Blog Post 1 – Critical

“Discuss what you think are the key differences and benefits of poetry that is ‘transparent’ versus poetry that is ‘opaque’.”

My own definition of poetry is that it is an artistic creation that encapsulates the vulnerabilities, perplexities and triumphs of both human nature and the greater world. Through time, there have been assorted styles of poetry, two of which I will be addressing. In this blog post, I will compare the benefits of both opaque and transparent poetry, while also pointing out some key differences using Australian literature to highlight and contrast.

“Did we not know their blood channelled our rivers, and the black dust our crops ate was their dust? O all men are one man at last.”

– Judith Wright “Niggers Leap”

Opaque poetry refers to poetry that is difficult to derive obvious meaning from. That is, you read and are often perplexed as to what the author is saying and the concept they are trying to convey. This could be for a multitude of reasons: the language in that time, context, literary devices and of course the readers own literary background and expertise.

A benefit of opaque poetry is its ability to articulate human nature in such a way that resonates long after you finish reading the poem. Poetry that is written in this manner often employs complex figurative language and techniques such as juxtapose, paradox and explementary use of syntax. This method of poetry not only gives a lasting impact but shows how well thought out these poems can be. This therefore enables their literature to have numerous twists and turns, presenting variable but deep meaning to the individual reader.

This is evident in the poem “Niggers Leap” by Judith Wright. She authors a compelling piece of the brutality indigenous people suffered and, in this instance, the expulsion of Aboriginal people off a cliff-face. Wright feels for her country immensely in this piece which is presented in the powerful, ironic line, “Did we not know their blood channeled our rivers, and the black dust our crops ate was their dust? O all men are one man at last.”

Contrastingly, Transparent poetry bears its meaning and purpose in a clear and direct manner. This method of poetry almost leaps off the page at you, where the poet wants to make an impact to enhance the readers understanding of the text. This can be more enjoyable for the reader, as they can take pleasure in knowing the authors true intentions and identifying with those meanings and concepts in a present-day setting.

Consequently, a benefit of Transparent poetry is that it presents an immediate reaction and feeling with the reader. Traits of this poetry often include: obvious imagery, sound patterning, simple word choice and sentence structure. This is not to state that it is a simple form of poetry by any means, it takes an artistic mind to create these pieces.

An example of this immediate reaction is in the poem “Urbanised Reeboks” by Lisa Bellear. In this piece, the reader quickly notices the deliberate misspelling of “Blak”. The author emphasises the harshness of ‘K’ in nearly cacophony to illustrate a separation from the European way of speaking and sounding.

In concluding, I would summarise that both forms of poetry have key benefits and differences and it is the prerogative of the reader in which they choose to enjoy stimulating their mind with.