Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Who's Ready for a Trust Fall?

Reading William Logan's 1999 essay "Four or Five Motions Toward a Poetics" this morning, I was struck by his discussion of the "trust" between reader and poem. "Trust," he writes, "... is the poem's ability to proceed without distracting the reader with clumsiness of technique, while offering benefit to the reader's imagination equal to or exceeding the energy expended in reading." Essentially, he characterizes "trust" as that which keeps the reader going when she or he has no idea what the poet is talking about. The reader continues in good faith, with the assumption that some illumination will come later. Readers whose trust is rewarded, he suggests, will tolerate increasingly greater risks.

For many, Logan is a controversial (some would say reviled) figure in poetry, but I think the contract between poet and reader is worth keeping in mind. I think it provides at least some explanation for why contemporary poetry is not more widely read; readers, whose trust has been betrayed by poems that lead them into labyrinths and funhouses, can hardly be expected to follow without hesitation. That's not to say that poems must avoid labyrinths and funhouses completely, only that, eventually, they have to show the reader the way out.

3 comments:

oakleyses said...

michael kors outlet online, ralph lauren uk, mulberry uk, guess pas cher, michael kors outlet, hollister pas cher, true religion outlet, true religion outlet, michael kors outlet online, nike air max, ray ban pas cher, nike air max uk, michael kors, uggs outlet, michael kors outlet, new balance, true religion jeans, coach outlet store online, nike air force, abercrombie and fitch uk, burberry outlet, lululemon canada, oakley pas cher, sac vanessa bruno, ray ban uk, coach outlet, michael kors outlet online, michael kors outlet, nike free uk, michael kors, replica handbags, michael kors outlet online, north face uk, polo lacoste, north face, converse pas cher, coach purses, timberland pas cher, nike roshe run uk, nike tn, nike blazer pas cher, true religion outlet, vans pas cher, uggs outlet, hollister uk, hogan outlet, sac hermes, burberry handbags

oakleyses said...

nike trainers uk, timberland boots, ipad cases, chi flat iron, nfl jerseys, soccer jerseys, iphone cases, lululemon, babyliss, baseball bats, nike air max, hermes belt, mac cosmetics, celine handbags, new balance shoes, valentino shoes, s6 case, ghd hair, beats by dre, iphone 6s cases, jimmy choo outlet, oakley, mcm handbags, herve leger, iphone 5s cases, hollister, north face outlet, ferragamo shoes, hollister clothing, longchamp uk, asics running shoes, nike roshe run, wedding dresses, iphone 6s plus cases, louboutin, iphone 6 cases, soccer shoes, vans outlet, insanity workout, giuseppe zanotti outlet, mont blanc pens, ralph lauren, abercrombie and fitch, iphone 6 plus cases, north face outlet, p90x workout, nike huaraches, instyler, bottega veneta, reebok outlet

oakleyses said...

pandora charms, juicy couture outlet, links of london, ugg, converse, doudoune moncler, pandora jewelry, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, moncler, louis vuitton, canada goose, canada goose uk, barbour uk, canada goose outlet, pandora jewelry, louis vuitton, moncler, thomas sabo, replica watches, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, louis vuitton, marc jacobs, toms shoes, canada goose, louis vuitton, montre pas cher, canada goose outlet, ugg pas cher, hollister, moncler outlet, swarovski, canada goose outlet, canada goose jackets, ugg uk, nike air max, supra shoes, moncler uk, vans, gucci, pandora uk, ray ban, hollister, karen millen uk, wedding dresses, swarovski crystal, moncler, louis vuitton, coach outlet, juicy couture outlet, barbour, lancel, canada goose