Japanese poetry

philosophy

taste

nationality

American

occupation / innovator as

poet

literary critic

scientific organization

American Academy of Arts and Letters

conscientious objection

is the reasoned derangement of the senses.

is purer, more essentially poetic, for it focuses exclusively on the intensification and exaltation of experience, while being less distracted by non-poetic considerations than in the poetry of other peoples.

Japanese poetry does what poetry does everywhere: it intensifies and exalts experience. It is true that it concentrates practically exclusively on this function. The poetry of other peoples usually serves other functions too, some of them not particularly germane to the poetic experience. It is possible to claim that Japanese poetry is purer, more essentially poetic. Certainly it is less distracted by non-poetic considerations.

is a complicated method of avoiding all the important problems of life.

is impossible to teach thought any bright young man can be taught to be artful.

Any bright young man can be taught to be artful. It is impossible to teach taste, but you can teach most anybody caution. It is always the lesser artists who are artful, they must learn their trade by rote. They must be careful never to make false steps, never to speak out of a carefully synthesized character. The greatest poetry is nobly disheveled. At least it never shows the scars of taking care.

Kenneth Rexroth

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Kenneth Rexroth