Poll: which is your favourite poetry? (1 Viewer)

[cirerita]

C'mon, guys, stand and be counted! I know the early poetry could be up to 1969 or 1967 or 1971, depending on who makes the dividing line. Anyway, I guess you understand what I mean by "early poetry", so forget the year limit.
Same applies to the "late & posthumous" option since there are a few -very few- pre 1973 poems in some posthumous collections, but you get the drift, so go ahead and vote.
The last option is no joke, seriously.

 

[mjp]

I have to say neither because I think you overlook his middle period. There was a time during the 1970's/early 80's that he wrote long, plain language poems that are unlike his early work, and unlike his more spare late work. That's my favorite period.

 

[cirerita]

well, when I put "late & posthumous" I meant from 1973 up to 1993, including the long, narrative poems you mention. You can modify the second option and add (1973-1993).

 

[mjp]

I don't think the period I'm proposing ran to '93 though. There was a change from the longer, rambling mid-70's work to the short lines of the late 80's/early 90's work. Just saying I would separate his work into three distinct periods rather than two. The poll is still valid. The early work is certainly unlike most of what he did after '71 or '72.

 

[cirerita]

I'd say the only two poetry books containing TRUE long, narrative poems are Dangling and War. Play the Piano was written in 70-71 and most poems in Love Is a Dog are NOT long, narrative pieces. In You Get So Alone B begins to explore the true spare line. So the period you mention runs from 1981 to 1984 -at least as far as published material goes. Thats' the period Locklin always praises, too.

 

[mjp]

That makes sense. Dangling in Tournefortia is easily my favorite poetry collection. I'll never forget reading that fucker for the first time. There's not a false note in there.

 

[cirerita]

it's a very good one, indeed. maybe you know this, but anyway, sometime in the 80's or in the 90's B wrote a letter saying that the material published between 1981-1984 -Dangling and War- amounted to only 1/6 of his total output during that period.

 

[oneiros]

Hey.

I may be scolded for this, but my favorite poetry collection is, WITHOUT A DOUBT; The days run away...

It was one of the first things I read of buk, and it has stuck with me. So I have to say his early stuff.

 

[Olaf]

Most of the poetry has its place.

All in all, I have read a lot more of his Older Poetry than his early work.

If I was to buy one book of Bukowkis early-early poetry, what would YOU (ANYONE) suggest? (Note: I have 'The Days Run Away like Wild Horses Over The Hills.'

 

[hank solo]

The Roominghouse Madrigals features lots of early early stuff. Some goodies there.

 

[Erik]

Cirerita: After you posted "Soft and fat like summer roses", from 1946 (https://bukowskiforum.com/showthread.php?t=69) I'm not so sure you can use a "time line" for sorting the poems. Seems like he had the later style down from the beginning! Maybe you should make a poll on favorite TYPES of poems, you know: narrative, surrealistic, anecdotal, colloquial, philosophical, long, short, with/without metaphors etc.
Also: didn't Buk seem to become more surrealistic in his last stage, like in Pulp? or "Splash" from BOTM... couldn't this be called a third (if short) period?

 

[cirerita]

yeah, I know, there are many periods -more than two, anyway- and subperiods within the big periods, and then you have narrative poems in the early times and a few "lyrical" poems in the late years. Everything intertwines. But I was talking in rather general terms, you know, early and late poetry. If you read the bios, most biographers also divide his poetry in two big periods: early & late poetry; then, whithin those 2 periods, you'll find everything and more. So it's a bit absurd to divide poetry intro periods to begin with, and I guess I'm not surprised two people say so in the poll :D

 

[poptop]

In Equal Measure

I see his writings as one continuous stream,
starting from the time he wrote about Herbert
Hoover; and he writes about this in Ham on
Rye. He was able to describe any period
of his life effectively even without consciously
trying to store memories"”he could move in any
direction. And he may turn out to be a prophet of
the future of Man as well.

 

[bright]

.... And he may turn out to be a prophet of
the future of Man as well.

..lets hope not.

 

[theeffects]

I enjoy LATE (80's) but not a BIG fan of the posthumous ECCO years... Most recently; PEOPLE LOOK LIKE FLOWERS AT LAST has been a disappointment for me. It's a tough poll, really enjoy his writings from the 70's as well... Some of the really EARLY stuff I find hard to get into.

 

[poptop]

..lets hope not.

Exactly.