Poetry & prose

I've been reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, and relishing it—the language, the structure, the imagery, the craft, and these amazing ideas.

The prose that I enjoy the most shares quite a few similarities with the poetry that I enjoy: they both have rhythm and imagery and some sort of structure or arc. But then, I know that poetry and prose differ in more than line length. Hard for me to define, though. What do you think? (This may be where my lack of education shows up most noticeably.)

I also confess that I read with a bit of guilt—because I read more prose, more fiction, than poetry. Part of this is because I'm working (or not working) on Paradiso right now, and I just haven't felt inspired even though it's heaven. Part of it is that I'm drawn to stories, but I write poetry. Hmmm…

(I've tried to write fiction and found that, among other problems, I lack the plot gene.)

I think I'll read something else while I'm gathering up some steam for Dante. And if you're in the mood for a novel, check out The History of Love.