Kooser and Accessiblity: I broke the rules

When he was Poet Laureate, one of Ted Kooser’s main messages was accessibility. He argued that good poems should be accessible. He used the analogy of the glass bottom boat. The poem is a glass bottom boat the reader looks through or reads to enter the poem. Kooser argues putting an object on the glass or dropping an object on the surface interferes with the understanding and enjoyment of the experience. This interference can be anything from using 5 instead of five or an & instead of and.
I argue that Kooser misses an entire aspect of poetry and of art. Modernist painters learned that the picture was the illusion. Painters strived for centuries to make the painting look as “real” as possible. The frame itself, is a replica of the window frame to create the illusion of looking outside at a “real” scene. In the 19th century, painters begin to realize the picture is the illusion. The “real” is the paint on the canvas. A painting is an arrangement of lines, colors, and forms on a flat surface. This arrangement can lead to or trigger emotions, concepts, or ideas, but the reality is the paint on the canvas.
A poem is an arrangement of words and symbols on a page. How these words are arranged can lead to emotions, meanings, stories… Pound and definitely cummins realized a poem is words and symbols on a page. Sometimes dropping an object on the glass is part of the poem. The poem is about the arrangement as well as or even instead of the narrative.

The previous posts were some poems I have written over the last few years which clearly disagree with Kooser's opinon.

Poem: Gadfly

GADFLY

Gladly gadfly
Happenstance randomness
Goals unknown
No cares declared
Lives tomorrows today.

Poem: A Poem Self-Referential

A Poem
Self-referential


1 1
The first line
is itself
a one;
5 and a 5 the fifth
at five
The stanza break:
why?
a new thought?
10 or arbitrary for form?
Meter, verse, and rhythm?
word choice?
Planned or happenstance?
The theme, the subject?
15 a narrative?
ode or tribute?
lyric?
The poem itself
will conclude
20 at its volition.

Poem: To do list Today

TO DO LIST, TODAY


Nothing...

Poem: The Back of the Sock Drawer

THE BACK OF THE SOCK DRAWER

Mateless commas on the bedspread
Useless halffunctions of whatoncewas
Lost in process
Onceunits going in
Orphans coming out
Time passes
As they take up space
And eventually
Forgotten with nopurpose

Poem: Imeego

Imeego

Imeego
egomeI
Fathersonholyghost Fathersonholyghost
IChristI IChristI IChristI IChristI IChristI
meChristme
egoChristego
Godisdead
meisdead
egoisdead
Iisdead
Christisdead

Poem: I AND ME MEET SHE (cummins tribute)

I AND ME MEET SHE

when I and Me
met She
It was love at first sight for three
I and She dated
as did Me and She
and I and Me remained friends
though both loved she
Me was injured when
a car veered wide
I and She cried
when their friend died
and found the love
for I and She; and
Me and She; and
I and Me; and
I and Me and She;
could not last
without Me
so I took to drink
and lost himself
and She took men
like children with candy
as Me slowly rots
the three now alone.

Poem: Not-A

NOT-A

The not-a-telephone does not ring
The not-a-light does not glow
The not-a-freezer is not cold
The not-a-television is black
The not-a-radio is silent
Outside -
I hear birds
And the wind
And occasional voices
The not-a-engines are silent
And some seek others...
Others cower alone
And noone knows
Why everything stopped
The not-our-world is changed?

Poem: Alone

ALONE



Alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealoneaalonealonealonealone
Alone alone alone alone alone alone alone alone alone alone alonea lone
Alone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonea
lonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealoneal
onealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealon
ealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealoneal
onealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealon
ealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealon
ealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealon
ealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealon
ealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealon
ealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealon
ealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealoealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealoneal
onealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone
alonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealo
nealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealonealone

Poem: Me (cummins tribute)

ME


May I, said me
Of course, said we:
Me & he she & she
How can I, said me?
Be you is all, said we:
Me & he she & she
I shouldn’t have, said me
Too late, said we:
Me & he she & she
How did I, said me?
It is you, not us, said we:
Me & he she & she
I’m sorry, said me
Silence, said we:
Me & he she & she
Talk to me, said me
We don’t know, said we:
Me & he she & she
Let’s follow together, said the:
He & he she & she.

Poem: i

i
I was i (little i)
The i before I (big I)
The
awarness
i
was afraid of:
being alone;
&
rejection by family and friends;
&
failure;
&
those i thought better.
i dreamed
but was aftraid to act.
i
afraid of his flaws
but i
never afraid of tomorrow
so i became I
who is still afraid
but can accept
fear.

Poem: Me (is me)

ME
meisme is meisme
tobeme is tobemeis tobe
freetobeme freetobe
is tobefree meistobefree
meisme

Poem: Time

TIME

Time
does not function the mechanism is broken and yet -
everyone is older than before
without Time
so Timeless is not frozen but the absence of -
and Time is still there but not functioning and yet -
everyone is older than before
but there was never a without Time since -
Time was always there and did not function
because the mechanism is broken so -
Time is not age and -
Exists without time though -
Time was never without it just -
Time does not function so -
what does broken Time mean?
since time is never in absence but -
only not functioning and -
age continues to happen
happen time ageless but not less

Poem: I am Lost

I AM LSTO

Iam lsto
The ideas, the concepts
the quagmiire of too many, to sort, to understand,
of opposing views, of opposition, of destruction,
as words, written and spoken, few understood, few accepted
as most fly on past, to the past, gone before I can understand them,
as channels change, and pages turn, too quickly, too gone, too gone, too gone,
I am lost.
As I sit at my computer, writing, composing, decomposing, the words of the great,
I realize how few, and how too many the greats were, and the greats aren’t and
I start
confused, cfoneusued - iedas, cceonpts, hTe sntecne, as I wtrie it, bceoems cfseonud nda lsot in oot mnay iedas form yteredeasy nad tdoay. aWtl hiWmtamn is het fehtar of dab pertoy.
So I srot het iedas oznigarng tehm by ptirioy an
Iam lsto.

Poem: I Love you in Forty-One Languages

I LOVE YOU in 41 LANGUAGES

Ek het jou lief; Ohhe-buk; Nin ko nga; Chit pa de; Ngor oi ley; T’estimo; Noi makokonda; Ndimakukonda; Ik hou vanje; Mi amas vin; Mina rakastan sinus; Je t’aime; Tha gradh agam ort Ich liebe dich; Se ero Ndiinoluda, Te amo; Jag alskar dig; I Chaa di Garn; Iniibig kita; Mahal kita; Phom Rak Khun; Keyagorata; Seni seviyorum; Mi-an aap say piyar karta hun; ‘Rwy’n dy garu di; Ikh hob dikh lib; Ngiya kuthanda; I love you.

Poem: Tobacco Mosaic Virus (found poem)

Tobacco Mosaic Virus
Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Dahlemense Strain, also know as:
A
ce
tyl
sery
ltyro
sylser
yiisole
ucylthr
eonylse
rylprolyl
serylgluta
minylphen
ylalanylvaly
lphenylanyl
leucylserylse
rylvalyltrypsop
hylalanylasparty
lprolylisoleucylgl
utamylleucylleuc
ylasparaginylvalylc
ysteinylthreonylse
rylserylleucylglycyl
asparaginylgutaminy
lphenylalanylglutamin
ylthreonylgutaminylglu
taminylalglutaminylaany
larginylthreonylthreonyl
glutaminylvalyglutaminylg
lutaminylphenylalanylseryl
glutaminylvalyltryptophylly
sylprolylphenylalanylprolylg
lutaminylserylthreanylvalylar
ginylphenylalanylalanylprolylg
lyclaspartylvalyltryrosllysylvaly
tr
nylvalylleucylaspartylprolylleucy
lisoleucyltheonylalanylleucylleuc
ylglycylthreonylphenylalanylaspar
tylthreorylarginylaspargiylarginyliso
leucylisoleucylglutamylvalylglutamyla
sparginlglutaminylgutaminylserylproly
threonylthreonylalanylglutamylthreon
ylleucylaspartylalanylthreonylarginylar
ginylvalyplaspartylaspartylalnylthreonyl
valylalanylisoleucylarginylserylalanylaspa
rainylisoleucylasparaginylleucylvalylasparag
inylglutamylleucylvlylarginylglyclthreonylglc
ylleucyltrosylasparaginylglutaminlasparaginyl
threonylphenylalanylglutamylserylmethionyls
erylglycylleucylvalytryptophylthreonylserylalanylprolylalanylserine
Acetylseryltyrosylseryiisoleucylthreonylserylprolylserylglutaminylphenylalanylvalylphenylanylleucylserylserylvalyltrypsophylalanylaspartylprolylisoleucylglutamylleucylleucylasparaginylvalylcysteinylthreonylserylserylleucylglycylasparaginylgutaminylphenylalanylglutaminylthreonylgutaminylglutaminylalglutaminylaanylarginylthreonylthreonylglutaminylvalyglutaminylglutaminylphenylalanylserylglutaminylvalyltryptophyllysylprolylphenylalanylprolylglutaminylserylthreanylvalylarginylphenylalanylalanylprolylglyclaspartylvalyltryrosllysylvalytrosylarginyltyrosylaspaginylalanylvalylleucylaspartylprolylleucylisoleucyltheonylalanylleucylleucylglycylthreonylphenylalanylaspartylthreorylarginylaspargiyvlylarginylglyclthreonylglcylleucyltrosylasparaginylglutaminlasparaginylthreonylphenylalanylglutamylserylmethionylserylglycylleucylvalytryptophylthreonylserylalanylprolylalanylserine

Poem: Hugs And Kisses

HUGS AND KISSES

O’s and X’s
She signed the letter
Hugs and kisses
With o’s and x’s
The o
Is the mouth of the scream
(Of Edvard Munch)
Frozen in timeless hell
The x is
The eyes of the dead
The symbol of
And not or banned
Hugs and death
Screams and kisses
Or simply tic tac to
The game noone ever wins

Poem: Brand Name Narrative

BRAND NAME NARRATIVE

Match.com
AOL.com
Yahoo.com
FTD
Godiva
Red Lobster
Beringer
Absolute
AMC
Beringer
Absolute
Seily
Trojan
First Response
Pampers
Zales
Lord and Taylor
David’s Bridal
Travelocity.com
Hawaiian Air
Hilton
Chevy Venture
La Petite
Barney
NBC
Tonight's Show
Seily
Valuim

Poem: Broken Man

The
RO
B KE
E
N
ANm
The
Bro
ken
M
a
n I
N
r e s/S r S
F
g d D
E
HIDDEN
h
Weo
l F
A
The C
A
D
E
e
H C
r e a A
L
i O
N
E
The broken man

Poem: A Snack (found poem)

NabiscoWheatsworthwithKraftExtraSharpCheddarCheesewithWine

Enrichedflour(wheatflour,niacin,reducediron,thiaminemononitrate[Vitamin B1],riboflavin[VitaminB2],folicacid);Partiallyhudrodgenatedsoybeanoil;Defattedwheatgerm;Stonegroundwholewheatflour;Sugar;Toastedhulledsesameseeds,Salt,Leavening(bakiingsodacalciumphosphate),Honey,Wheatgluten(Aprotien);Cornsyrup,Maltsyrup,Soylecithin(emulsifier),Caramelcolor.
Milk;Cheeseculture;Salt;Enzymes;Annatto(color);Natamycin(anaturalmoldinhibitor);agedoversixtydays.
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