ModPo - Week 8 – some trends in recent poetry L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E

     Week 8 was all about language poetry. ModPo has introduced experimental poems in last three weeks and “Language Poetry” is an experimental poetry. The movement emerged in the San Francisco Bay area and New York in the 1970s and 1980s. LANGUAGE poets are known for their blending of "poetry and critical writing about poetry". In this week there were two important poem have been discussed by instructors, first is “Chronic Meanings” by Bob Perelman and second is “My Life” by Lyn Hejinian

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    Here I have discussed one language poetry from chapter 9.1 “In a Restless World Like This Is” by Charles Bernstein.

In a Restless World Like This Is - Charles Bernstein

Not long ago, or maybe I dreamt it

Or made it up, or have suddenly lost

Track of its train in the hocus pocus

Of the dissolving days; no, if I bend

The turn around the corner, come at it

From all three sides at once, or bounce the ball

Against all manner of bleary-eyed fortune

Tellers—well, you can see for yourselves there’s

Nothing up my sleeves, or notice even

Rocks occasionally break if enough

Pressure is applied. As far as you go

In one direction, all the further you’ll

Have to go on before the way back has

Become totally indivisible.

        

         While reading this poetry we feel some kind of confusion. In the very first line the poet is confused that the thing which he is going to discuss was dream or reality. The words and images in poem distract us from the main concept of poem. In the last line he concludes his all confusion by saying that you cannot step back from your present condition. You have to move forward and go on. Sometimes we are very confident in our life and we move on though we have done so many mistakes, but this is what the title of the poem suggests. We have to move on and on. If we will look back, we will lose our path.