Are Poems The Right Way To Discuss Issues?

[Gnomicide]

I read the news today, oh boy

It was the Mail

They said we're all going to die

Killed by immigrants, or the BBC, or Lady Di

So I thought I'd write a poem

And ask the question

Will people on benefits kill us all in are sleep?

Will we all vote Tory like like a blind flock of sheep?

I hope you like my poem

Although its a bit twee

I could put it in a relevant thread

But then it wouldn't be about me, me, me

[t8yman]

Definitely the best poem ever posted on this forum.

[Spindles]

At last a little light relief,
From the annoying poetic grief.
If we ignore it, will it vacate?
Should we confront and berate?
The latter, I think, is my belief.

What rhymes with narcissism?

 

 

[gary1979666]

At last a little light relief,
From the annoying poetic grief.
If we ignore it, will it vacate?
Should we confront and berate?
The latter, I think, is my belief.

What rhymes with narcissism?

 

 

I'm sure I saw Poetry bore rhyme it with Orange in one of his poems!

[grumpyhack]

To attempt to answer the question....  why not. I think of poems as the condensed milk of writing, very intense and concentrated.  A lot can be said in a few words.

As an example, one of my favourites by Christina Rosetti.

 

Motherless babies and babyless mothers.

Put them together to love one another.

 

I was adopted at the age of four months so it has a resonance for me.

[fred quimby]

To attempt to answer the question....  why not. I think of poems as the condensed milk of writing, very intense and concentrated.  A lot can be said in a few words.

As an example, one of my favourites by Christina Rosetti.

 

Motherless babies and babyless mothers.

Put them together to love one another.

 

I was adopted at the age of four months so it has a resonance for me.

My daughter is Studying Christina Rosetti at the moment

[Celery]

Not a lot of Glastonbury spirit in the responses to Poetrychatbore. If they want to make their point in poetic form, then let them. No one is making any of you read it. Poetry isn't my thing but at least these posts are something different and (occasionally) have a valid point to make. No need to act like a dick if you don't like it. This forum is usually a great place, but stuff like this and the (almost) bullying of Matt 42 lets it down big time. 

[Gnomicide]

1. This isn't the Glastonbury forum.

2. I'm sure that somone who posts poetry on (seemingly) a number of forums and calls themselves Poetrychatbore can take a little bit of ribbing.

[Celery]

1. This isn't the Glastonbury forum.

2. I'm sure that somone who posts poetry on (seemingly) a number of forums and calls themselves Poetrychatbore can take a little bit of ribbing.

1. So you should only be a decent person on that particular forum? What does that say about you as a person? Most people on here seem to be Glasto-goers and your photo indicates similar

2. Ribbing would be appropriate if you had a prior relationship with the person in question, or they at least replied to your critical posts. When the first replies to almost every single one of their posts are negative and generally insulting, it hardly reflects a welcoming attitude to new members. Poetrychatbore has had enough flack for their 'work', did you really need to start a new topic purely aimed at having a dig? 

[grumpyhack]

I teach, sometimes, Creative Writing and sometimes in poetry sessions I play a few songs and ask the question: "Is a song a poem set to music?"

One of the songs I play is 'You Stay Here' by Richard Shindell, which I first heard performed by Show of Hands.  A couple of years ago I met Richard Shindell (who is now based in Buenos Aires) when he was over here doing a tour with Show of Hands.

I told him that I used his song on my course and said it was a great poem that he'd set to music.  He was really flattered because he said a lot of songs weren't really very good poems and needed the music to prop them up.  I said I thought You Stay Here really stood as a poem in its own right and he got quite excited.  Mind you he thought I was a University lecturer or some high powered academic and I didn't like to disappoint him by saying I was a humble adult and community ed tutor.

The song is about a family fleeing in the Balkan Civil War and The Tiger referred to is the commander of the opposition army threatening the families on the run.

Have a listen and I'll let you and Poetrychatbore decide.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2015 by grumpyhack

[feral chile]

I teach, sometimes, Creative Writing and sometimes in poetry sessions I play a few songs and ask the question: "Is a song a poem set to music?"

One of the songs I play is 'You Stay Here' by Richard Shindell, which I first heard performed by Show of Hands.  A couple of years ago I met Richard Shindell (who is now based in Buenos Aires) when he was over here doing a tour with Show of Hands.

I told him that I used his song on my course and said it was a great poem that he'd set to music.  He was really flattered because he said a lot of songs weren't really very good poems and needed the music to prop them up.  I said I thought You Stay Here really stood as a poem in its own right and he got quite excited.  Mind you he thought I was a University lecturer or some high powered academic and I didn't like to disappoint him by saying I was a humble adult and community ed tutor.

The song is about a family fleeing in the Balkan Civil War and The Tiger referred to is the commander of the opposition army threatening the families on the run.

Have a listen and I'll let you and Poetrychatbore decide.

yes,

 

I used to be in awe of Suzanne Vega, to me she was a poet.

[feral chile]

[feral chile]

There are so many superb Vega tracks - Marlene on the Wall, Ton's Diner, Small Blue Thing, Straight Lines, The Queen and the Soldier (those last 2 are my favourites), Ironbound/fancy poultry

 

And many many more.

 

She's a genius.

[mrtourette]

Not a lot of Glastonbury spirit in the responses to Poetrychatbore. If they want to make their point in poetic form, then let them. No one is making any of you read it. Poetry isn't my thing but at least these posts are something different and (occasionally) have a valid point to make. No need to act like a dick if you don't like it. This forum is usually a great place, but stuff like this and the (almost) bullying of Matt 42 lets it down big time. 

Have you read the General News thread? This section is the dark underbelly of efestivals.

[t8yman]

Not a lot of Glastonbury spirit in the responses to Poetrychatbore. If they want to make their point in poetic form, then let them. No one is making any of you read it. Poetry isn't my thing but at least these posts are something different and (occasionally) have a valid point to make. No need to act like a dick if you don't like it. This forum is usually a great place, but stuff like this and the (almost) bullying of Matt 42 lets it down big time. 

what exactly is glastonbury spirit? because I've never been....

[eFestivals]

Not a lot of Glastonbury spirit in the responses to Poetrychatbore. If they want to make their point in poetic form, then let them. No one is making any of you read it. Poetry isn't my thing but at least these posts are something different and (occasionally) have a valid point to make. No need to act like a dick if you don't like it. This forum is usually a great place, but stuff like this and the (almost) bullying of Matt 42 lets it down big time. 

There was no bullying - nor 'almost' - of Matt42. What there was was pisstakes and call-outs back at him for what he posted.

There's nothing at all wrong with taking a robust attitude. Not doing so allows the idiots to take over the world.

[feral chile]

what exactly is glastonbury spirit? because I've never been....

I haven't been either, but I'm assuming tolerance and eclecticism.

[Celery]

what exactly is glastonbury spirit? because I've never been....

I haven't been either, but I'm assuming tolerance and eclecticism.

and not being a dick to people you don't know. 

Have you read the General News thread? This section is the dark underbelly of efestivals.

Not yet but i'll have a gander now. I'm sure it will be the usual suspects

[Celery]

There was no bullying - nor 'almost' - of Matt42. What there was was pisstakes and call-outs back at him for what he posted.

There's nothing at all wrong with taking a robust attitude. Not doing so allows the idiots to take over the world.

I expected you to say similar. For me, it was too much when every single time he made a post there were 4 or 5 people ready to jump down his throat. He was also the butt of many many jokes for a while and this only stopped when someone made the point it was bullying. People outwardly disagreed, but the 'robust attitude' he faced lessened greatly. 

[eFestivals]

I expected you to say similar. For me, it was too much when every single time he made a post there were 4 or 5 people ready to jump down his throat. He was also the butt of many many jokes for a while and this only stopped when someone made the point it was bullying. People outwardly disagreed, but the 'robust attitude' he faced lessened greatly. 

Whatever you might have believed it to be is in your head.

The proof of what it was showed itself when a number of us met Matt.

Assumptions are dangerous things.

Which, funnily enough, is all anyone has if nothing is challenged.

 

[Gnomicide]

1. So you should only be a decent person ot particular forum? What does that say about you as a person? Most people on here seem to be Glasto-goers and your photo indicates similar

2. Ribbing would be appropriate if you had a prior relationship with the person in question, or they at least replied to your critical posts. When the first replies to almost every single one of their posts are negative and generally insulting, it hardly reflects a welcoming attitude to new members. Poetrychatbore has had enough flack for their 'work', did you really need to start a new topic purely aimed at having a dig? 

To be fair, I take the piss a lot on the Glastonbury forum too.

If I've upset poetryforumbore I apologise. 

I'd like to say I'm sorry

If I have upset you

I'm typing this on the toilet

While I have my morning poo.

[Celery]

Whatever you might have believed it to be is in your head.

The proof of what it was showed itself when a number of us met Matt.

Assumptions are dangerous things.

Which, funnily enough, is all anyone has if nothing is challenged.

 

All beliefs are in the head, that is what makes them beliefs. But it certainly isn't a stretch to define it as bullying. And the tone of the responses changed greatly after the 'bullying' point was made which indicates it made a few people think twice. How anyone reacted when they met the guy is irrelevant, since the attitude had already changed. If anything I'd expect an overly pally meetup fuelled by a few guilty consciences. 

Anyway, this wasn't meant as a criticism of the site or any particular posters. Just making the point that the constant piss-taking of poetrychatbore's efforts is a bit uncalled for. In my opinion. Lets just agree to disagree and leave it there. 

[eFestivals]

All beliefs are in the head, that is what makes them beliefs.

yep. It's also what makes them not-facts.

But it certainly isn't a stretch to define it as bullying.

Well, it is.

If someone chooses say ridiculous things, then it's fair enough that it might be pointed out to them that they're saying ridiculous things.

The alternative is that ridiculous things remain unchallenged, leaving others to perhaps take that ridiculous thing as correct, and the idiocy spreads.

This is just another version of the mindless "why can't we just get along?" - where what that's really about is that everyone has to work things to the rules you say are correct for everything. It's not trying to get along, it's trying to control others - the very opposite of freedom.

 

 

[feral chile]

I did feel that there was a bit of negativity, I know most on here are not cruel people, the only thing about the term bullying is that it implies that there are bullies, and nobody (hopefully) would consider themselves a bully.

I'd say maybe a little intolerance, possibly, but people do have a right to constructive criticism, feedback on posts, advice on how to improve them etc.

 

How you say things is as important as what you say, most of the time.

Edited October 22, 2015 by feral chile

[russycarps]

If someone writes a crap poem and puts it on a public forum I, and anyone else, are perfectly entitled to critique it.

These poems are badly written. Why on earth should we tiptoe around someone? To spare their feelings?

It's that attitude that cost us the Empire.