Here's a nice piece on Patti Smith's newest collection of poetry. People who remember Smith only for her punk records have probably never listened to them- she clearly wanted to be a successor to the great visionary poets, such as Blake and Rimbaud, even then. One clue as to why she is a quite good poet, while other rockers have not been, is this line from her interview:
"I've been slowly reading more contemporary poetry—someone like James Wright, or Sylvia Plath, who is probably my biggest influence among contemporary poets. I learned a lot from her rhythms, repetition, and her strong sense of poetic structure."
My heart is like a balloon when I hear someone list Sylvia Plath and James Wright as examples of contemporary poetry. Smith writes good poems because, first and foremost, she is an enthusiast. We need more.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
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