john >>> A poem wouldn't tell you every picture has it's shadows. It would simply BE the thing. (Not sure if I'm making sense...) The condensation of thought would strip away the declarative and the reader would discover, by discription, or words alone that the shadows mentioned in the piece are in fact the shadows of a painting. That would turn the writing into Poetry.<<<
i totally get what you are saying & must add that this is also what many lyricists strive for...finding that particular word that says so much...being instead of describing...somewhat related to basic writing 101- show don't tell... >>>I'm not sure why we would want to cast Joni's lyrics in such an unflattering light as to put them in the realm of Poetry. Especially on the heels of her brilliant triumph T'log. These lyrics are among the most brilliant song lyrics in the history of mankind. As poetry, Wiliam Meredith or Donald Justice is running nuclear rings around this stuff. Why pale her work by such comparison?<<< maybe this comparison thing is more of an intellectual exercise that i find is just so unneccessary when talking about poetry or any creative endeavor for that matter...i do not think that by calling joni's lyrics poetry it lessens her work just because there may be others who may be considered 'better'....as i've said before, for me it all boils down to opinion...there is some art, some literature, some poetry, etc...that many consider to be great that leaves me cold...& vice versa... >>>Which brings up a bit of irony I'm afraid to mention, but thought of when I opened the T'log package: I find it curious that Joni devotes so much of her worth to a medium that she is a minor player in, when as a writer/singer/composer she is unparalleled in the history of mankind. As a painter, the peers her equal or better, just in the southern Cal area alone would popuate a small city.<<< because that is what she has always done her entire career....she has often used her paintings, photos (or had a hand in the art directions) for her albums & this is just a natural extention of that...for her first release STAS, she painted the cover...decades later she is doing the same thing, but now with the available technology & the lushness of the music, she is complementing the sonics by showing us a gallery of her work...nobody else to my knowledge has done this yet & so once again she has followed her creative instincts & given us something new...in a few years perhaps more people will get it...joni's releases have often left people saying huh? (as jeff says, that is a good sign) only to come to the conclusion later that she was actually brilliant... it is the nature of creativity to share what you have created with as little thought of being compared to others as possible (the antimuse as victor called it or the i suck syndrome as jonatha calls it)....(this is the territory left for the critics & academics i suppose) for instance, i am fully aware that i am a minor player in the realm of singing & songwriting but that does not stop me from recording & performing my works (well it almost did at one point)...if i were to consider how many brilliant singers & songwriters there are out there & let that stop me from sharing my creativity you might as well stab me with a flowing pen because not to create & share is soul death... ******************************************** Kate Bennett: www.katebennett.com Sponsored by Polysonics/Atlantis Sound Labs Over the Moon- "bringing the melancholy world of twilight to life almost like magic" All Music Guide ********************************************