
Branded Man: The Long Tradition of Outlaw Poets - samclemens
http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2016/03/23/branded-man/
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rashkov
As I read the author's knowing quotes of the various poems, and one by one
they fly over my head, I recall why I never was able to get into poetry.
Perhaps it's a language and a context that I would have to steep myself in.
Perhaps I should take it as a challenge and start to read more poetry. Any
suggestions, hacker types?

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cafard
First, most of the quotations are translations from French, and translations
of poetry often don't convey the quality of the original. Second, of those
first written in English, a fair number are from Merle Haggard's songs, and
probably better heard than read. My suggestion if you wanted to read more
poetry would be to pick up a decent anthology and read with no or neutral
expectations until something catches your attention. John Hollander's
_Committed to Memory_ is or was out of print, but is not hard to buy on line.
I remember Louis Zukofsky's _A Test of Poetry_ as pretty good, though I
haven't looked into it in years. NYRB has brought John Williams's anthology of
English Renaissance poetry back into print.

Or you could listen to some Haggard.

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rashkov
Excellent, looking forward! I really do enjoy beat poets and rebel outlaw
characters so there was a lot in this article to like, but hitting against the
issues you mentioned was a bit despiriting. Thanks for putting them in
perspective and for the suggestions

