Once I caught my incredulous breath, I came up with this idea. Dear teachers and readers, what do you think? I welcome all comments and suggestions for tweaking a very raw notion.
I'm picturing a book that anthologizes 5 or 6 poems--not contemporary ones but writings from previous eras. Accompanying each poem would be an essay-discussion of the piece from the point of view of a working poet, followed by suggestions for generating new writing based on the poem and the discussion. In other words, I would, as much as possible, follow our Frost Place pattern of reading-conversation-writing in the creation of the book.
I am choosing to use older pieces because most writing manuals tend to focus on contemporary poetry. Meanwhile, English teachers are still responsible for teaching canonical work, yet with such work they don't have many options for moving beyond close readings into creative inspiration.
The publisher seems very pleased with this idea, but what do you think? Would this be useful to you as a teacher? Would this be interesting to you as a writer? Would you pick up this book if you were merely curious about the poems?
5 comments:
I think that's a phenomenal idea, especially since so many teachers don't really know what to do with the canonical work, but yet present it as some foreign oddity. The trepidation and unease that accompanies the introduction of poems/poets from tradition is entirely off-putting. This results in students--and their teachers--disliking the whole poetry experience. I think a book of this sort would be a life saver!
Congratulations on the amazing opportunity. I like your idea as well. Can't wait to hear how this idea takes shape and which works you will choose!
When I read "what do you think?" I started imagining the kind of book you go on to describe in the next paragraph.
I don't see a reason why for limiting the book to the canonical, though. It would be nice to demonstrate how well that technique works regardless of style.
But yeah, I would love a book like that. I'd even request an advance advance advance copy, like before it is even written. Maybe I just read that version.
I see your point, Scott, and I may change my mind about this. I've thought, for instance, about including a Joe Bolton poem. He's a great poet, not all that well known, with strong formal and emotional links to the past but also with an entirely recognizable late-20th-century young man's melancholy. It would give me so much happiness to draw an arc from, say, George Herbert to Bolton. [I am heaving a sigh of happiness here.]
What a delightful surprise that must have been for you. Congratulations!
One doesn't hear Bolton's name mentioned often! That would be something, to include him. Like your idea!
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