I agree with your criticisms. "Absence has a grammar" lacked music and feeling. It hinges on a (clever, kinda cute) play on the grammar, but that's not enough. I'm a mother to a three-year-old son, and all sorts of art about children growing and leaving make me weep weekly. I felt nothing for this winning poem. "We Blue Stars" is gorgeous. The music is right there on the page, and my mouth dances around all the vowels and consonants. A joy to read. x
I have a feeling this has something to do with the insular culture of “elite” poets. Something similar happens in fiction, where MFAs graduate and publish other MFAs, all trained the same way, and when this is all that’s published it can ward off others who write outside this prestige-nepotism. I can’t help but notice this widespread disillusionment with how modern pieces are crowned and propagated as literature.
I agree with your criticisms. "Absence has a grammar" lacked music and feeling. It hinges on a (clever, kinda cute) play on the grammar, but that's not enough. I'm a mother to a three-year-old son, and all sorts of art about children growing and leaving make me weep weekly. I felt nothing for this winning poem. "We Blue Stars" is gorgeous. The music is right there on the page, and my mouth dances around all the vowels and consonants. A joy to read. x
I’m glad you agree! Plus, your comments about ‘We Blue Stars’ made my night! X
Someone says it! Thank you! I feared someone would have to talk me down from my tea cozy!!
It put a bee in my bonnet!
It enraged the entire apiary of poets. Trauma sweet dumplings and the entire hives were crushed by the annual awards for mediocrity.
I’ve not read the whole work, but Fiona Larkin’s winning poem – judging by your extract – is the kind of thing that fuelled my frustration when I wrote this post: https://www.undergrowth.me/p/on-the-struggle-of-a-poetry-grump
(Boring sidebar: in the web version of your publication, the red text used for links is barely readable against the black page backdrop.)
I've changed it to a bright pink, so it should hopefully be clearer now!
I have a feeling this has something to do with the insular culture of “elite” poets. Something similar happens in fiction, where MFAs graduate and publish other MFAs, all trained the same way, and when this is all that’s published it can ward off others who write outside this prestige-nepotism. I can’t help but notice this widespread disillusionment with how modern pieces are crowned and propagated as literature.