Gary Snyder, "What You Should Know to Be a Poet" (1967)


	Gary Snyder, "What You Should Know to Be a Poet" (1967)

enbar

11-6-2007 2:46 PM

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post:facebook(clip), poetry, literature, primary_source, art

enbar says:

Gary Snyder's short 1967 poem. Flagged mature for language and sexual imagery. From a post at MetaFilter.

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11-6-2007 3:48 PM

farmertan

So anyway, next up on my Life List: Hang gliding.

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What You Should Know To Be A Poet<BR /><DIV>
by Gary Snyder</DIV>

all you can know about animals as persons.
the names of trees and flowers and weeds.
the names of stars and the movements of planets
and the moon. 
your own six senses, with a watchful elegant mind.
at least one kind of traditional magic:<BR /><DIV>
dicvination, astrology, the book of changes, the tarot;</DIV>

dreams.
the illusory demons and the illusory shining gods.
kiss the ass of the devil and eat shit;
fuck his horny barbed cock,
fuck the hag, 
and all the celestial angels<BR /><DIV>
and maidens perfum'd and golden --</DIV>

& then love the human: wives husbands and friends
children's games, comic books, bubble-gum,<BR /><DIV>
the weirdness of television and advertising.</DIV>

work long, dry hours of dull work swallowed and accepted
and lived with and finally lovd. exhaustion,<BR /><DIV>
hunger, rest.</DIV>

the wild freedom of the dance, extasy<BR /><DIV>
silent solitary illumination, entasy</DIV>

real danger. gambles and the edge of death.</blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/45BEBF9B-C8CA-4D3B-8AA0-0BF58C0D8FE0/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

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