Writing Meta: Why don't I get poetry?

[amanuensis1]

During insomnia night this week, I read a professional insititution's glossy creativity publication that had been given to me. The photos were pretty, the essays...not as horrible as they could have been, the poetry I thought was appalling. Schmaltz, doggerel, sentimental claptrap. Amateur pirouettes on a page, terribly proud of themselves for showing off their cut-apart structure and boring as spit. These students didn't even know how to write limericks; there was a two-page spread of them and not one of them had the correct scansion of a limerick. God. I read through the book thinking, what the hell did they reject?

Is it just me? I always admit that I don't have a poet's soul; I have no inclination to write poetry other than funny doggerel, and very little poetry resonates with me. Sometimes it does. The moments are rare, but wonderful. Is it just me, is most poetry dreadful cloying crap? Just because you're grieving or in pain, that doesn't mean you can create good art.

Comments

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like this experiment!

First off, never heard the song. The lyrics alone don't "connect" with me, reading them. The use of "Oh" and "wanna" and the repetition of "surprise" make them look pretentious on the page, and I want to turn away in boredom. However, listening to the song, I really like the marriage of lyrics and music; the music connects more with me and the lyrics give me something to sing, something to wrap my mouth about and actively live the music, does that make sense? It's not so much, "Oh, I love these lyrics and their meaning," but they feel good in the mouth as accompaniment to the music. And, of course, the use of "Oh" and "wanna" and the repetition of "surprise" sounds perfect in the song. The lyrics give me a way to participate in the music, even if their meaning doesn't "touch my soul," as they say.

This, by the way, is characteristic of my reaction when someone posts song lyrics for open perusal. They rarely connect. I scroll past and mutter, "Put 'em to music and we'll see."

Hey, I really think I like this song! Now, having said all that, I probably should watch the video--I didn't watch it, just set it to play and listened while I typed up this reaction. :D Thank you for making this experiment for me! Wanna give me any others?

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this turned out better than I expected! I always had this idea that my love of lyrics was integrally linked to its music, and you seem to have the same reaction. Lemmee see what else I can hunt down.

(and I really like The National for lyrics/tune)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Listened to it again (watched it this time)--I found I enjoyed repeating the refrain of "Showered and blue-blazered" in its context and thinking about what it was saying. Without the context of the music, would it have hit? Dunno!

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

As an aside, this song reminds me of Carson in his NYC years.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

HA! Perfect. I hear it now too.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Okay, here's sample #2. This one caught my attention because I'd saved the lyrics long ago and recently reread them, only to wonder what was so compelling about them. Then I listened to the song...

Climbing as we fall
We dare to hold on to our fate
And steal away our destiny
To catch ourselves
With quiet grace.

Storey to storey
Building to building
Street to street
We pass each other on the stairs.

Here's the song, but I could only find it live...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKezAA-9Xsg

I'll give you a chance to think about it, then I'll give you my take....

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Okay, I like the first stanza all on its own. The second one loses me.

Clicking on the song...omigod, INXS. I still pronounce this band's name "inks." And I've never heard a song of theirs I liked. Let's see. Argh, I really don't like the singer's voice, never have, and the way he makes all the lyrics unintelligible. This one runs up against those difficulties preventing me from bonding with it at all. So, it's not a failed experiment, but it's a different outcome in the experiment!

*cannot resist using this icon*

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! I love that icon!

Well, Michael aside, this is what makes me listen to the lyrics more closely:

The beat, although not very fast (clocks in at about 110 beats per minute), is still fairly compelling. I feel as if it's urging me forward.

The repetition of the stanza "Listened to by walls.." which is also repeated in the melody used for "Climbing as we fall..." reinforces those lyrics. There's also a great chord progression right there to catch my interest.

Finally, I really like the juxtaposition of the words "quiet grace." and "To catch ourselves with quiet grace" makes the whole thing both active and visual.

Let's go to example 3....

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

"Quiet grace" was the phrase that affected and connected with me too!

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Here's #3, by a noted master of the catchy pop tune. You may know this one:

And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word.
It's two hearts living
In two separate worlds.
But it's no sacrifice,
No sacrifice,
It's no sacrifice at all.

Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact.
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act.

We lose direction
No stone unturned.
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns.

This is almost the poster child for minimalist poetry. And yet I adore the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8KhA6bmB1I

Your take?

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

'Kay, let's see. The lyrics on the page don't reach me, they just don't. If I didn't know they were song lyrics I'd look away instantly. It looks a little familiar, this set of lyrics.

*clicks* Oh, of course, this song! Eh, I don't think this one will work for me; it's a song I've heard and the music itself isn't dreadful but it just doesn't move me.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's my take on the lyrics, too: lame by themselves.

It's the pop hook, the repetition of "sacrifice" with increasing urgency and then the resolution that does it for me.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Anyway, that was fun and confirmed my opinion that my love of lyrics would totally fall apart without the music driving it.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I was thinking last night about song artists I love and how I love to sing their songs, though for the most part, unless what they've written is a ballad--something telling a story--I don't necessarily care about the meaning of the lyrics. I mean, I haven't the faintest idea what "little fascist panties" are, but they're great to sing when it comes to that line in "Little Earthquakes," yanno?