When asked to pick one favorite poem I usually choose “A Few Days” by James Schuyler. It’s a great poem. It’s a long poem. I love long poems. I’m not always up for the challenge of sitting down with a long poem, but when I do, I’m not usually disappointed. A few weeks ago I ran into poet Miranda Field who insisted I go see the Kiki Smith show and read Midwinter’s Day by Bernadette Mayer. I stupidly missed the Smith show but am reading Mayer and loving it. I love the discursiveness of the long form. I love the way the length allows a poet multiple chances to change her mind and switch strategies and develop the kind of relationship with her reader that can withstand some highly unpoetic moments. It’s a bit like marriage, the long poem. But rather than develop a long theory of the long poem, I’ll be brief and urge you to stop reading this blog and go read a long poem. If “A Few Days” seems like too many, what about “The Prophet” by Alice Notley (which is really a medium-long poem)? And for anyone with a bad back or weak eyes, go to the PENN SOUND site, download “Hymn to Life” by James Schuyler onto your ipod and go for a long walk. I believe that if at least five people listen to “Hymn to Life” this week that Spring will come and stay for good.
Thanks for sharing, but would you mind introduce some expl. of long poem, that how long is to be considered as ‘long poem’ by count of words?
And is there any good expl. on the web to read for free? besides, verse novel of Mrs. Browning, or 2 of Allen Poe or Vincent Millay . Any nowadays poets did any works that very close to our time?
Please, Thanks!