navwin » Discussion » Philosophy 101 » How We Write Poetry
Philosophy 101
Post A Reply Post New Topic How We Write Poetry Go to Previous / Newer Topic Back to Topic List Go to Next / Older Topic
jbouder
Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534
Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash

0 posted 2000-03-28 09:06 PM


I was digging through some of my old files the other night and I came across an article that my old high school AP Composition teacher had us read.  The article was actually a chapter in a book written in 1939 by Aaron Copeland called "What to Listen for In Music" and the chapter was "How We Listen".

Copeland suggested that there are three basic planes that represent the ways we listen to music: (1) the sensuous plane, (2) the expressive plane, and (3) the sheerly musical plane.

In the sensuous plane you would be aware of the singers, the sounds (mostly the melody), the beat and maybe some of the words.

The expressive plane would include being moved to pity or sadness, excitement or joy and basically all of the other responses one has as a result of the music's expressiveness.

The third and last he called the sheerly musical plane.  Listeners in this plane would be more aware of the harmony, pitch, and clarity of the musical sound, the way the composer develops the theme.

Copeland suggested that the ideal listener is both inside and outside the music at the same moment, judging it and enjoying it, wishing it would go one way and watching it go another, blending both objective and subjective attitudes in much the same way the composer blended them in writing the piece and allowing himself/herself to be carried away with the music at times.

As I thought about what Copeland wrote it dawned on me that much of the same could be said about how we read poetry.  If the first plane was applied to poetry perhaps you could say that the (1) sensuous plane of reading poetry involved the sheer enjoyment one gets from leasurely reading a poem.  (2) In the expressive plane of reading poetry the reader would me more aware of the emotive responses evoked from reading the poetry itself.  (3) The sheerly musical/poetic plane would include the attention to the mechanics of poetry, the meter, the rhyme, and the development of theme, just to name a few possibilities for such a plane.

Do you think what Copeland suggests is true about listening to music is also true about reading poetry?  Is awareness of the sensuousness, expressiveness, and mechanics all together the key to getting the most out of the poetry we read and the most out of ourselves as poets?  

I know this was a long intro but I hope it is thought provoking to you.



 Jim

"If I rest, I rust." - Martin Luther



© Copyright 2000 Jim Bouder - All Rights Reserved
warmhrt
Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563

1 posted 2000-03-30 12:42 PM


Hi Jim,

My answer is yes, I believe all three "planes" are needed to fully appreciate a poem. No argument here.

Kris

 the poet's pen...gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name ~ Shakespeare

Post A Reply Post New Topic ⇧ top of page ⇧ Go to Previous / Newer Topic Back to Topic List Go to Next / Older Topic
All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format.
navwin » Discussion » Philosophy 101 » How We Write Poetry

Passions in Poetry | pipTalk Home Page | Main Poetry Forums | 100 Best Poems

How to Join | Member's Area / Help | Private Library | Search | Contact Us | Login
Discussion | Tech Talk | Archives | Sanctuary