| Thread Closed |
Warning - Poetry Shortens Your Life |
Share Thread |
| Apr23-04, 10:02 AM | #1 |
|
|
Warning - Poetry Shortens Your LifeNot to be knocking great literature since I really do have a great appreciation for what I have read, but while in college I did notice that the stuff is often really depressing. I remember being depressed for days while I had to read and analyze Hemmingway’s "To Kill an Elephant". |
| Apr23-04, 10:04 AM | #2 |
|
|
Is that a maniac theory or what!
|
| Apr23-04, 10:37 AM | #3 |
|
|
Kenneth Rexroth, a critic and poet, stated years ago that "The leading cause of death among American poets of 'anthology rank' is suicide."
|
| Apr24-04, 10:45 AM | #4 |
|
|
Warning - Poetry Shortens Your Life
I agree it would have been better if they broke down the causes of death, at least into general categories of "natural causes" and "suicide." It does seem, from the perspective of the casual observer, that poets are more depressed and use poetry as an outlet for that depression. It also seems to me that the other categories of writers are more likely to see their works published and gaining fame in their lifetime, so would get more reward for their efforts. Even a very popular poem just doesn't get the same sort of recognition as a best-selling novel, so someone who is seriously trying to earn a living as a poet is probably going to spend life feeling pretty unappreciated...not unlike the starving artist whose paintings don't catch on as something collectors want until after the artist's death.
|
| Apr24-04, 07:22 PM | #5 |
|
|
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/710.html EDIT: The author of the poem "Vergissmeinnicht", Keith Douglas, died shortly after he wrote this poem during the invasion of Normandy. |
| Apr24-04, 09:38 PM | #6 |
|
|
|
| Apr24-04, 10:17 PM | #7 |
|
|
|
| Apr27-04, 05:16 PM | #8 |
|
|
|
| Apr28-04, 01:16 PM | #9 |
|
|
|
| Thread Closed |
Similar discussions for: Warning - Poetry Shortens Your Life
|
||||
| Thread | Forum | Replies | ||
| Mathematics and Poetry | Academic Guidance | 11 | ||
| Poetry review? | General Discussion | 6 | ||
| Poetry "The darkness is over" | General Discussion | 11 | ||
| the poetry of the moment: | Current Events | 1 | ||