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Fw: Politics and Poetry
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> From: Beau Shaw <bs499@nyu.edu>
> To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Politics and Poetry
> Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 8:10 AM
>
>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (36 lines)
------------------
> Though this might shift the debate away from VN and politics, it should
be
> mentioned that historically politics and poetry have had an intimate
> relationship. Platonic political philosophy is very concerned with the
> state's management of the poetry to which its citizens are exposed. In
> Socrates' ideal regime the philosopher-kings rigorously censor the poetry
> the citizens hear, ensuring that the gods aren't depicted as the cause of
> evil or human suffering, and that the heroes are presented as flawless.
> Metre is regulated as well, influencing the "disposition" of the
> citizens--their virtue, nobility, and control over themselves. Any art
form
> helps mold the way people think about themselves and their leaders; even
> more, art can introduce and and inform criticisms or, on the other hand,
> support, whomever is in control. Despite attempts to distance themselves,
to
> embrace a pure aestheticism in which the reality of the social and
political
> world is insignificant--and detachment or apoliticism is, in any case, a
> (now very common) political position--poets and novelists and any artist
> affects the relationship between citizen and state.--I don't think this
> means, however, an artist has a responsibility to voice convictions.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: D. Barton Johnson <chtodel@gte.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 7:14 PM
> Subject: Politics and Poetry
>
>
> > This message was originally submitted by goliard@WORLDNET.ATT.NET
> > to the NABOKV-L list at LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU.es)
> > -------------------
> >
> > Came across this apposite remark in a recent _TLS_ review of Seamus
> > Heaney's _Finders Keepers_, a collection of his prose writings. 'Heaney
> > agrees with Joseph Brodsky that the only thing poetry and politics have
> > in common "are the letters P and O.'
> >
> > I think VN would be in full agreement.
> From: Beau Shaw <bs499@nyu.edu>
> To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Politics and Poetry
> Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 8:10 AM
>
>
>
> ----------------- Message requiring your approval (36 lines)
------------------
> Though this might shift the debate away from VN and politics, it should
be
> mentioned that historically politics and poetry have had an intimate
> relationship. Platonic political philosophy is very concerned with the
> state's management of the poetry to which its citizens are exposed. In
> Socrates' ideal regime the philosopher-kings rigorously censor the poetry
> the citizens hear, ensuring that the gods aren't depicted as the cause of
> evil or human suffering, and that the heroes are presented as flawless.
> Metre is regulated as well, influencing the "disposition" of the
> citizens--their virtue, nobility, and control over themselves. Any art
form
> helps mold the way people think about themselves and their leaders; even
> more, art can introduce and and inform criticisms or, on the other hand,
> support, whomever is in control. Despite attempts to distance themselves,
to
> embrace a pure aestheticism in which the reality of the social and
political
> world is insignificant--and detachment or apoliticism is, in any case, a
> (now very common) political position--poets and novelists and any artist
> affects the relationship between citizen and state.--I don't think this
> means, however, an artist has a responsibility to voice convictions.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: D. Barton Johnson <chtodel@gte.net>
> To: <NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 7:14 PM
> Subject: Politics and Poetry
>
>
> > This message was originally submitted by goliard@WORLDNET.ATT.NET
> > to the NABOKV-L list at LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU.es)
> > -------------------
> >
> > Came across this apposite remark in a recent _TLS_ review of Seamus
> > Heaney's _Finders Keepers_, a collection of his prose writings. 'Heaney
> > agrees with Joseph Brodsky that the only thing poetry and politics have
> > in common "are the letters P and O.'
> >
> > I think VN would be in full agreement.