The 'essay' from 35/40 years ago I referred to above is in fact an interview with the Observer a mere 27 years ago, and the part of it I was thinking of is here:
http://www.looksmartcollege.com/p/ar...i=scl#continue
Carol, I don't think it's constructive to consider whether song lyrics are a better or worse kind of poetry. I think comparison is odious in poetry (except of course when someone awards a prize to a piece of mine). I do take issue with the notion that dismisses song lyrics as being an inferior kind of poetry. Song lyrics should be a cherished member of the poetry family. There's a kind of class war going on beteen song lyrics and other poetries. It's like poetry is a noble gentleman/woman fallen on hard times, while song lyrics is the nouveau riche upstart. And the gulf is just getting wider and wider. This seems a shame to me. Poetry purism is surely a dead-end street.
And, Michael, yes, I know what you mean about many song lyrics turning cold on the printed page. But who says the printed page should be the measure of what makes a poem a (good) poem? New Criticism! Some poems work best on the page, others off it. (Thanks for the links. I'll certainly check them out.)
Duncan
Hybrid Mode
