If I were asked to name one signature theme or image for U.K. poetry over the past twenty years, it would be water. British English has so many words for different types of rain and for the movement of liquid, and numerous poets seem to reflect those riches in their work.
Am I right...? If so, why? Is such close attention to water a consequence of the U.K.'s climate? And does climate have a deeper connection not just to our everyday experiences but to our poetic lives...?
It reminds me of the wonderful poems by Frances Horowitz. Water and stones basically.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's an excellent example...
DeleteIn my new collection (June 2021) I mention a 'watery theme'; but in line with Rodney above, stones also feature widely. And yes, the nuances of the British climate surely have much to do with the frequent occurrence of water as a topic, though I would also suggest that the 'island nature' of our existence plays a large part since the sea is, I believe, never more than 84 miles away. In answer to your last question, I feel sure that our climate (in the widest term) and our weather (at a local and personal level) do indeed have a vast impact not only on our everyday experiences here, but also on our poetic lives, sometimes as a result of actual exposure (e.g. the frustration of waiting for a warm day), and sometimes through media filters (which might prompt us at an emotional level to respond to the climate crisis). The multi-faceted climate here lends itself to poetic metaphor; the challenge, it seems to me, is to find fresh ways of harnessing it in our writing.
ReplyDeleteVery much so, Caroline, that freshness is the hardest thing to find.
DeleteOn a different topic (more related to poetry blogs and bloggers), I wonder if you follow @morningporch (Dave Bonta), who posts a weekly Poetry Blog digest on his Via Negativa site each week. Most of the bloggers he quotes, it seems to me, are from the USA and UK.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know of Dave. In fact, he often features Rogue Strands...!
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