11.12.2003

More thinking on C. Wright's comments quoted at Hotel Point.

What is good poetry?

It's possible that the fundamental aspects of poetic structure & form have been summarized permanently, say in Jan Mukarovsky's On Poetic Language, where he says, agreeing with Wright, that the line (in counterpoint to the phrase) establishes the basic music/rhythm underlying (heightened, intensified) poetic speech. Perhaps making debates & polemics out of these basic elements is no longer relevant (as it was in last mid-century).

What the poet does with them (in terms of diction, style, subject-matter) is maybe where analysis (poetics) begins, now.

Have to run, more later, maybe. Looking for Mukarovsky's name in my own hgpoetics archives (I was trying to remember it). Sheesh, what a gabber I've been.

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