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| Published Poetry Discussion of classic and contemporary verse or lyrics. |
05-17-2007, 11:24 PM
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#1
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Addict
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 138
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Who's The Hardest Poet To Understand?
For me it was John Keats. But after probably 10 years or re-reading his poetry, I think I got it. I love them. ALL the ODES especially! But now, its Dereck Walcott...HE'S HARD TO CRACK!
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Within every writers there lies a great person who has no clue about life.
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05-17-2007, 11:54 PM
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#2
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pliable
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Posts: 12,607
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Try T.S. Eliot.
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05-18-2007, 06:31 AM
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#3
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Twyford, UK
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,275
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Yeah, definitely Eliot. The Waste Land and The Hollow Men in particular had me scratching my head for ages.
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"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
-"The Wasteland" by T.S. Elliot
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05-18-2007, 10:17 AM
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#4
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,224
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elliot, burroughs and blake are the hardest i reckon
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'Jonny's laying in his sperm coffin and the angel looks down at him and says:
"Oh, pretty boy, can't you show me nothing but surrender?' - Patti Smith
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05-18-2007, 10:37 AM
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#5
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Thunder Bay
Gender: Male
Posts: 204
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Margaret Atwood for a little while until T.S Eliot came along and made Atwood look like childs play.
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05-18-2007, 11:54 AM
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#6
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Nov 2006
Gender: Private
Posts: 205
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by The Hooded One
Margaret Atwood for a little while until T.S Eliot came along and made Atwood look like childs play.
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Erm, except that Eliot died before Atwood was barely published and he published his most famous, and the majority of his works, before she was born.
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Anyway, since I'm here - along with Eliot, his contemporary Ezra Pound is pretty impervious.
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RuKsaK
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05-18-2007, 12:01 PM
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#7
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pliable
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Posts: 12,607
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Obviously he was talking about the order in which he read them.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Drzava
Usually it takes at least 100 [posts] before people start to hate Hodge
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Science
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05-18-2007, 12:43 PM
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#8
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Adept Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Maine
Gender: Male
Posts: 878
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John Keats? Well, I guess the fact that it was written so long ago might make it harder to get...
Yeah, T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound for sure.
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05-18-2007, 01:00 PM
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#9
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Writer
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 35
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Dereck Walcott? The name does sound familiar. Is he the Caribbean Poet, 1992 Nobel Prize Winner or something? I think I have a collection of his work. You are right, if it's the same poet we are talking about, he is difficult because his works deals alot with the lifestyle and experience of the Caribbean and its people;from slavery to emancipation, so it may be difficult to grasp if you are unfamiliar with his past. Perhaps reading abit of his background may help.
Keats is a genius. He may be difficult for some, that's true. Best ROMANCE poet there was, if you ask me. Besides Shakespeare.
TS Eliot, I read most of his poems in High School, he wasn't too hard. I think poetry is all about perception anyways. There is no answer for your question, everyone reads and sees it differently. What one person may think is straightforward another one might not.
Ezra Pound--Yes. Hard.
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We Never Sleep Do We?
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05-18-2007, 02:11 PM
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#10
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Adept Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Maine
Gender: Male
Posts: 878
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dotcom
TS Eliot, I read most of his poems in High School, he wasn't too hard. I think poetry is all about perception anyways. There is no answer for your question, everyone reads and sees it differently. What one person may think is straightforward another one might not.
Ezra Pound--Yes. Hard.
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I'm impressed you were able to understand all of Eliot's allusions while you were still in High School. |
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05-18-2007, 02:14 PM
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#11
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pliable
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Posts: 12,607
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He may be thinking of George Eliot.
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05-18-2007, 02:21 PM
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#12
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Adept Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Maine
Gender: Male
Posts: 878
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Hodge
He may be thinking of George Eliot.
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I doubt it... buuut, it's possible...
George Eliot's mainly known for her novels. |
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05-18-2007, 03:41 PM
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#13
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Scribe
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 74
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I read TS Eliot back when I was in High School as well. It was one of the poetry books I needed to read. I thought he was fairly easy (with the guidance of my teacher though). I did end up getting an A in the course. Since then I haven't read any of his poems. But I don't remember them being soo hard.
Walcott...Yup he won the Nobel Prize in the 90's. I have a collection of his too...DIFFICULT!
The odes by Keats were kind of hard for me. But yes, they are all excellent. There is no doubt Keats is one of the best Romance poet there is.
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Writers...that's what their calling us now? Hmm..
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05-18-2007, 03:47 PM
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#14
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pliable
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Juneau, Alaska
Posts: 12,607
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I really don't understand how people can find Keats difficult but Eliot easy, unless they didn't read "The Waste Land" or "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
"The Hollow Men" is an easy read, so maybe they all read that...
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Drzava
Usually it takes at least 100 [posts] before people start to hate Hodge
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Science
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05-18-2007, 03:49 PM
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#15
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Adept Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Maine
Gender: Male
Posts: 878
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Hodge
I really don't understand how people can find Keats difficult but Eliot easy, unless they didn't read "The Waste Land" or "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."
"The Hollow Men" is an easy read, so maybe they all read that...
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Yeah, that one is easy... That may be it... because Keats...I mean...when I think difficult poets, Keats is somewhere at the bottom of the list.
If you understood "The Wasteland" in High School, then congratulations, you are a friggin genius. |
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