Lament for the makers
Sir: Martin Seymour-Smith (12 July) ought not to have used that wholly discreditable quotation from the Times on 'public poetry', as a club with which to beat the current fashion for poetry readings.
Of course, journalistic opinions are always taken most seriously by other journalists. But the more serious organisers of poetry readings make no such absurd claims for the activity—and Mr Seymour- Smith should know it. He was ostensibly reviewing Jeremy Robson's anthology Poems from Poetry and Jazz in Concert: I commend to his attention the following, from Mr Robson's introduction:
'Poetry readings are an introduction to the written word . . . not an did in themselves. Despite the many readings 1 cannot believe in a "public" or "pop" poetry—only in poetry written for the page . . . A poet's first commitment is to his poem. When he has completed the poem, he may choose to read it aloud; but that's another process.'
Mr Seymour-Smith accuses poetry audi- ences of being unable to listen. But that fault may be his. And more: when he can ignore Mr Robson's realistic claims for poetry readings, and when he can describe that considerable poet Peter Porter as merely 'an advertising copywriter', one must conclude that Mr Seymour-Smith is also unable to read.
Douglas Hill Flat 3, 16 Haslemere Road, London N8 Sir: Mr Martin Seymour-Smith's reference (12 July) to my suggestion that poetry needs critical assessments that are geared to the poet's choice of various media—'poetry for the printed page, poetry for declamation, poetry written to be read against a musical background or accompaniment'—comes at a particularly felicitous moment.
Those who enjoy spoken poetry have had a chance of applying international standards at the recent Poetry International 1969 pro- moted by the Poetry Book Society at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, where poets from the United States, the West Indies, and various European countries have been appreciated by large audiences who have listened by ear to their poems both in the original languages and (where necessary) in English translations. This was admittedly a special audience in festival mood; and I would claim no more than that it illustrates the importance of one aspect of the poet/ audience relationship—but at least it rein- forces the argument that the ear should not be allowed to atrophy while the eye takes over completely as it skims from left to right (and occasionally in other directions) over the printed page. I sign myself with pleasure Eric W. White (poetitomaster) Alwyne Road, London NI
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