leonardcohenforum.com

NATIONALITY ISSUE


Toilets (aka TS Eliot) was a Brit, surely?

david birkett wrote: Toilets (aka TS Eliot) was a Brit, surely?

a fiver says he wasn't

he may not have been born one (though his ancestors emigrated from a village well-known to me), but he certainly died a British citizen.

Eliot was an America who, like Pound, left America due to an abundance of philistines (essentially meaning that Americans didn't like their work, so they left). He died in Europe, and as one of the founders of European Modernism, but was still American.

You left out some good poets, too. Pound was a genius if only for CATHAY, MAUBERLY and his editing skills (brought "The Waste Land" from good to amazing). William Carlos Williams is a poet of great value and worth, influenced Ginsberg, and was a key figure in the development of American Modernism and also Imagism.

E E Cummings was a poet of immense talent. One of my favourites.

Billy Collins is arguably the best living American poet, but to be fair I have yet to read many recent poets. Frank Bidart is another great poet (MUSIC LIKE DIRT is an exceptional book, and the second half of STAR DUST is good).

Hart Crane, while very similar to Eliot, and maybe not as fun to read, was a poet of immense talent. I'll admit to not finishing THE BRIDGE, but it was certainly a poem of great worth.

From your list, I'd certainly keep Eliot, Ginsberg, Bukowski in my favorites. Plath is fantastic, but I've only read twenty/thirty or so poems thus far. Marianne Moore bored me. Hughes wrote some exceptional poems, but like Plath, I have gone deep yet. I have Ferlinghetti's "A Coney Island of the Mind" near the top of my reading list. I'll also be checking out a few of the other Beat poets like Corso and Snyder.

Good list pbshel67, but surely there's room on the listfor Robert Lowell?

pbshel67 wrote:As we're in a war and all. A Romanian poet said, after the war started that what they heard was "the heavy artillery of the American soul." I forget his name, but I like that.

1. Sylvia Plath
2. Allen Ginsberg
3. Emily Dickinson
4. Walt Whitman
5. T.S. Eliot
6. Langston Hughes
7. Marianne Moore
8. Charles Bukowski
9. Edgar Allan Poe
10. Lawrence Ferlinghetti

I couldn't understand much 20th century poetry for the longest time . . . In John Crowe Ransom's terminology, it was obscure. BUT, Nietzsche was right again, in his annus mirabilis--Socrates was a DECADENT

As you say, your list is somewhat top-heavy for the old-timers. Possible contenders?

Mark Strand, X. J. Kennedy, Anthony Hecht, Richard Wilbur, Howard Nemerov, Donald Justice, W.S. Merwin (I'm partial to the Formalists). You missed Hart Crane among the 'old timers'. He would make a lot of top 10 lists. Bukowski? Ugh. Ferlinghetti hits the Beats. Snyder would be a contender for some. Marianne Moore? Hmm.

Top 10's are made for spirited, good-natured controversy. In the end, especially I think for poetry, their composition is a parlour game.

take care
norm

I think Mary Oliver surely belongs on the list. Anne Sexton, too.

Mary Oliver definitely!

So not into labelling

And Ray Carver

Calli wrote:So not into labelling

me too

If I may put my 2 cents I will add EE Cummings, definitely ! I would cross out some of the names as well, however not being a native English user I won't even try

My two favourite American poets are Emily Dickinson and EE Cummings

Poetry into music is a bountiful connection of the 2
As many poets are unheard in the obvious ears of consumers
Poetry is a lost art forum in the business of daily living and money making
So puting it into music hits a wider degree to share thoughts and words with a wider audience
I just went to the Leonard Cohen concert and was blown away
As i have been writing poetry for many years and feel a total connection between the words said: which is something unheard of at a concert these days and the harmonic music
Especially Thousand Kisses Deep was so touching, insightful and one of words people can relate at times
I wanted to suggest another amazing artist who is from Iceland : an amazing singer and writer: Emilianni Torinni: she is a newcomer and not close to the Leonard but has a beautiful touch

I hope to share my poetry with songs and get them out there to the right artists that they relate to
For now, thank you Leonard for a memorable and enchanting night I will never forget
You touch my soul and inspire me to write and live

Lisa

Hi Lisae ~

I haven't been able to keep up with all the reviews. Will read them when I can no longer travel to where Leonard is playing. Just wanted to ask if you put your comments here in the relevant concert thread. I hope so.


~ Lizzy

Tim wrote:he may not have been born one (though his ancestors emigrated from a village well-known to me), but he certainly died a British citizen.

T S Elliot had ancestry in East Coker and he chose to be buried in the church were his ancesters prayed hundreds of years before his time.


http://www.eastcokerpoetry.org.uk/


There was an excellent documentary about Prufrock on BBC's Poetry sessions last week.