David,

I have been observing a class in the writing of poetry lately.  In the class, a student mentioned that he hoped this class would help him be a better songwriter.  I gather that he writes songs in a pop vein, with rap tendencies.

Watching the course unfold, I note that the instructional approach tends to urge students toward specificity, sensory detail and physical description holding sway.  It seems to me that my own writing, when I attempt poetry, moves in just such directions, and I further observe that since I began reading poetry of the current era, I have noticed that I cannot write pop songs or tell jokes.  The need to be specific, it seems, gets in the way of such things.

So I want to ask you about your approach to songwriting (again).

Given what you observe about the writing currently going on in literary circles (as opposed to songwriting circles), how does the writing of poetry differ from the writing of songs?

Do you write poems, distinct from the lyrics of your songs?

Do songs have an advantage over poems, given that the instrument of choice (guiter, piano, etc) can fill in, augment, amplify ?

What poets of the common era do you think are worth knowing about? 

Herring405

PS:  some poets I enjoy:  Albert Goldbarth; James Tate; Louise Gluck; Christopher Howell; Thomas Rabbitt.