Few essays on writing poetry grab me by the collar, slam me against the wall, and say “Listen, dammit!” But this one did.
Camille Dungy’s words sear through the fog. She tells it slant. She tells it true. She explains how some masters have done it. If you’ve not read her poetry, seek it out. You’re in for a treat. If you have the good fortune to attend a lecture or reading by her, do so. She’s energetic, wise and kind. She knows.
O at the Edges 
Robert, I haven’t read the Dungy piece completely through yet, but I just had to take a break and let you know how much I appreciate your sharing it. Absolutely at the top of the heap of everything I’ve ever read on the art and craft of poetry…the soul of what it is we try to do and how to do it. What more to say…thank you!
Ron
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It’s a brilliant piece.
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I was fortunate enough to hear a version of this essay last summer. It stayed with me, and when I saw it, I had to share.
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Needed this…thanks
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You’re very welcome. It makes you think, doesn’t it?
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Yes, it is a real challenge to write with beauty and honesty at the same time. Thanks again for sharing
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Fantastic essay. Thanks for turning me on to it!
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Always happy to share something so full of truth!
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“We can’t truly know comfort unless we know its opposite. Writers who think carefully about how to render the world in a truthful and realistic way have to handle, bare-handed and, thus, ever so carefully, the double-edged sword of comfort versus discomfort. Degrees of discomfort can vary, and the good writer will alternate various levels of danger with the familiar so a reader isn’t at a constant level of alertness.”
Great counsel for a novelist, too! Thank you, Robert!
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Comfort and discomfort. Quite the pair, but so essential.
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Interesting Robert, quite well put together.
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Yes, her explanations are spot-on!
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Inspiring, thank you.
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You’re very welcome.
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I once read that the truth is most often naked and unsightly. One needs to bathe and clothe it first before speaking it. Tell it slant does just that.
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Exactly!
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‘Writers who think carefully about how to render the world in a truthful and realistic way have to handle, bare-handed and, thus, ever so carefully, the double-edged sword of comfort versus discomfort.’
This discussion of the ‘Tell it slant’ poem reminds me of Les Murray’s poem ‘The Quality of Sprawl’ http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-quality-of-sprawl/
and particularly the final stanza.
A really interesting read – all tatoos should make a similar revelation.
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Thanks for introducing me to the Les Murray poem!
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sweet thread! but we wrote our first poem when we were four! we do not anybody to teach nobody how danse rainbows into stardust!
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But I, alas, need much help.
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Many thanks for stopping by my humble blog, I hope you stay for the journey. There looks to be some great stuff around here I shall enjoy exploring. Happy Saturday.
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This looks like a piece I need the time to absorb, so I’ve saved it in my reading list to savour at my leisure. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks from me too for pointing out this essay.
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I truly enjoyed that essay! She pointed me to poets I otherwise wouldn’t have found. Thanks for this post!
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I always LOVE being grabbed by the collar and slammed hard against a wall (in literary terms of course!) 😀
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Thank you for the link to the essay. A brilliant insight on the art of writing, whether poetry, essay, or prose. So a rich presentation of ideas to digest slowly. Thank you also for visiting Shunyata today. Shunyata is strictly quotations and photography. My other site, Forest Garden, is a bit broader, and also harbors the occasional bit of poetry. May all be well with you, WG
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http://oliverthomas91.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/1539/ Inspiring writing, on all parts. Thank you 😀
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