Introduction to Postmodern and Contemporary Poetry (c.1960 - present)
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- This lecture on postmodern and contemporary poetry considers how poetry has taken on a transpersonal and trans-geographical, even redemptive and spiritual valence since the mid-twentieth century up to the recent decade. Last lecture we considered the struggle underlying modernist poetry to hold together the fragments of a fragmented world, to connect other lives with our own, in some respects to critique the modern world, and to sustain the human spirit amid the chaos of modern experience.
I focus on connections and how contemporary poetry often involves a connecting hermeneutic that interprets or arranges sound and text into a larger meaning, or, where meaning is impossible, to achieve a toleration of meaninglessness; it attempts to connect voice and form in its expression of life, and it aims at connecting other past traditions that we explored in this series.
Introduction: 0:00-4:56
Jacques Derrida's Deconstruction 4:56-8:07
Caroline Bergvall's Drift: 8:07-21:26
Jorie Graham's "The Geese": 21:26-33:07
Susan Howe's "Frolic Architecture": 33:07-47:25
Caroline Bergvall's performance of Drift: • A Reading by Caroline ...
Susan Howe's Performance of Frolic Architecture: • FROLIC ARCHITECTURE: A...
Thumbnail image from the following citation:
Howe, Susan. “Frolic Architecture, by Susan Howe and David Grubbs.” Susan Howe and David Grubbs, Susan Howe and David Grubbs, 9 Feb. 2021, susanhowedavidgrubbs.bandcamp.com/album/frolic-architecture.
@closereadingpoetry I'm not sure if you'll see this, but I want to point out that "ok" means "and" in Old Norse.
Given the Old English/Norse flavour of the songs, it does fit, and reading the texts with this translation in mind makes them much more coherent, I find.
Would you ever do a video on poetry that is the most important to you? Or even poetry you write yourself, if you even write any - it would be really interesting to see!!
Poetry has become so important to me in my life. I challenged myself, late last year, to try and find out why people love poetry so much, as I could never get into it when I was in school (probably my teachers fault!) My dyslexia does not help either haha. But it's a good challenge! The poetry performing circles here in England are very fun, as I have met quite a few odd and interesting people through these performance nights :) In fact, i'm going to one in two days - wish me luck, if I end up performing!!!
Finally someone has answered the questions I had in middle school about poems
I meant that sincerely
I have been a deep fan of postmodern philosophy and novels, but have never explored postmodern poetry. Thank you for this.
Enjoyed the section on Derrida, though I might expand from the signifier 'tree' to a general theory that all communication is imperfect. The thing I find most interesting in the famous French philosopher's work is the perspective on originality, which implies that all communication essentially is mimesis. Of course I don't see the Post-Modern world as a chaotic pile of shards. Instead to me it's an expression of humility that there is much we can't quite figure out. That we can't quite figure it out doesn't make it subjective nonsense: It means we sometimes think too highly of ourselves because there are things we just don't understand (yet?). In the universe of mimesis, understanding is getting a little closer to the original signification, the original meaning.
Can’t wait to check you latest videos out. Got to finish my exams first though!
Good luck on your exams!
@@closereadingpoetry thanks!
Fascinating and inspiring presentation. Thank you for all the passion.
Great series!
Looking at postmodernism in this context, for me it owes so much to the modernist movement, and in particular the effect of Eliot’s Wasteland, which dropped like a pebble in to a lake, where we’re still feeling the effects of the ripples.
Incredible stuff, Adam. Thank you for all the effort you put into these videos. Looking forward to the next ones!
Thank you mr Adam for your wonderful cultural literary channel. As always iam gathering main information about topics you mentioned briefly here it’s postmodern poetry is type or poetry that flowed naturally from that counterculture and is often noted for few stylistic and thematic aspects. These types of poems can be difficult to read and understand. Contemporary poetry refers to post ww2 poetry include beat poetry, confessional poetry, New York school of poetry, postmodern poetry. Modernist poetry is written in west between 1890and 1950 under modernist literary tradition. Key characteristics of contemporary poetry are identified as often begin written in free verse , using language readers can associate with , being images that engage all , senses can inviting interpretation without stating meaning directly. Difference between modern and post modern poetry is modernist approach was objective, theoretical and analytical while postmodern approach was based on subjectivity. Contemporary poetry is most written in free verse ( unrhymed lines ) , examples of contemporary poetry Emily Dickinson ( tell all truth but tell slant ). Gwendolyn brooks ( beans eaters ). Willam butler yeats ( second coming ) . Modern poetry must be grounded in real places , people, events, not shy away from unpleasant subjects .contemporary poetry reflects diversity of modern society, with poets representing range of ethnicities, genders , cultures . Key differences between contemporary and modern poetry is their time period . Modern literature refers to literature dating from late 19 th century to nineteen sixties while contemporary literature refers to literature dating from second world to present .
was waiting for this a long.
Wonderful lecture as always, Adam! (And what a beautiful space in the background! It's absolutely begging for a "Read poetry with me" pomodoro loop, cuz it's straight up vibes.)
Killer lecture and excellent choice of poems; I’ve been thinking a lot about J H Prynne’s poetry as an exploration of “differential” punctuation; would love a short vid on him and the other English Late Modernists sometime!
I was a fan of 'Drift' here, very interesting to use Old English. Although, I'm doubtful about whether 'anon' really refers to 'anonymous' given the fact that I don't see other abbreviations in that poem, and the fact that 'anon' usually means "immediately" as in "I anon away" or something like that. Anyway, interesting survey of postmodern poetry here!
Btw, myself, I dislike visual poetry, since I consider the human speech/singing to be the thing that makes poetry what it is (besides, in an abstract sense, the story or scene involved), but I am sometimes a fan of verbal (and referent) postmodern poetry, like Heidegger's poetry on Being. To me, 'visual poetry' is nearly an oxymoron, although I understand that the word "poesis" means something made up, based on the Greek, and doesn't explicitly specify words.
Great. Been hoping you might talk about this. I used to write more postmodern but found it quite disconnecting, too fragmentary. Been revisiting more romantic and poetry of re-enchantment and re-connection which have increasingly found ways into my poetry and prose. Started reading Charles Taylor's new book, Cosmic Connections, about romantic poetry of the 1790s Germans poets, and some English and French ones. Pretty sure it goes up to modernism but haven't got that far yet. Cheers!
Dear Dr Walker,
Thank you so much for your tremendous educational videos and erudition.
Will you consider doing a close reading of Sir Geoffrey Hill's poems? His fundamental concerns were English language and identity, as well as Christian faith (Anglican). He was also against much post-modern and contemporary poetry trends, which would be fascinating to explore in light of your latest video.
Thanks in advance.
Also any plans to do the any other epic poem after Paradise Lost?
Maybe Wordsworth's The Prelude!
@@closereadingpoetry Yes, please!
comment
meta!
This may be an unpopular view, but I hold modernism as marking the beginning of the end of literature as a source of sublime communication and art. Postmodernism is further down this spiral. Despite this, I cannot fault your careful, serious, and might I say, generous, introduction to this topic, Adam.
It's not unpopular, but it shows a lot...
I think that this is true but I've also noticed that there is a real opportunity for postmodernism to reach for the sublime and recover a sense of the sacramental nature of creation that has really been eroded since the middle ages in the west. Jonathan Pageau is working on this in his way, but I think there are many ways!
If you don't like it, then don't read it. There are plenty of writers in modern times who see poetry as a source of sublime communication and art. See Mary Oliver, for one example.
@@AdamTorkelson Hi Adam. I was obviously using a broad brush in my original comment. After decades of reading, though, I stand by the general observation that literature has taken a very different (and, I would argue, deficit) turn since WW1. You are correct, though: there are exceptions. I love the writing of Wendell Berry and Marilynne Robinson for instance. Even more 'popular' authors such as Donna Tartt and Susanna Clarke are great (even though these are not 'postmodern' as such). My original comment was mainly intended as a compliment to Adam Walker. That is, despite not personally connecting with most postmodern literature, I applaud his careful and insightful reading of his chosen texts. Blessings.
“Non-verbal expressions”?? Like non-aural music? Two dimensional sculpture? At a certain point one must recognized the regression of culture as one might be loathe to admit the onset of a loved one’s dementia.
Human life is full of all kinds of non-verbal codes and expressions -- eye contact, physical proximity and distance, body language, way-finding arrows and symbols, signifying shapes, lines, alarms and beeps. Much of this poetry is often transgressive, but I don't think it's necessarily regressive.