Sunday, October 09, 2005

What makes Good Poetry?

I have just downloaded some tracks that I had as singles as a teenager (youngish teens I hasten to add!) and was shocked at the appaling shallowness of the lyrics. Now maybe I have been spoiled by listening to poets like Bob Dylan, John Martyn, Van Morrison and Horslips, and maybe I am too use to people like Green Day who have something to say and know how to use words - whatever but I am appalled by some of the lyrics I have just heard! For example:

If you’re a stranger here
And you need some action
We have a remedy
That could really catch on
Pleased to see another face
At light – up time
If you’re feeling dull and run – down
We can really make you shine

Dancing in the city
Alleys that we run through
Now we’ve just begun to
Have fun tonight
Dancing in the city
Alleys that we run through
Now we’ve just begun to
Have fun tonight

From Dancing in the city by Marshall Hain. It's an intereresting question as to what makes poetry good or bad or what makes literature good or bad. This week I started reading the new Harry potter book to N. J.K.s books are very readable but there is something not quite right about the writing and I just can't put my finger on what it is. I have decided to ask everyone I meet who says that they have read it, but so far noone has come up with an answer. Is it to do with sentence constrution? J.K. certainly uses enough long words etc so it's not that she's dim. and her ideas are good - but there is just something.

feel free to post if you know!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Too busy re-reading Don Camillo books - sorry...