The Doors Forum

This is a question that really puzzles me at times. When I first read him in high school I was impressed by his poetry, maybe because it confused me and my reading hadn't branched out far enough. You said something about how he would say things with some far out premise to see what kind of counterpoint would be presented (however you put it). However, that made me think about his poetry, like a lot of it's just nonsense but maybe he didn't mean it to be taken seriously either. The romantic way of looking at that would be he wanted to make people think, the truth of the matter probably being he hadn't matured as a poet.

To me Dylan combined poetry and music better than anyone from that era (although that abstract stuff gets old to listen to), and I find it laughable that people put Jim's writing ability up there as far as they do. He did, however, have a way of portraying things in spoken form that gives his poetry more weight. The last time I read from his posthumous collections, I couldn't help but wish more of it had been edited out. Who cares if people get to see as much. Poets burn notebooks for reasons other than being on acid. It'd have just made it easier to remember the stronger stuff (cuz a lot of it IS exceptional) and not have lines like "Bloody bones has got you!" springing to mind.

There are peots and Poets.

Shakespeare was a poet and so was Poe and many others.

Morrison was not a poet. He wrote things to. Thoughts that flashed through a drug damaged mind. Other people, in order to support their own agenda, or who wanted the financial benefit, too Jim's writings and made much ado about nothing.

This ivory tower of "Poet" should be made into key for an organ console. We could save a few elephants and destroy a sick myth at the same time.

You are correct - at least I agree - in your assertion that his best writing was accomplished when in his early - perhaps teen years. After than the well dried up. Probably form drug use.

Poets burn notebooks because when they are re-read, the author was probably embarrassed. Not to say that mistakes have not been made in that action. But as far as Jim was concerned, he is a Made poet who then tried to live up to the image or title and then failed.

Let's put it this way. He was about as succesfull in poetry as he was in film making.

Vince treanor III

Thanks for answering. Realistic enough. Maybe he was just young and needed time for the self infatuation to wear off, but that's just a buncha what -ifs. May I ask also what you think of the poetry album?

Speakin of Organ consoles, I know someone REALLY into Organs. He took me on a trip to Florida when I graduated highscool and the whole way down I had to stop at churches. For someone not into them, it was kind of interesting hearing them played and explained a little.

Nick - I have not read it. A lot of this stuff came out with the explosion of interest when the fantasy movie came out. Suddenly books, films and such were "Discovered" and thrown on the market. Publishers put it out and the $$ rolled in. Good move for those on the receiving end.

the more you promote the myth of Morrisons majical poetry and inshghtful writings, the more profit.

I was more of a student of their music and arrangements thereof than of Jim's writing. As you know the materials that made it into the songs that they performed were very inspiring - to use only one word.

Some of his other pieces are interesting to read and have the ability to make one think a bit or bring about images.
Other material is a copy of the E.E. Cummins style. It is really disjointed and without beginning or end - like a piece of "Modern" music.

I feel that had he not become so deeply involved in drink and/or drugs, he may have been more productive, more organised and presented a mature development of his style. As it was, he didn't give himself much of a chance. Notes joted down on the spur of the moments and throughts crossing one's mind, do not come together to form a poem or narrative. There must be connective tissue between to lead from one point to another and draw the reader into the same mental configuration as the writer and understand the images or thoughts the writer desires to convery.

I write words and you can decide the meaning - any fool can do that, and often do. That is not "Peotry". It is a sort of Dairy.

I usually return to Frost in such cases. His works are so special because common people can relate to what he says. The same with Poe and so many others. The most popular poetry is like an Adnrew Wyeth painting (There are others in that field also)

If Jim was trying to write as the impressionist painters created images, he failed miserably - or he didn't understand how to use the technique.

In time, perhaps he might have but not up to the time of his death.

Intersting thoughts.