Z is for the zenith, the ultimate influence. It is the highest point in the sky directly overhead; it is what some hats point towards, yet what umbrellas deny; it is the eventual extreme of highest thoughts, and the divine refutation of earth and earthiness; it is the utmost point of contact with utmost otherness; it is the final resting place and celestial terminus of poems worth having.
- from "A Poet's Alphabet", Mark Strand, The Weather of Words
Recently, our renga group began a new renga about idolatrous art. Part of this renga idea is to acknowledge the origins and sources of some of our inspiration through the use of unflinchingly blatant and honest imitations of other poets and poetry.
I've just finished reading Mark Strand's "A Poet's Alphabet", and have been inspired to write my own alphabet. I don't know yet whether it will be the same words that Strand used, or why. I don't know where to start either; one would think that, given the alphabet, you could begin at the beginning or at the end, but beginnings and ends are relative given the circular nature of alphabets and language, so it is a bit more difficult for me to decide whether A is the beginning or the end. I also have not yet determined whether this alphabet should include other languages; I consider this because each poet's alphabet is different -- the basic building blocks of the artist's craft will differ from person to person. I believe the piece will, eventually, come to me in some form, but as I draft this particular piece, I'd love to hear what people would do.
- Where would you begin? A? Z? M? Q? Which letter would you pick as the starting point?
- How long is your alphabet? Would you create your own alphabet or would you follow tradition?
- Would you write it in English? If you have the opportunity to write this in another language, which would it be?
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