Extinguish the Flames of Rebellion!

 There are many different types and styles of poetry. To anyone in my current Poetry class, I’m sure you already know which poet from class is about to be discussed in the following words, but I’ll type them out regardless.

The idea of rebellion usually scares most people. People rising up to change the way the world views a certain idea or a certain place, and all are trying to replace the figure in charge with a new way they consider better. Certain ideas that fuel rebellions have been very beneficial to shape the world we live in today, yet not all rebellions are for good causes, and I’m glad that most of these rebellions are quelled before they are successful. I think Gertrude Stein is one of these rebellions, where the end result doesn’t replace the old idea. Stein tried to fuel a rebellion in the way that people view poetry, and I’m extremely thankful it didn’t completely succeed.

To me, some of Stein’s “poetry” was anything but, and I’m not referring to the fact that it’s mostly repetition and random sounds that come together to form a sound you would hear at the wedding of a couple young, in-love chainsaws. Some of her poems, such as “Daughter” are more of a story, because there is no rhyme, no rhythm, and almost no reason. In this poem, Stein writes:

A painter loved a woman. A musician did not sing. A south African loved books. An American was a woman and needed help.

I’m not going to bash Stein’s work as terrible, even though I compared it to a chainsaw wedding earlier, but rather misguided. I think if Stein had done short stories instead of poetry, she would be famous in a good way instead of the popular opinion that she tried to destroy classical poetry and replace it with a terrible version of nothing.

Aside from the fact that I’m not a fan, I know this world doesn’t revolve around my opinion (thank goodness), and that there are some that have taken Stein’s style as inspiration. One such poet is Elisa Gabbert. Her poem “Poem with a Superpower” reminds me much of Stein’s style, though Gabbert actually makes the poetry look like poetry. In this poem, Gabbert writes:

The art on the walls is hanged

At nefarious angles;

A boy at the counter disappears,

Or I can see through him

These words are reminiscent of the style that Stein offered in her time, though I like that it’s also mixed with the classical look of poetry. Her words are abstract, and they don’t describe the current situation or explain everything that’s happening, but the words are still saying something and causing the reader to think. I believe that’s what Stein was also attempting, though she did a poor job. To me, it seems Stein tried to start a rebellion against the classical view of poetry, but she didn’t offer a better view, just a different one. I’m glad the rebellion didn’t stick, but I do like reading poetry like Gabbert’s, where the words are abstract and the style is more classical. 


Suggested poetry blog of the week: http://anti-poetry.com/anti/gabbertel/