Word: lernerã
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...verse has become one of the dominant styles of poetry—encompassing the long rhythmic lines of Allen Ginsberg and the short, understated verse of current Poet Laureate Kay Ryan. Amid this prevalence of fluidity in poetic style, “Mean Free Path,” Ben Lerner??s third book of poetry, stands out in its reactionary innovation. “Mean Free Path” is an experiment aiming for the reconstruction, not dismantlement, of poetic forms. Lerner??s book invents a new form as recognizable and systematic as the old ones...
...form, along with the content, renders the book a single, prolonged conversation. At first glance, “Mean Free Path” appears to be a collection of short, untitled poems. But here, the absence of titles is significant; the obscured distinction between poems is strengthened by Lerner??s intentional thematic repetition. That is, thoughts that were mentioned at the beginning of the book are repeated throughout the book over and over again—often in the same exact words; somewhat as if Lerner were attempting a modernized sestina...
...Lerner??s dynamic use of punctuation gives an added shape to his sequences. His lines are almost always broken by a caesura, dramatically moderating the flow of his verse. “It cannot save us. But it can remind us / Survival is a butcher’s goal. All hands / To the pathos. Let the credits,” he writes. The poet explains that this is “a structure of feeling / Broken by hand.” Alternatively, Lerner also often leaves out punctuation, leaving sentences unfinished, imitating the rhythm of real conversations...
There are also instances where Lerner??s voice becomes too colloquial. Lines such as “removing the suicide / From the speed dial,” or, “There are some cool pics online,” detract from the other accomplishments of his work. These phrases solely function as a distraction from his more serious and beautiful ones such as, “we could spend our lives / Parting in stations, promising to write / War and Piece...
...people. Camelot is supposed to be permanent. That said, Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot” plays only until September, and theater-goers should relish it. Ruggiero may misinterpret Arthur’s story, but he tells it beautifully. His production is, in Lerner??s words, “one brief shining moment...