»
Archives
»
Critical Analysis #1
»
Spare me the lecture, Father
| Critical Analysis #1 |
|
Spare me the lecture, Father |
|
|
Kevin Taylor Member
since 1999-12-23
Posts 185near Vancouver, BC, Canada 
|
Spare me the lecture, Father - I'm goin' t' hell an' we both know it An' all the choirs an' blather Won't but start me sufferin' years Before me 'lotted time. Ye'd make The Devil's work a damned sight quicker If'n I weren't deaf in both ears twice before me wake - Fer all yer moanin' fer me soul Spare me the lecture, Father - I'm goin' t' hell an' we both know it Aye, an' it don't seem right a man should suffer Twice fer the same sin. Kevin "Poetry is, at once, what you get... and how you get there." [This message has been edited by kevintaylor (edited 11-02-2001).] |
||
| © Copyright 2001 Kevin Taylor - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
I liked this one even though I found some of the diction a bit strained. I'm not quite sure how you can get an accurate slang going with so few lines. I like the play on Father and the general run on 'shut up, I don't want to hear it' but I think the last two lines are what make this work: The irony of using the law of the Father (justice, fairness) in order to stop the Father from talking is a nice touch. As far as concrete images here. No, there aren't any but you've simply made it clear that this is a character in an ongoing situation -- you've made it dramatic, not lyrical. So that's showing, not telling.  Enjoyable piece. Brad |
||
|
Kevin Taylor Member
since 1999-12-23
Posts 185near Vancouver, BC, Canada |
Good Irish brogue, not slang. The piece is made to be read aloud. It is too distracting to sort out the sounds in the same reading as the poem. Father, here, is of the Church. "As far as concrete images here. No, there aren't any but you've simply made it clear that this is a character in an ongoing situation -- you've made it dramatic, not lyrical. So that's showing, not telling." Yes, it is dramatic but poetry is more than just lyric (which this is IMO). The situation and characters may be implied but are created solely by the audience. The audience is not directed in these matters at all and if they were then the poem would possibly be "show me" to a greater degree. Otherwise you might say that all dramatic monologues as poetry are "show me" by redefinition. And by extension all "tell me" verse that works must therefore also have "showed me" enough and therefore is also really "show me" after all. I'm not sure that it will help me write a better poem though. Kevin |
||
|
Brad Member Ascendant
since 1999-08-20
Posts 5705Jejudo, South Korea |
How do you define lyric poetry? If you want to write in a dialect, fine, but don't tell me this in a dialect when, "Spare me the lecture, Father," is not written in the same way. With dialects, consistency is still the key. Brad |
||
|
Kevin Taylor Member
since 1999-12-23
Posts 185near Vancouver, BC, Canada |
How do you define lyric poetry? >If you want to write in a dialect, fine, but don't tell me this in a dialect when, "Spare me the lecture, Father," is not written in the same way. >With dialects, consistency is still the key. Yes it is. But I must disagree that the line "Spare me the lecture, Father" is not written in the same brogue. It is. I'm Irish and my father spoke just this way. Same for the whole poem. However, to the lyric question... Various places define it but I like the Bob's Byway definitions.. He says http://shoga.wwa.com/~rgs/glossary.html : LYRIC VERSE One of the main groups of poetry, the others being narrative and dramatic . By far the most frequently used form in modern poetic literature, the term lyric includes all poems in which the speaker's ardent expression of a (usually single) emotional element predominates. Ranging from complex thoughts to the simplicity of playful wit, the power and personality of lyric verse is of far greater importance than the subject treated. Often brief, but sometimes extended in a long elegy or a meditative ode, the melodic imagery of skillfully written lyric poetry evokes in the reader's mind the recall of similar emotional experiences. DRAMATIC POEM A composition in verse portraying a story of life or character, usually involving conflict and emotions, in a plot evolving through action and dialogue. Sidelight: Dramatic, lyric and narrative, are the main groups of poetry. It is possible, however, for a poem to combine the characteristics of all three I would say that the poem is lyric with dramatic overtones. You could argue it the other way. Kevin Poetry is the achievement of Art through language, rhythm and form. Poetry is the art of Achievement through language, rhythm and form. [This message has been edited by kevintaylor (edited 11-06-2001).] |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
