From: Lbhcove_at_aol.com <Lbhcove>
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 10:18:56 EDT

Thus far, it seems the discussion of poetry centers around the funny, witty, clever, concrete, wordplay.

Although I am a firm believer that poetry should elicit smiles, even guffaws, and that Silverstein is indeed a master of humor, where are the advocates for TRUE POETRY?

I do hope educators are using works by our contemporary poets: Arnold Adoff, X. J. Kennedy, Nikki Grimes, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, J. P. Lewis, Kristine O'Connell George, Janet S. Wong, Jane Yolen, Marilyn Singer, to name a few,as well as our past masters: Myra Cohn Livingston, Lilian Moore, Eve Merriam, John Ciardi, Langston Hughes, to name just a few others.

All of these talents produce(d) works that run the gamut of emotion -- from the silly to the most serious bringing not only 'thinking' to poetry but producing goosebumps.

Readers cannot get this with tricks -- misuse of the cinquain form, poems that 'list', found poems, inane forms that are no more than excuses for sometimes poor creative writing exercises.

Let's give children our best. Give them POETRY.

LBH










Hopefully, we can further ourselves from the 'trickery' and get to the real stuff poetry is made of: POETRY!
Received on Sun 03 Apr 2005 09:18:56 AM CDT