WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Poets die young -- younger than novelists, playwrights and other writers, a U.S. researcher said Wednesday.
It could be because poets are tortured and prone to self-destruction, or it could be that poets become famous young, so their early deaths are noticed, said James Kaufman of the Learning Research Institute at California State University at San Bernardino.
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Farmgirl
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
You know, I used to wish I could summon flowery poetry more often in my writing. Now I'm kinda glad I can't.
[ April 22, 2004, 04:13 PM: Message edited by: Taalcon ]
Posted by Ophelia (Member # 653) on :
"Haven't you got poet or something like that?" "Now you see the trouble with poet is how do you know it's deceased? Try the priest!"
Yeah, I've listened to too much Sweeney Todd this week. Actually, thoae lyrics just pops into my head whenever I hear the word "poet" anyway, so whatever. Carry on.
[ April 22, 2004, 04:17 PM: Message edited by: Ophelia ]
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
Hmm. I tend to like poets who actually did live to a ripe old age. Frost. Milton. Stuff like that. I think you can get a lot of wisdom from old poets.
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
I just read a bunch of Swinburne, so I'm not surprised.
But I'll recite some Monty Python for everyone's pleasure.
Poets are both clean and warm and most are far above the norm.
Whether here or on the roam You should have a poet in every home.
[ April 22, 2004, 04:26 PM: Message edited by: Book ]
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
It's also worth noting that poets make considerably less money. I wonder if they factored for that as a variable.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
<-- neither poet nor writer
Posted by Homestarrunner (Member # 5090) on :
It's because they've all written such perfect little poems for their gravestones and are eager to use them.
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
hmm...so perhaps that faint and haunting suspicion I'll die young has some validity...and sad to say, yes I have thought about different potentials for an epitaph...
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
I'm more of a lover.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Somehow, I don't think they go gently.
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
quote:Somehow, I don't think they go gently.
you're right...they rage, rage against the dying of the light!
(sorry...felt compelled to...for the record I hated that poem and disagreed with it immensely)
Posted by Megachirops (Member # 4325) on :
Why?
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
It's an essentially selfish poem, I agree. I still love it.
[ April 22, 2004, 06:50 PM: Message edited by: katharina ]
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
I tend to accept death and I've seen what it does to cling to life too strongly and how that destroys people...so a poem encouraging fighting death when it is imminent tends to annoy me
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
But the poem isn't to the universe, it's to his father...
I think Dorothy Parker may be more of what you're looking for.
[ April 22, 2004, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: katharina ]
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
no...it isn't to the universe at all, but it states it in a universal manner...it gives no reason to struggle against death, besides that it is death, implying a universal standard that his father should follow
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
It's a selfish, desperate plea. The persuasive element is not the absent corresponding reasons, but that the speaker is asking. It is a personal appeal. He isn't playing on reason or fear; he's appealing to love.
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
and in his appeal to love he fails to show love for his father...he disregarded what his father may be feeling physically, emotionally, and spiritually and made himself the centre of the universe and all that matters...he is appealing to love without returning it...
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Yep. It was a desperate, selfish plea. Kids do that.
Especially if they think they could stay if they just tried hard enough.
[ April 22, 2004, 09:09 PM: Message edited by: katharina ]
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
*wanders off muttering something about a hatred of angsty poetry...* *has made a vow to stop writing angst and to destroy it when I do write it, pre-this thread*
Posted by DEEP DESPAIR (Member # 4838) on :
Lead me away, Death Take me home Let me sleep Let me go.
For there's nothing so frightening as the dark unknown.
So lead me away, Death. Take me home.
Posted by B166ER (Member # 6380) on :
me no write, me live forever
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Yeah, I'm sure we'd all remember Dylan Thomas as fondly if he wrote a poem called "Hurry up and die, already."
Perhaps we'd prefer St. Vincent Millay? "I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned."
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
Just because a mention of Edna St. Vincent Millay deserves a quote:
quote:My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-- It gives a lovely light!
quote:Yeah, I'm sure we'd all remember Dylan Thomas as fondly if he wrote a poem called "Hurry up and die, already."
Tom, you've really been cracking me up the past few days.
FarmGirl, you beat me to it! I haven't been posting interesting links lately, but when I saw this one I thought it would be worth posting.
Posted by John L (Member # 6005) on :
Maybe it's because poets don't usually make enough money to remain healthy, because writing poetry is a lot less likely to be met with success in life than writing.
And, of course, the ratio of wannabes to real in both fields is about 100 to 1. This means a lot of... well, it means a lot of overdrama.
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I haven't been posting interesting links lately, but when I saw this one I thought it would be worth posting.