Theory of Knowledge Class Outline: How Poetic
Knowledge is Created
(
…poetry is not a poem: the
name of an object, a finished aesthetic object, the outcome of a process is
negligible...the process of creation and the poem are, at most, two names or
two perspectives for contemplating the same activity, the creativity of a human
being in the world (12)
In (Charles) Olson’s view the
separation of myth and logos, starting with the pre-Socratic philosophers, with
the autonomy of thought (intellect) leading away from the concrete, and that of
experience in favor of abstraction…Olson suggests this is when the decisive
split happened in Western culture. (Pre-dates
This poetics reflects a world
view in which all things are connected, the past informs the present and the
present informs the future. In one take on this, from Hua
Yen Buddhism (618-907 AD), the future also informs the present and we could get
into field theory if necessary, but you can study Rupert Sheldrake’s notion of morphic fields if you have interest in that. If you
want to see the view which we’re currently limited by, look at the level of
dialog in
Projective Verse:
Poetry written spontaneously, one perception leading directly to another; a use
of speech at its least careless and least
logical.
Now while the work will be more
realized, more polished, with years of training in this manner, if you CAN
train yourself to write this way, to be fully committed to the moment of
composition and to learn to trust your aural intuition, you can begin to create
work that surprises yourself and you can, best of all, learn how to write with
power more quickly than the average student. This is a talent that can be
applied to activities beyond writing poetry.
I’ll play some clips from
poets I have interviewed, but for now let’s write a couple of things. Keep in
mind that we want tangible things. Things you can actually hold, taste or small.
Now you have all had the
experience of writing spontaneously. This is a process that takes about 10
years of regular practice to master. If you stick with it, you can have mastery
before the age of 30. The same goes with just about any other discipline, but
you will find, whatever you do every day of your life
becomes your discipline. The field of energy you create and attract,
will have as its foundation your regular practice, intentional or not. Your own
potential calls for you to spend your time on something a little more creative
than television or video games. http://www.splab.org
is a good site to browse. You’re welcome to a bookmark and feel free to attend
our annual Ginsberg Marathon Saturday night in