Thoughts About Poetry: 6/30

Response poems. Do you write them? I do. I just don't anyone know who I'm responding to.

I read a lot of material by poets who I find terrible, hypocritical, or just disagree with. I don't want to provoke unnecessary drama. I didn't always feel that way, but I've learned my lesson over time. It's better to respond to the idea behind the poem, not the person. It's far more productive and freeing.

I have a weekly series where I mostly address ideas and impressions from any number of poets. I don't even have time to address the people behind the work. I mostly just bounce my own thoughts off of theirs. Do the poems compliment their ideas at all? Don't know. I'm not trying to agree or attack, just add random thoughts that may or may not connect. It's fun.

And if  you find an idea expressed by a poet dishonest or even disgusting? You'd be surprised how taking names out, even pronouns, can help your work. 

Poets can be narcissists and thick-headed at the same time. We have to be hit over the head with our own name, or we won't suspect something written is about us. Sometimes, in a weaker moment, I pay attention and wonder if someone is responding to my work, but unless I'm egotistical enough to address someone, I'll never know. So I focus on what I think is the poem's idea.

And that's the point.

And if you despise the poet that much, why would you even want to acknowledge them in print? Why would you want to anchor your work down with their name?

You should even watch out for positive acknowledgements. Bill Knott did me a favor decades ago when during a workshop he had me take out acknowledgement of a poet whose poem I was working off of. Tributes and nods have their place, but even the poets you admire and want to tip the hat to would likely rather have better poetry out there than more shout-outs.

Respond always to other poet's work. But keep the sources to yourself.