the ability to strike a chord (in whatever way) that manifests itself in good poetry. I like variety and experimentation - hence, my ideas on something being good are going to vary wildly from someone else with a more specific genre in mind. To each their own. Determining a poet's level of craft, though, often means having intimacy with the genre the poet works in. |
