FROM POETRY TO WORSE (VERSE)

I am an office bearer of a literary society and am in touch with names in the field. This year the Byron Society announced its awards and poet Grace was awarded a cash prize: Only her entry was rated one star. I knew Grace was a prolific composer of poetry in different forms. Grace wasn’t her name it was only her nom de plume. She had studied in England for two years and had obtained a degree. I decided to congratulate her on her poetry award and we met at the Rose Bower restaurant of the Metropole Hotel.

I am a senior citizen with a partially bald head, grey hair, a large tummy and went dressed in grey pants over which I wore a white bush shirt. Grace was only 24, slim, tall, fair and attractive and came in a flowered dress whose style I couldn’t recognize but which reminded me of a kimono. She had her hair in a style which normally suited males. She had on a bracelet and ear rings and glasses which set off her beauty. A table for two had been set for us and after ordering I started talking to her.

“Grace I again say I was happy to hear that you’ve been awarded a poetry prize by the prestigious Byron Society.”

“Thanks. Not only me three others have also been given the one star prize. Let me first say that I was very disappointed as I was hoping to land the 5 star gold award. I’ve been downgraded this year as I won this society’s silver award two years ago.”

“Still this is an international award and you’ve won against much competition.”

She said “This time the theme was tricky. It concerned Covid. I had made many drafts and the one I had rejected was almost like what Aiko, the Japanese competitor and gold prize winner, had submitted.”

We paused as we ate cakes.

I asked “Grace how do you compose poems?”

“I select themes. I select the metre and what type of style I’ve to adopt say sonnet, quatrain etc.  I’ve composed odes, elegies and so on. I’ve even composed limericks and doggerels. I’ve now started working on haikus - the Japanese compositions. Those are subtle and writing them is tricky, I would say difficult.”

We had a hot preparation in oil for which the restaurant was famous and then I said “Poems like the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam I was told, are very difficult to write.”

“Indeed they are. But more than Khayyam it was the English translation by Fitzgerald which was a masterpiece. In fact they said a reverse translation of the Fitzgerald work was attempted but didn’t satisfy as much. It happens: We know Tagore wrote GITANJALI in Bengali and himself translated it into English to win a Nobel  prize.”

I said “Yes, I know.” I changed the topic and said “I was talking to a publisher and he said he wouldn’t publish poetry. It seems he did it once and it didn’t sell more than 30 copies though it was praised.”

“I agree. Poetry is the most extreme of the arts. At its best it gives sublime inputs into life. It needs a deep understanding of the language, grammar, use of stops etc etc.”

“Do you use a rhyming dictionary?”

She laughed and said “No need! All of it has been taken over by google. I often wonder how many more poems would have been written by Byron, Pope etc if they were alive today with these aids available to them.”

We had big plate of ice cream and when we had finished she said “This ice cream was excellent.”

“Shall I call for a second helping?”

She said “I want to maintain my figure. So I try to keep off fats. No need for more ice cream.”

I said “Simple nonsense verse which are humorous come out from time to time.”

“Those are used by advertisers and sometimes appear as fillers in newspapers and magazines if appropriate. They aren’t easy to create. But skilled poetasters do the job well often mixing English with the vernacular.”

As we were having coffee I said “I enjoy reading good poetry but unmixed with olde English terms.”

“I do too. But the forms of modern poetry have changed. There is no rhyming or alliteration. Reading such poetry gives the impression that we’re reading prose. Some of the modern poets make innovations, skipping capitals, omitting vowels, repeating words, bringing in Biblical terms and use unusual spellings. It’s strange but that’s what is accepted today.”

I said “I don’t know if I could suggest it. Why don’t you write modern nonsense verse which is humorous? The rigid rules of writing would be set aside. You could use the vernacular where rhyming is difficult using English words. The effect should be to create laughter.”

She laughed and said “Such verses could sometimes be crude with naughty terms used. I’ve received some of them sent to provoke me. But I’m stoic. In fact I’ve modified and sent some back to senders to show that the content is not unwelcome.”

“My friend the publisher has a nephew and a niece who draw cartoons and the like using the computer. He is willing to bring out a book of poems with appropriate illustrations done by his kin. He proposes to bring out the book at lowest cost and expects that it would be popular among students and even neo-literates.  Anything to keep his press going after Covid hiatus.”

“Will I get paid for my contribution?”

“Of course. He is desperate to run his press again and is willing to invest to start afresh. Financial terms would’ve to be discussed by you with the publisher. I can put you on to him if you agree.”

Grace was thoughtful for a few moments. Then she said “I’ve a name writing good poetry but if start writing limericks and the like it would be embarrassing.”

“I thought you would raise that point.”

“I suppose you’re suggesting a new nom de plume.”

“No, no! Your poems would come to me and I’ll give them to the publisher to use with whatever name he chooses. As far as royalty is concerned it will come to you.” I paused and added “The publisher plans to bring out children’s books. You could participate too.”

She agreed. I saw her off and spoke to the publisher. He was delighted.

END