Photo taken by Mary Laing/ Photo Editor
KRISTEN SHULTIS and REBECCA HALE
Staff Writer and Assistant Reverb Editor
Poet Daisy Fried came to campus for a craft talk and poetry reading on Thursday, Nov. 6. This event was part of the Mary Louise White Visiting Writers Series, which is presented every semester.
The craft talk was held at 4 p.m. in McEwen 202, where Fried focused on the process of revision. Fried asked for student volunteers to read two versions of William Carlos Williams’ poem, “Last Words of my Grandmother.” The first reading was the 1924 version, and the second was a revision from 1939, and was half as long as the first. Fried asked students which version they preferred, and the audience was split.
Fried used this example of revision to show that revision doesn’t always make a poem better or worse, but it can make the poem feel different. The first version felt more personal, more descriptive and gave the reader a better understanding of the subjects. Still, the revised version was more focused. Fried explained that revision can change the feel of a poem to appeal to a different audience.
Alex Rodriguez, a sophomore video production and childhood education dual major, was one of the volunteers who read Williams’ poem. On Fried’s views on revision, he said, “I think it was spot-on.”
“She said that it’s hard to nail down to a specific process, and I liked her views on that,” Rodriguez said.
Next, Fried read two versions of W.B. Yeats’ poem, “The Sorrow of Love,” an 1892 version, and after, a 1925 revision. Through changing the pronouns and the adjectives in the poem, but keeping the same structure, Yeats changed the mood of the poem as well as the audience appeal. The first version felt like an intimate and mournful monologue, spoken to a love, while the revision felt philosophical and contained more of a dissonant tone.
Through these examples, Fried taught students about the power of revision, and how it can be a tool to do more than simply fix errors and change a few words here and there. After the craft talk, Fried answered students’ questions and signed their books.
“I enjoyed [the craft talk]. It felt focused, and I liked the exercises,” Rodriguez said. “There was more participation where she called on us, which was nice.”
During the later 7 p.m. reading, she read from her book, “Women’s Poetry: Poetry and Advice,” which is named after one of the poems in the book. As the title suggests, this book is three sections of poetry, with the fourth section being an advice column in which the “Poetess” answers some fabricated questions.
“To be a writer, you have to write a little each day; [even] if it’s ten minutes, it will give you something to come back to tomorrow and not be frustrated,” said Fried.
Some poetry is easy to decipher and contains clear messages; however, in Fried’s poems, the message isn’t always clear. She takes different approaches to writing the poems.
Three things that Fried said shouldn’t be written about in poetry are kittens, babies and drinking. Afterwards, she read her poem “Midnight Feeding” — in which she discusses all three.
“You should never be scared to write,” said Fried. “You might not figure out that you have a love for writing if you don’t try to write.”
Fried never really talks about the metaphors within, or the meaning of her poems. She explained that, “a lot of times, I can’t explain the metaphors that I use.”
When asked about the meaning of her poems, she doesn’t like to give definite answers, but rather little hints or clues. This leaves the ultimate interpretation of her poems up to the reader.
Fried was the final author to speak as a part of this semester’s Mary Louise White Visiting Writers Series, but the series will continue next semester with author Laura van den Berg in March.