Letters to a Young Poet

[zalena]

I am in the rather frustrating position of being solicited for advice/criticism by a young poet. His poetry is incredibly bad and really more appropriate for someone 15 than it is 22. He is isolated from other artists and not particularly well read.

It is time for him to get past the 'yay! you can express yourself!' phrase and start getting involved in the critical cycle. He is not in school, though I plan to recommend some kind of Free University community group (though I'm not sure that will help, it will at least give him outlet and some kind of feedback that does not = me.)

However, what I think would help most (and what I often ask young writers, "What are you reading?") is engagement with other texts. Most of what he reads is smarmy metaphysical/business texts. And it really shows in his poetry. (Who knows, with that approach, we could have another best seller on our hands!)

So where do I recommend he start? Obviously this is not the time to break out the Baudelaire, though ultimately I believe that's the direction in which he's heading. He has a pretty heavy metaphysical load (also something he needs to lighten up) and too much abstract language. He really needs to work on imagery and (I believe) form, though he might not be open, or ready, for the later.

Imagine we are dealing with someone who can read, but who is functionally illiterate. He has no background or relationship to any kind of literature, (well, perhaps Dean R. Koontz) and yet, wants to be a writer.

Where do you tell someone like this to start? It would be one thing if I really was dealing with someone fourteen; but he's twenty-two and extremely sensitive to condescension. At this point I'm more interested in giving him something truly helpful than I am protecting his feelings.

Note: blessedly, this is not someone any of you have met

Comments

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

Maybe something like Turco's Book of Forms? I think the variety is sort of eye-opening, and all the examples he uses are good poems.

From what you describe, it sounds like what he needs to do is to look at a bunch of poems that are not the kind of thing he'd typically read but that someone with credibility has judged to be a good poem, and think about why that would be. What effect is each poet going for? What makes that poem tick?

I think that's what was the most valuable in the poetry workshop class I took as an undergraduate, was having to read poems that I didn't necessarily like, but try and give useful critique anyway. Because it forces you to step away from your own tastes and think about what works, and why.

And it also sounds like he just needs to read a lot of poetry. Maybe just give him a three-inch-thick anthology and tell him he needs to rate each poem in it on a scale of 1-5, with one sentence of explanation. Is that stupid, or would that actually work?

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

Yes, really, shouldn't he be reading poetry if he wants to write it? Louise Gluck is a current poet and fantastic at precision and imagery in the service of metaphysics. I bet he wants boys, though. Robert Frost? Maybe even Billy Collins? I heard Tony Hoagland do a wonderful reading once. Oh, how about the 180 project (http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-list.html)? Yes, here's Hoagland:

Maxine, back from a weekend with her boyfriend,
smiles like a big cat and says
that she's a conjugated verb.
She's been doing the direct object
with a second person pronoun named Phil,
and when she walks into the room,
everybody turns:

[etc]

[zalena.livejournal.com]

Great recommendations... I'VE been reading Louise Gluck, lately!

I'm guessing boys would be best. The real question is what is the thing that is going to trip his wire... his gateway book that leads to textual engagement.

[zalena.livejournal.com]

The anthology suggestion is interesting. There are two that were given to me that I found very helpful. One called Rattle Bag, the other is The Voice That is Great Within Us.

I have not heard of the Turco book. I will look it up.

Part of my pain in this situation is that I am the occasional scribbler of verse, but this is the area of the Word in which I am most private and least comfortable. I would love to improve my own, except that I generally HATE poetry classes.