Friday, January 7, 2011

Poets and Saints


Thomas Merton 1915 - 1968
Trappist Monk, Author; Poet, Spiritual Leader
"Many poets are not poets for the same reason that many religious men are not saints: they never succeed in being themselves……..They waste their years in vain efforts to be some other poet, or some other saint. ….They wear out their minds and bodies in a hopeless endeavor to have somebody else’s experiences or write somebody else’s poem or possess somebody else’s spirituality."  Thomas Merton - New Seeds of Contemplation (Chapter Integrity)

I was re-reading this on my old blog and thought it worth sharing, and a great reminder for myself......bkm

17 comments:

  1. Barbara,

    Merton's outlook jibed with the non-conformism of the 50s, and I knew of him first from people who were conversant with Beatniks. They, in their differing ways, shared a contemplative and 'true' focus. Which they shared with zen.

    We can't help being formed by our forebears, by great past models. But maturity comes when scaffolding need no longer be in place.

    I think he's telling us that at some point we find -- or should seek -- our own authenticity.

    Really like this!

    Trulyfool

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  2. Love it - thank you for sharing it - enlightening us.

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  3. Excellent quote, bkm--totally true. No matter how hard you try to be someone else, you are still only being yourself, pretending.

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  4. This quote is worth serious consideration. There's a thin line sometimes, between being inspired and just an imitator.

    Tomas Transtromer is arguably the greatest Swedish poet in the last sixty years or so. His voice is truly unique. It holds a wonderful clarity and precision. Whenever I read him, for the next few days, everything I write reads like a Transtromer poem. Some of them pretty decent Transtromer poems. Still, I'm not Tomas Transtromer. My voice is different. Speaking in that voice is the only way for me to be truthful.

    However, clarity and precision are qualities all poets should aspire to. And part of learning is watching others. So I keep reading Transtromer, knowing I'll have to be careful.
    I said it was a thin line.

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  5. bkm,
    All of us, I think, are an amalgam of our teacher's examples as well as our individual experiences and our differing interpretations of what our teachers presented to us, and that is what makes us unique. We cheat ourselves as well as our audience if we try to mimic another artist.

    rel

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  6. A wonderful quote and reminder. Thank you for this.....:)

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  7. Thank you all for your input here on Merton's quote...I read him in earnst for awhile a few years ago...I agree with all of you..when reading another poet that voice seems to come through and that is how we experiment and learn, but to focus on soley a single poet and live and write as they did (do) deprives us of our unique self.

    Individuality is prized in some cultures, looked down upon in others; culture past and present, history, as well the greatness of others come before, melded with the current uniqueness one the poet, is to me, what serves best the evolution of writing. Especially, in the current age of tech where we have seen so blessed to read and have our writing published for a world stage - what many a previous poet and writer could only dream of....

    Everyone, thank you for sharing your thoughts....bkm

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  8. Merton has a lot to say fromm his authentic self. I also have read him on occasion. thank you for the reminder...I have yet to settle into a pure authentic voice in my writing. Not settled.

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  9. For about a month, there's been a small book of Thomas Merton on my nightstand. I'm not even sure when/how/why I put it there. I read Merton many years ago. Maybe, I'll pick up the little book tonight. It may be trying to tell me something. Thanks for this post.

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  10. So true. Reminds me of the saying, "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." I'm still looking for my true voice, which is why I'm experimenting so much with different styles of poetry and writing in general. It's pretty tempting at times to try to write like someone else who is very good. But that doesn't serve any purpose. Like putting on a fake accent, everyone can tell you're just pretending.

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  11. Wonderful passage. It's a great reminder for me, too. Honesty and humility seem to be the themes for today. May they never go out of "style"...
    Thank you for sharing this!

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  12. You know, I don't read many poets and I was wondering the other day if that was good or bad or indifferent. I think it's because I have a low tolerance for poetry that makes no sense to me which, in turn, is probably because I'm not very educated in the genre. I've been told I have a distinctive voice and I do believe I write in my own voice. Maybe it's because I haven't spent a lot of time reading others.
    I don't mean to sound egotistical - I'm just thinking out loud.
    Thanks for sharing this, BKM.

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  13. Awesome quote, and so true. Your blog looks amazing these days!

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  14. oh, I love this! So true, so true...we each have to experience life as it is not as we try to manipulate to be. Great quote, thanks for sharing it!

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  15. So true. Thanks for the reminder. Your blog is just lovely.

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  16. This is a great quote Barbara. And how true! You are yourself, and what a wonderful self you are.

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  17. thank you Kim...you are a gem...blessings...bkm

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