Poet Ancestors
Blog Posted:7/6/2009 7:03:00 AM
<P>Brian's latest blog has inspired me to think about those poets who have had a big influence on me and who continue to nourish my poetry. Here are a few poets I have found inspirational:</P>
<P>Adelaide Crapsey: Like Brian, Crapsey is a central source for me. She taught me the value of a more formal, syllabic, approach to poetry and her specific contribution, the Cinquain, is a real jewel.</P>
<P>Richard Wright: If I were to pick a single book of haiku in English, the haiku of Richard Wright would be the one. It is called "Haiku: This Other World". Wright's haiku are idiomatic, written in ordinary English, no Japanisms or false orientalisms. His haiku cover an astonishing range of observations, yet he also remains true to many of the traditional rules governing haiku. For the most part his haiku are in the traditional 5-7-5 and contain seasonal reference. I have gone through this volume numerous times.</P>
<P>Emily Dickinson: Dickinson taught me how to rhyme in a way that seems completely natural. Her amazing ability to use rhyme effectively in very short poems showed me how rhyme could be incorporated into forms like haiku, cinquain, quatrains, etc. </P>
<P>So many more, but these are the three that I want to highlight today.</P>
<P>With gratitude to all our Poet Ancestors</P>
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