Re: Poetry and lyrics

[KGiles@prodigy.com ( K D GILES)]

I think it is a mistake to compare poetry and song lyrics as though 
they were the same thing.  Once upon a time the two were 
interchangeable, but for many years now poetry has existed primarily 
as a written art form (although it can still be heard at poetry 
readings and the like).  Song lyrics are ALWAYS meant to be performed.
  There are different rules, limitations, and conventions that apply 
to each art form.  Lyrics suffer if they are read instead of heard.  
On the page, most decent poems will look better than even the best 
lyrics.  The poetry of Emily Dickinson will always be a better read 
than the lyrics of Pete Townshend.  But to stage such a contest in 
the first place is to expect song lyrics to do something they were 
never meant to do.  It would be like saying a painting wasn't as 
interesting to touch as a sculpture.  If one MUST compare Pete to 
other artists, at least compare him with other lyricists.

-Yellow "Sappho Could Sing" Ledbetter