Word: merwin
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Merwin speaks as he writes--in long strands of clauses. And he writes in imitation of the spoken word. "The main current in poetry," he says," and the kind of poetry that really matters to me can't ever lose that pole that's in the oral--it's in the spoken word." He doesn't punctuate his poetry for this reason...
When we sit on this park bench talking to each other," he says, "we don't put in little commas and colons and exclamation points. We don't need them, because we hear it." Merwin folds his sunglasses on his lap. "The closer words get to poetry, the more the spoken language is there. And that's not punctuated...
Early in his career, Merwin did use punctuation. He wrote in traditional forms, with traditional use of rhyme and meter. Critics make much of Merwin's formal shift...
...Merwin emphasizes the value of form. "[It] makes you pay attention to language." He argues that all writing is autobiographical. "Even when you're telling a lie, the lie is your truth at the time." And he emphasizes poetry as a practised craft. "This idea of spontaneity," he says, "there's lot of silly talk about it...We go to the ballet and we want the ballet to be spontaneous, but you know that it comes out of years and years of very hard practice...
While we're on the subject of "silly talk," Merwin debunks another myth--that poets can analyze their inspiration. "People get very smart and canny about it, but finally it escapes you. Isn't that great that you can never sort of get the jump on it...It's always smarter than you are." Another fleet of ambulances crosses Mt. Auburn Street...