Stephen Fry's comments on free verse, UK Observer Newspaper article link Options

[Guest_Toumai_*]

Well known writer, actor, media personality and intellectual Stephen Fry has a new book out about poety.

This link is to an article in the Observer Sunday newspaper last weekend where he says what he thinks about free verse.

WARNING: Mr Fry does not mince his words: some of his language is a little coarse (however, if a highly respectable and popular Sunday broadsheet can carry it nationally I assume MM can)

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/sto...1593317,00.html

I'd be very interested in hearing what everyone thinks of his comments.

My own first response is - if free verse is emotional self-gratification, then form is merely the intellectual counterpart of the same thing.

Growling  :dragon:

Fran

[Guest_Don_*]

Hi Fran,

I essentially agree with Jox/James.  

Stephen Fry's sample villanelle extract was good.

Why Stephen Fry has an axe to grind for a certain class of poetry I've no idea, except a guess to sell his book.  It is like saying only certain types of plays are good enough to put on stage.  Well, that is true, but from his argument that the artist should first put some work into the enitity before making it public.

Lazy has no limits or attraction to specific categories.  Though I prefer older formats over freeverse, I am certain that I could generate a scathing argument against R&M.  

I know not this man, but maybe we should note that he is an actor by trade.

From what I see concerning popularity of freeverse, Mr. Fry is attacking his largest bread and butter audience.  

Don