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Open Poetry #37
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Wordsworth, Arnold and Me
| Open Poetry #37 |
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Wordsworth, Arnold and Me |
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RonPrice Junior Member
since 2006-05-10
Posts 12Tasmania Australia |
STAR-BURST William Wordsworth produces poetic work altogether inferior, work quite uninspired and dull.1 He appears to have been quite unconscious of this inferior quality, of the defects of his poetry. He presents his worst poetry to us with the same faith and seriousness as his best. Sometimes his work is dramatic; sometimes it is epic, as in his Prelude. But it is all of a piece, all a product of a serious and sincere mind. In a collection of short pieces, as in my collection of his Selected Poems2 which I was given by the college I taught English at in 1989, the impression made by one piece is continued, is sustained, by the piece following, indeed, through the entire text. In reading Wordsworth the impression made by one of his finer poems, indeed even his finest poems, is too often dulled and spoiled by a very inferior piece coming after it. The reason I have given emphasis to this point raised by Matthew Arnold nearly 130 years ago is that I think it is true of my own verse. Wordsworth’s finest poetry was written in a ten year period, 1798-1808 in the second decade of his writing of poetry. He wrote poetry for sixty years, 1790 to 1850. After a hiatus period of 30 years, from 1960 to 1990, during which I wrote some 160 poems, 130 of which are still in my files, I wrote 40 poems in 1991 and 120 in 1992. The years 1991/2 I now see as my initial poetic burst after a long poetic novitiate. The quality of my poetry I leave to others to assess as Wordsworth did. -Ron Price with appreciation to 1Matthew Arnold, “Introduction to a Book of Wordsworth’s Poems,” Internet Site, 2006(1879); and 2William Wordsworth, Selected Poems, editor, Walford Davies, L. M. Dent & Sons, 1986(1975). It took off like a star-burst in that year, mirabile dictu, part of my soul’s rendezvous with its Source in that holy year with its sacred remembrances, anticipating a deep encounter with the forces operating with bewildering ferocity in my world at that auspicious juncture in history, unbeknownst, in obscurity from most of the world. Indeed, I paused and reflected and thus began the early years of my poetic maturity, if I can call it that, my reconsecration and preparation for tasks yet to be done, heights yet to be attained, splendours yet to be unveiled in the wondrous leaps and thrusts of epochs ahead, with new victories, fresh initiatives and remarkably dynamic years with their onrushing, quickening, winds. Ron Price May 10th 2006. . |
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| © Copyright 2006 RonPrice - All Rights Reserved | |||
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passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
welcome to Passions Ron I enjoyed this first piece you shared and will be looking for more. Enjoy your stay! |
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Susan Caldwell Member Rara Avis
since 2002-12-27
Posts 8348Florida |
What you offer is very intriguing..I look forward to reading more. Welcome to Pip! "too bad ignorance isn't painful" |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
Welcome to Passions! I look forward to reading more of your seasoned 'mature' writings. |
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The Lady Member Rara Avis
since 2005-12-26
Posts 7634The Southwest |
I enjoyed this work Ron. Welcome. |
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Goldenrose Member Elite
since 2003-05-30
Posts 3665 |
Welcome to passions...perhaps poets tend to become over opinionated about their own poetry...to include oneself among poets such as Wordsworth who wrote The Daffodils and Arnold who wrote Dover Beach may be being a little above themselves..they are great poets because of the work..every poet writes bad poems....it is the pearls lying on the beach with the flotsem and jetsem that elevates mere writers to great poets..thank you for the information and poetry..look forward to reading more from you.. Goldenrose. ''As the deer pants for steams of water, so my soul pants for you O God'' |
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Bodger Senior Member
since 2005-06-12
Posts 1260Tolerance for a short time |
I will as always 'say what I feel' You are writing a complete 'monkey take'. I wont waste my time You can't even deliver coherence, Revise, read what you are trying to deliver and then Dave |
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