October 29, 2006
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What is the sound of one poet writing?
RnBow_SpoT asked that question in her blog about passion. What incites your passion? Where does passion take you. I keep thinking about the sound of one poet writing. Of course, the koan we all know from Zen is "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" But one poet writing, that's not the same, is it?
No more can a poet alone create a poem than can a hand alone create a clap. A poem is a language event that takes place between the poet and the reader. I see poetry as something like a volleyball game in which the poet lofts a ball and then the reader hits it over the net. If the poet never lofts, there's no game. If the reader misses the ball it just lies there in the sand. When the two work together a poem "event" is created. Even if the poet and reader are separated by time and place - those events still happen.
That relationship between writer and reader has been on my mind a lot. The boys and I are reading The Hobbit, which has me considering the words of Tolkien who much despised allegory. He disliked it because as a reader, he resented what he saw as an attempt by the author to hit the ball twice, to dominate the reader's perception of meaning.
Heading into NaNo this year I'm conscious of these things because I'm creating something that is dangerously close (in my mind) to that kind of writing Tolkien opposed. It's not an allegory. But it's a story in which I hope to invite a judgment. I think my challenge is going to be to tell the story in a way that enables readers to line up on different sides. Certainly, I hope my protagonist is appealing and sympathetic, but if I don't show mistakes and missteps that lead her to the difficult places, it will do less than justice to the story and the situation because a simple answer is no answer at all.
Have you met your passion face to face? Can you walk across snow without leaving prints? Is it allowed to shape your world? Does the tree outside your window speak in an ancient voice? Do you live uncomfortably with passion? Does your passion have the color of a dragonfly's wing? Do you wear your passion to work?
Heh - I don't wear THESE to work. But when I wear them - they do work.
Comments (12)
Yes! It is exactly that symbiosis between reader and writer! It is what I strive for in all my creative force. Yes, I write with a specific thing in mind. I take a photo in an attempt to capture something precice. Yet, it is also my goal to write or capture something that is open ended and left to the interpretation of the reader/viewer. In turn, I expect to dig through the voice and vision of others to find my own interpretation. I am both sides of the coin. Reader/writer-photographer/viewer. I gotta say, I like that my "Got Fire?" post poked on you in this way! Thanks for the nod, and thanks for reading!
One never knows if you are making this connection between reader and writer or when I take photos I am making a statement does the viewer see my point. Judi
ha, we are following each othe back and forth through footprints!!
you used alot of big words in this entry....
Big words, huh. I've had a parent complain that she doesn't know most of the words my students are assigned for vocabulary each week.
Speaking of school, we read two of the greatest poems ever written, in my humble opinion, last week: "Annabel Lee" and "The Raven," both produced by one E.A. Poe. Seventh-graders read this wonderful, wonderful craft and-- don't get it, of course. It's clear to me that Poe was aiming to create that "event" between poet and reader, though.
I'd like to say that writing is my passion, but if that were true, I'd have written much more by this point. Maybe teaching is, or will be. When I can escape the malaise of sheer exhaustion.
I can imagine a lot of things work better when you're wearing those.
I secretly fear you are reading my site just for writing material....and now that I see you plan to write about mistakes and missteps and difficult places....my fears are confirmed.
As you can see...my passion is always overshadowed with fear.
Oddly enough, when I write poetry it's generally with no intention of ever showing it to a reader....
But, we KNOW what the sound of one hand clapping is. Bart Simpson demonstrated it back in the early 90's. Imagine, a Zen question that's been around thousands of year (maybe) answered in less than 30 minutes on an animated TV show. I'm impressed.
Tolkien who much despised allegory. He disliked it because as a reader, he resented what he saw as an attempt by the author to hit the ball twice, to dominate the reader's perception of meaning
Most sheeple who read ME will KNOW i seldom take the time to ONE PROP somebody...either you wrote something that is totally assinine and therefore get the ZERO e-prop, or somethang par for the course,and you get the standard TWO...ONE e-prop = TOTAL controversy
The controversy, in this case, is that Tolkien didn't write allegorically
Besides basing his Hobbit/LOTR trilogy on allegorical European myths, the whole OMNIPOTENCE OF THE RING that he would use in the sequel to "The Hobbit" could be considered a WHAT IF allegory of Jesus ACCEPTNG Satan's offer ro have dominion over the world when he [JC] was tempted on the mountaintop, and since Tolkien was not only a colleague, but also a good friend of CS Lewis, one of the top allegorists in recent history, methinks you've taken what was probably a tongue-in-cheek comment to the press to heart
those shoes would incite a lot of passion in my world...
and Tolkien didn't buy into the allegory thing either...
these are his OWN WORDS:
... I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presences. I much prefer history, true or feigned. ... I think many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides to the freedom of the reader, and the other in the proposed domination of the author.
Have you thought of a red wig to go with the spikes? Resurch for a novel of course! P.N.
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