The 1960-70s was M.L.K., it was J.F.K., and it was S.D. & R. (sex drugs and rock-n-roll). It was social and political strife and change that was a reaction to the preceding decade’s strict social contract which excluded many and separated public from private. The poetry, like much of the art created in this period, is more experimental and more personal than the art that precedes it. The poetry of the 60-70s within this collection seems to arc from more traditional texts in the earlier 60s, to a peak of untraditional around the early 70s, and then heading back to a more traditional style in the late 70s. Ladder of Hope (1964), which has a distinctly 1950s style to its layout, and Rev. James E. Brooks’ Reflections in Verse (1978), with its traditional layout and calligraphy, represent either end of this period.
Two things are truly interesting about this period of poetry. The first is the will to experiment with the form, style, and lay out. The idea of western poetry seems to be challenged and celebrat-ed in new and interesting ways. The second is the content of this poetry. It blazes and, occasionally, plods through areas of life that previously had seldom been given the credence of art.
Hones, Lee Powers. Ladder of Hope. N.p.: n.p., 1964.
Brooks, (Rev.) James E. Reflections in Verse. Camden: n.p., 1978.
* * * * *
The aesthetics of the book changed considerably in the 60-70s. The tradition of flowered lettering at the opening of a poem is dropped; also dropped are classic heading and footing details. In their place are fonts, justifications, and even illustrations that are often personalized for each work. With up to three poems viewable at once, the use of varying style and fonts in the anthology Crying Voices and Unheard Sounds gives each work a deeply personal feeling, but at points it also makes the whole of the anthology feel disjointed.
Stockton State College. Crying Voices and Unheard Sounds. Eds. Ed Price and Dan McMahon; Oracle, Fred Mench. 1973.
* * * * *
The “personal as public,” an idea championed by the feminist movement of this time, is also represented in the poetry of this period. James Shaw’s “El Gato” is a great example of this, celebrating the seemingly ordinary aspects of life. In this Haiku-like style of personal reflection, Shaw shows a willingness to put poems of the “mundane” on the same stage with poetry that deals with more traditional or canonical subject matter. This again reflects a sea-change in the acceptable or interesting topics that artists should cover.
Shaw, James R. “El Gato.” Salt and Pepper Earth. Audubon, N.J.: Paul Graphics, 1975.
* * * * *
In a time when nuclear war was our greatest fear, racism was prevalent, and women’s rights were at stake, poems allowed writers to reflect upon hard times and the world around them. Salt and Pepper Earth, by James R. Shaw, suggests a deep understanding of nature. In a time of rising industrialism, Shaw takes a closer look at a single spider web in the poem “Look There!” While focusing upon the spider web, Shaw is also writing about the growth of the world in which we live.
Shaw, James R. “Look There!” Salt and Pepper Earth. Audubon, N.J.: Paul Graphics, 1975.
* * * * *
Wow, the 1970s man. Filled with peace, love and goose eggs? Who needs a table of contents when you can just read these groovy poems like a novel or go against “the man” and read them in whatever order you want. Free-spirited poetry is what Crying Voices and Unheard Sounds is all about. This precursor to the Stockpot is a trippy collection of poems about death, dying and even life.
“From the Heart” and “The Dead Eye Visualized” are just a few examples of different outlooks on death and the darker side of life. On the other hand, “An Afternoon with Raspberry Jell-O,” “Picnic” and “The Goose Egg” are writings of peace, love and the free-spirited approach to life. The poems of Ed Price, co-editor of the collection, with their jarring meter and form, suggest how life, death, love, war, and peace affected students at Stockton State College during the early 1970s.
Stockton State College. Crying Voices and Unheard Sounds. Eds. Ed Price and Dan McMahon; Oracle, Fred Mench. 1973.