(A Translation of John Ashbery's) "WHAT IS POETRY"

by Jill E. Brown (April 1995)


Should we really call traditional verse with its ornamentation and 
	elaborate description poetry?
Can the acts of nature be forced into a linguistic box and then called 
	poetry?
Why does one feel compelled to control nature by demarcating it with 
	imagery and lofty symbolism?
If it snows, it snows.  We have no control over it.  Forget about the 
	pretentious attempts to characterize it.
Is it possible to forget about ideas altogether (like I am trying to here)?
I don't understand why poets revert back to tradition when we see the 
	possiblility in new forms.  How can they not see the inadequacy of 
	tradtitional poetry as we, the New York Poets, so plainly see?
It goes back to school, where they try to teach you to abandon 
	creativity. 
The mind is like a vast field full of life, potential, and possibility.
	But they teach you not to see this and instead focus on a narrow 
	path of traditional bull shit.  And that's all it is: SHIT.  The 
	only purpose it serves is to fertiliz the field and grow 
	more precious flowers to describe in their endless 
	cycle of bull shit.



POETRY HOME | ENGLISH 88 READING LIST | POETRY NEWS | FILREIS HOME


Document URL: http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/what-is-poetry-student.html
Last modified: Wednesday, 18-Jul-2007 16:29:17 EDT