I just read about one viewer of the ABC's wonderful Bush Slam program, who was outraged that there were non-rhyming poems on the show! After I stopped tut-tutting and shaking me head, I heaved a heavy sigh. Not that old one again! 'If it doesn't rhyme, it's not poetry!' Rubbish!
If someone writes or performs something and calls it poetry, then it is poetry! It truly is that simple. Poetry in the bush takes many forms, not just the bush ballad form so loved by people in love with Patterson and Lawson. And the Bush Slam television show was created to introduce the city to the country, and judging by how the country people in the show have voted, they have been loving the poetry that connects with their lives. They weren't fussed about the rhyming or not rhyming in the poem, they were concerned about the connection.
A good poem is a poem that reaches out and says something to you. This is what Bush Slam has done, and I congratulate the ABC so much for producing this show.
4 comments:
It's such a great show isn't it. Some of the poetry has been very emotional. I like the way they have picked a variety of styles and HG is such a good host.
Its really weird but people GET SO HUNG UP ON this rhyming/not rhyming stuff where poetry is....I am with you poetry is whatever form it takes - if it works for the writer & reader of then that makes it work as poetry - Bush Slam has been just fabulous & I am really looking forward to this week's show in Blinman - I LOVE Blinman!! TK
I don't like to censor comments, but if I can't read it, there's no point leaving it there.
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