19th February 2009 | Draft
Poetic Engagement with Afghanistan, Caucasus and Iran
an unexplored strategic opportunity?
- / -
Introduction
Preamble: Aesthetics and the military
Poetry in other strategic contexts
-- Poetry in
the corporate world | Poetry and Islam
-- Poetry
and warlords | Poetry and Afghanistan | Poetry
and Kazakhstan
-- Poetry and the Caucasus | Poetry
and the Middle East
-- Poetic leadership | Poetic
protest | Prosaic dialogue
Indicative possibilities of reframing strategic engagement
Clarification of Islamic views
Improvisation in poetic debate
-- Poetic discourse
as a lost art | Poetic
engagement
-- Lost archetype? | Medieval
Europe | Dialogue
in Islamic cultures
Examples of poetic interaction
-- Improvisation in oral poetry | Invective
poetry | Folk
traditions
-- Interactive dialogue
projects | Framework for clarification
of "poetic debate"
Towards an imaginative reflection on possible "Rules of Poetic Engagement"
-- Collaborative aesthetics | Collaborative
creativity
-- Practical concerns | Characteristics
of possible "rules"
Conclusion
-- Rhythm and rhyme | Autopoiesis |
Clarification of debate | Poetic justice
References
Introduction
This exploration is in response to strategic challenges in the region named.
It is a development of earlier studies of the interface between strategy and
poetry (Poetry-making
and Policy-making: arranging a marriage between Beauty and the Beast,
1993; Ensuring
Strategic Resilience through Haiku Patterns: reframing the scope of the "martial
arts" in response to strategic threats, 2006) as well as in relation
to the role of music and song (A
Singable Earth Charter, EU Constitution or Global Ethic? 2006; Reframing
the EU Reform Process -- through Song responding to the Irish challenge to the
Lisbon Treaty, 2008).
The original version of this document arose as a response to an invitation
to make a presentation in a session on Caucasus
Future Challenges at
the Wilton Park Conference on Caucasus 2020: the Future of European Security (January
2009). Wilton Park (Sussex, UK)
arranges conferences on international affairs for politicians, officials, academics
and others from around the world. In their initial form the notes were
communicated
to the organizers. Being
unable to attend, the focus in that response was on how the challenge
of the Caucasus might nevertheless be more fruitfully reframed.
Preamble: Aesthetics and the military
It is not
widely recognized in the cultures beyond the direct influence of Islam the
extent to which aesthetics is valued there, whether in the form of poetry or
song. The "clash
of civilizations" is
readily framed by the West as implying a direct physical threat between cultures.
Aside from conventional diplomatic dialogue, no other vehicle is considered
appropriate to the engagement between worldviews so framed. It is of course
the case that there is a long history of such physical conflict between such
cultures.
Michael Bibby (Hearts
and Minds: poetry and resistance in the Vietnam Era,
1996) introduces his compilation of poetry of resistance
to the Vietnam war within the USA with the comment:
On May 4, 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson told a meeting of the Texas Electric Cooperatives,
Inc.: "We must be ready to fight in Vietnam, but the ultimate victory
will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." Coming
on the heels of the first mass deployment of U.S. troops to Vietnam, this
speech marks one of the earliest uses of the phrase "hearts and minds"
in relation to the Vietnam War.... The U.S. policy of "pacification" was
often referred to as "winning hearts and minds," which meant that
it sought to win the emotional and political support of the rural South Vietnamese...
In his extensive discussion of the phrase and its subsequent significance,
Bibby notes that more poetry was published in the USA after 1960 than in any
previous historical period. However, he notes much of this anti-war, activist
poetry vanished without trace in the following twenty years. The topic is also
discussed by Lorrie Goldensohn (Dismantling
Glory: twentieth-century soldier poetry, 2003).
Eleanor Wilner (Poetry
and the Pentagon: Unholy Alliance? Poetry Magazine,
October 2004) describes an initiative of the US National Endowment for the Arts,
in collaboration with the US Department of Defense, named Operation
Homecoming: Writing the War Experience. Launched in April 2004, it
was designed as a project to help soldiers write about
their experiences in war, notably by bringing writers to
military bases to conduct workshops for soldiers returning from combat.
It would seem to have been both an effort to pre-empt
the problematic soldier poetry of the Vietnam era as well as to provide a form of therapy for potentially
traumatized combatants. The first product contained a mix of writings,
including some poetry (Andrew Carroll, Operation
Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S.
Troops and Their Families, 2006).
With respect to the Vietnam war, there is also little trace of any strategic
importance attached to understanding the poetry that sustained
the "hearts
and minds" of the Vietnamese. Its importance is indicated by the remarks of
Fred Marchant (War
Poets From Viet Nam. Humanities,
1998):
There is a Vietnamese legend that in times of distress the nation will be
blessed with the arrival of a child poet. During the years of the American
war, in what Americans then called North Viet Nam, there was such a young
poet. His name was Tran
Dang Khoa.... When Khoa brought me... to Nguyen
Trai's mountain hermitage, I think he was ... tacitly claiming his poetic
lineage, and teaching us how poetry had always been inherently important
to the Vietnamese people. Any schoolchild might know a score of poems by
heart, and ordinary adults who had nothing to do with writing or publishing
poems, would at least remember a few and could recite them.
Literacy had been an essential virtue of the centuries' long anticolonial
struggle. ... As with Nguyen Trai, it was
not at all uncommon for leaders of the anticolonial struggle to be themselves
accomplished literary people. Reading, writing, recitation, and performance
had for centuries been one of the ways to forge a national identity.... As
I said good-bye to Khoa and other writers I realized that I had just spent
a week in a society where poetry and poets were considered national treasures.
In the twentieth century, certainly the poet who drew directly on the model
provided by Nguyen Trai was Nguyen Ai Quoc, more commonly known as Ho
Chi Minh.
However, it would appear that the strategists of current conflicts have learnt
nothing from poet-strategists such as Nguyen Trai and Ho Chi Minh. In addition
to Operation Homecoming, the Pentagon has tended to frame its use
of aesthetics in the tradition of direct support to military engagement,
whether in providing supportive music to its soldiers, enabling them to listen
to music whilst operating combat vehicles on search and destroy missions, or
as an adjunct to interrogation (notably through sleep deprivation). An exception
of relevance to this exploration is the mnemonic value in the US military of
rhythmically chanting, or even singing, roll calls or preflight checklists
(Bradd Shore, Culture
in Mind: cognition, culture, and the problem of meaning,
1996).
It is far less clear to what extent such
aesthetics have been used to engage opponents -- on terms meaningful to them
-- in any effort to win "hearts and minds". This is very curious
given the deliberate effort by Elizabeth Samet to teach poetry to military
cadets, as described by Marjorie Kehe ('Soldier's
Heart': why we ask West Point cadets to wrestle with poetry, 2007)
and through an interview.
By contrast, the Communication
Initiative Network reproduces
a report for the UK government on a region of Afghanistan by Gordon
Adam (Winning
Hearts and Minds in Helmand, 2008). This notes the
critical need for an emphasis on participation -- not propaganda. In that respect it
notes how little Pashto language media was
reaching rural Afghans in the conflict areas. It recommended a professional
news service closely attuned to local events, and entertainment in the form
of music, local poetry, and literature and drama. By contrast, as reported
by the International Crisis Group in 2008, the Islamist militia was making
making a violent comeback, particularly in that area -- making sophisticated
use of media with many messages coming as songs, religious chants
and poetry (Herbert A. Friedman, Psychological Operations
in Afghanistan, 2008).
There would appear to be no trace of any attempt at strategic
engagement through poetry with cultures that value that medium -- even, notably, as a function
of PSYOPS (Psychological Operations).
Ironically the US Defense Secretary responsible for the initiation of intervention
in the Middle East was a known source of "poetry" in that period (Slate, Rummy's
Ruminations: the collected poetry of Donald Rumsfeld, 2006) of which
one such poem has continued to be of strategic significance (Unknown
Undoing: challenge of incomprehensibility of systemic neglect, 2008).
The danger of such aesthetic negligence in any "hearts and minds" exercise can perhaps be succinctly stated in the form of a well-known question relating
to World War II, namely why it was that the Germans "had the best tunes", and
why that conclusion was associated with their demonization.
The challenge would
appear to be to understand why poetry is valued in cultures
with which effective engagement has been frustrated over many years and to determine what are the
fruitful rules of engagement within that framework. No attention would seem
to have been given to this possibility. However the possibility should not
be treated simplistically, as helpfully concluded by Ramsey
Nasr (Poetry
and Engagement, 2004):
To avert a misunderstanding: I’m not saying that poets should get
on the first flight to Iraq or Afghanistan. Let them stay indoors. Pamphlets
are not what we need, not for "the cause", or anything....
What to do with living people in a nonsensical world? Is it possible to allow
engagement in poetry without corroding that very poetry? I’m convinced
it is as long as you’re talented enough and steer clear of ready solutions....
Engagement is not about choosing for or against a party, engagement in simply
about life, taking part in it. If need be, only through words; through language.
However missing from this comment is the strategic challenge
of how one engages with another through poetry -- where the aesthetic values may be radically
different. What then are the rules of engagement? The challenge may be highlighted
by the following juxtaposed images
Aside from insights from the reference above to the relevance of haiku to
military strategy (Ensuring
Strategic Resilience through Haiku Patterns, 2006), it is appropriate
to note that Morihei
Ueshiba,
the Japanese founder of a more recent martial art, aikido,
articulated insights relevant to its practice in poetic form (Doka:
The Poems of Ueshiba Morihei -- Insights for a Modern Way of Life. Furyu:
The Budo Journal, Winter 1996). Five of
the principles articulated have been incorporated into regular training by Seidokan
Aikido. It remains unclear whether such insights could be used in poetic engagement
with a potentially hostile opponent. Nevertheless some have argued that aikido is
poetry.
Poetry in other strategic contexts
Poetry in the corporate world:
In contrast to the failure to explore the value of poetry to military and diplomatic
engagement, the Financial Times notes the role of poetry in the corporate
boardroom (David Honigmann, Vision
in verse from the bard of of the boardroom, 17 March 2009). This describes
the work of poet David Whyte who works
over a period of days with senior management, seeking to recognize "an
uncomfortable and unpsoken truth" which poetry can help to articulate.
As he says"
All these organisations are like Shakespearean plays
writ large, with the nobles telling their truths from the podium while the
gravediggers are telling it like it really is in the bathroom. And every epoch
ends with a lot of blood on the floor.
The titles of his prose reflections on the context for these explorations
point to the relevance of extending such work to engagement of policy-makers
with regions such as Afghanistan, Caucasus and Iran (The
Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self & Relationship. 2009;
Crossing the Unknown
Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity,
2001; The Heart Aroused:
Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America, 1994).
Arguably such initiatives are specifically relevant to the issue of "hearts
and minds".
Poetry and Islam: Most striking, in contrast
with the West, is perhaps the role of poetry in Islamic cultures. A notable feature
is the use of saj‘ --
a form of rhymed, rhythmic prose charactetistic of Arabic literature and
diction to which the Arabic language lends itself because of its structure,
the mathematical precision of its manifold formations and the essential assonance
of numerous derivatives from the same root supplying the connexion between
the sound and signification of words. As such it has been valued for its mnemonic
qualities. It was notably used in pre-Islamic times as a mode of dignified
discourse. Because of its association with these pagan practices its use in
the early days of Islam is said to have been forbidden by Muhammad with the
phrase: "Avoid
ye the rhyming prose of the soothsayers or diviners."
And yet, in introducing his study of Arab culture, Vicente
Cantarino (Arabic
Poetics in the Golden Age,
1975) notes:
There are few, if any, cultural achievements of mankind accompanied by such
a clear and distinct feeling of their own value as the poetic literature
of the Arabs. Arab writers often characterize civilizations and peoples by
their special skills. Poetry and poetic accomplishments are always cited
by them as their own most important characteristic and one that distinguishes
them from all other peoples. This evaluation is corroborated by the extraordinary
influence exerted by Arabic poetry in form and content on all the poetic
literatures which came in contact with it: Persian, Turkish, Indostanic,
and, indirectly, the Georgic, are deeply influenced by Arabic poetry; medieval
Hebrew poetry shows its influence; and even in the West it left its traces
in the beginnings of the poetry of the Romance languages.
The importance and strength of Arabic in this respect is noted by Muhammed
I. Ayish (Communication
Research in the Arab World: a new perspective, The Public,
5, 1998, 1, pp. 33-57):
Arabs’ appreciation of
eloquence was intrinsically derived from the versatility and musical beauty
of Arabic... One of the main characteristics
of Arabic is the morphological structure of its root patterns. In addition
to its high derivative potential, Arabic also possesses an elaborate system
of affixes which allows the language to be both rhymic and rhythmic, making
it strongly conducive to poetry and rhymed utterances. It also consists of
numerous stylistic variations drawing on rhetorical devices capable of delivering
precise shades of meanings, be it praise, derogation, emphasis, or simple
descriptive utterances. Throughout
the history of the Arabic peoples, language has been central to the definition
of their collective identity.... By virtue of the musical beauty of Arabic
language, Arab culture has been characterised as highly oral.... In the Jahilyya
period (up to 622), tribal and inter-tribal poetic and oratory contests were
commonplace, attracting crowds of anxious people, some coming from remote
places.
The strength of the arguments of Mohammed
was recognized in part because of his oral skills -- within a tribal context
in which poetic expression was highly valued in the encounter
between tribes -- typically througha degree of poetic jousting.
Cantarino indicates with respect to Arabic tribes:
It should suffice to point out that the terms sayyid and amir,
commonly used to designate the tribe's chief and leader, seem to have been
used also as appellatives of the orator able to defend successfully in a
dispute the rights of his tribe. Often the leader received the names of khatib (orator)
and za'im (spokesman) because his personal eloquence was one of
his most needed and highly appreciated virtues, more important even than
his personal bravery.... The elected sayyid lacked any coercive
means to impose his authority and thus has to rely on his natural gift of
eloquence to influence and convince people.... The eloquence referred to
by historians and literary critics is mostly in poetic form.
The Arabic poets, especially those of pre-Islamic times, were too realistic
to conceive of poetry in an abstract way. Their role in society forced them
more often than not to center their compositions on concrete events and problems....
Moreover, the social aims the poet is expected to serve required him too
cultivate the poetic genres more appropriate to those aims, namely the panegyric
and diatribe.... Rhythmic meter and rhyme, which at this time had already
attained a remarkable degree of sophistication, were considered as mnemonic
means to achieve more durable remembrance and rapid dissemination.... scorn
was often expressed for those who did not have a poetic voice in their midst.
(p. 21-3)
The poetic qualities of the Qur'an,
for example, continue to be much admired by those persuaded of the merits of
that culture. The repeated media presentations of the body language of students
engaged in rote learning in madrasahs fail
completely to indicate that to a significant degree they are learning "poetry"
-- and doing so willingly. Should madrasahs be
better understood as the schools of "poetry" of that culture?
However, even though the
musical-poetic nature is a key to appreciating the Qur'an, paradoxically
Islam believes it totally inappropriate to consider it poetry --
because poetry is held by its teachings to be intrinsically human rather
than divine. The sacred text of the Qur'an is therefore not poetry.
Islamic theologians formally refuse to admit the existence
of any poetic character to the Qur'anic text, although the precise significance of this refusal has
been much debated (as helpfully summarized by Cantarino).
This complex situation
(discussed below) is partially clarified, with citations, by Abul Kasem (Islam
and Poetry, Islam Watch, 27 May 2002). Another comment
is provided by Asad Seif (Islam
and poetry in Iran). An authorized view is provided by Mufti Bilaal
Cassim (Islam
and Poetry, Albalagh, 15 September 2002). Arab historians
in fact report that Mohammed made use of poets very much in the same way as
other tribal leaders who were not poets themselves., even though he condemned
pagan Arab poetry and its poets. This is confirmed by M. M. Badawi ('Abbasid
Poetry and its Antecedents, 1990) arguing: The view once widely
held that Muhammed and Islam discouraged poetry and poets is now generally
discredited.... (p. 147).
Despite any such
reservations, Cantarino cites a frequently quoted definition of poetry by Ibn
Qutaiba ('Uyun al-akhbar, 1964, vol. 11, p. 185):
Poetry is the mine of knowledge of the Arabs and the book of their wisdom,
the archives of their history, the reservoir of their epic days, the wall
that defends their exploits, the impassable trench that preserves their glories,
the impartial witness for the day of judgment. Whoever cannot offer even
a single verse in defense of his honor and the noble virtues and praiseworthy
actions that he claims for his ancestry will exert himself in vain, even
if they were gigantic. But he who bound them together with the rhyme of a
poem, reinforced them with its rhythm, and made them famous with a rare
verse, a popular proverb, and a fine concept, delivered them from unbelief,
and put them above the deceptions of enemies and made the envious lower his
eyes in shame.
Ironically, in a war-torn country, the Somalis of today are famous for their
skills as poets -- being almost as important to that culture as the Islamic
faith. Poems may be put to political use by the government or in criticism
of politicians and warlords. This has even led Ali M. Ahad to explore the question Could
Poetry Define Nationhood? the case of Somali oral poetry and the nation (Journal
of Historical and European Studies, 2007).
With respect to Yemen, according to Steven C. Caton (Center for Middle Eastern
Studies at Harvard University):
Every day in the Middle Eastern country of
Yemen, battles are being waged that don't involve bombs, guns or even a raised
fist. Rather in Yemen, where physical violence is considered an inferior
form of honor-conflict, poetry is one of the preferred weapons of choice.[more]
A colleague, Jim Wilce, reports that:
The skills of
poetic improvisation are intimately related to Islamic piety in Yemen. What
would understanding such things do to our perceptions of the Middle East and
various conflicts there?
A more extensive account, situating practices in Yemen within Arab culture,
is provided by Rachel
Galvin (Of
Poets, Prophets, and Politics. Humanities,
2002). She records comments by Arab observers that poetry remains a central
part of Arab culture.
Poetry and warlords: As reported by the San Francisco
Chronicle, since 2005 the Taliban's
web site, Al
Emarah,
or The
Emirate, has featured
poetry glorifying their resistance, in addition to religious
commentary and battlefield updates.
Of relevance is the keynote speech given
by John Paul Lederach (Tajikistan:
Talking Poetry With the Warlord, 2005) at the Association for Conflict
Resolution's Annual Conference (Sacramento, CA, 2004) -- reproduced in his
The Moral Imagination: the art and soul of building peace (2005).
This is a factor presumably considered irrelevant to the need to despatch
a further 17,000 troops to bring order to a region perceived as highly dangerous..
It might be asked, as in the case of poetry, whether there are not a range
of understandings of "order".
There are many web references to warlords and their poetry. A contemporary
Iranian poet celebrates warlords (Mahmud Kianush, To
Victorious Warlords, 2001). A long-term Colombian warlord is recognized
for his poetry (Toby Muse, Requiem
for a Warlord, Slate, 2004). In Europe, warrior-poets have played a
central role in Icelandic culture (Diana Whaley, Sagas of Warrior-Poets,
2002).
Poetry and Afghanistan: It is even less
well-recognized that this poetic tradition has a role in Afghanistan where
the warlords are indeed valued for their poetic competence. It has only recently
been recognized that Osama bin Laden is a skilled poet (Michael
Hirst, Analysing
Bin Laden's jihadi poetry, BBC News, 24 September 2008). As
noted by Coleman
Barks (Rumi's
American Popularizer Tours Afghan Poet's Homeland, America.gov,
22 April 2005):
The most startling observation that comes to me, as a practicing American
poet, involves the vital role that poetry plays in the lives of Afghan men...
This discovery, of course, is part of a blindness I have, that we have in
this country, and in the West in general, to things Islamic. It is
a long-standing and pervasive condition.... Their Afghan poet has
been the most-read poet in the United States during the last ten years!
Steve Coll (Restoring
Poetry to Afghanistan, NPR, 24 January 2005) reported
on the publication of a set of poems of a former Afghan poet
laureate Khalilullah
Khalil, collected by his son, currently Afghan ambassador
to Turkey (Masood Khalili and Whitney Azoy, An
Assembly of Moths: selected poems of Khalilullah Khalili,
2004). The book's introduction includes remarks on the role of poetry
in the midst of chaos:
Many Afghans internalize segments off the great Persian classical poets,
philosopher-mystics whose verse rises above daily hustle and bustle.
The result is something no longer valued in the modern, literate West: a
memorized reservoir of poetic wisdom. Inherited from the great poets and
internalized from early childhood onwards, this material serves Afghans as
psycho-spiritual ballast -- a buffer against misfortune, and a reminder,
when times are good, the luck seldom lasts…
The importance of shared poetic legacy is evident in day-to-day conversations
across Afghanistan. People use the prefix 'Sha'er mega' ("The poet says") to
substantiate argument. An Afghan provided this example: "If you go to a strange
village and say, 'Two plus two equals four,' the villagers will challenge
your authority. But tell them that 'The poet says' that two plus two equals
five, and they'll accept what you say immediately."
An alternative use of poetry is made through improvisation of Pashtu landays,
notably by women (Sayd Bahodine
Majrouh, Songs of Love and
War: Afghan Women's Poetry, 2003; Rahmat Shah, Tappa). A landay
or tappa is an unrhymed couplet of nine syllables in the first hemistich and
thirteen in the second. This is one of the oldest poetic and sung styles
of that culture. It is a mixture between a singing duet and a poetic jousting
match (Zarsanga:
Songs of the Pashtu). As noted by Abdulhadi Hairan (Tappa,
world’s shortest poem, 25 September 2008):
I think Tappa is the only genre of poetry in the world that is oldest in
history, shortest in form, sweetest in melody, easiest in learn, appealing
in singing and covering all subjects of life despite the fact that it has
no particular poet or author. There are hundreds of thousands of Tappas in
Pashto, yet no one can claim he has authored them. However, it is believed
that Tappas are the voice of Pashtoon women and girls because most of the
Tappas are related to their issues and are said by them....
Tappa’s popularity could be judged by the fact that every Pashtoon,
whether they are a boy or a girl, a man or a woman, rich or poor, mullah
or politician, educated or uneducated, shopkeeper or farmer, knows some Tappas.
This short but concise poem covers every subject related to human life
Tappa is commonly found in the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas and North
West Frontier Province -- precisely the area considered the most challenging
by NATO's. UN-mandated International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF). They are generally sung on the occasion
of weddings, possibly as a two-person duet, and deal with any topic: love,
passion, anger, hate, wars, history, heroes and villains. To what extent
do foreign coalition forces engage with the people of Afghanistan through poetry?
A problematic assessment of the engagement in Afghanistan has been articulated
in poetic form by a British solider, Andy McFarlane (British
soldier's scathing poem attacks politicians over the war in Afghanistan - as
death toll reaches 204, Daily
Mail, 17 August 2009; Poetry
Surges from the Front Line Again, Daily Express,
17 September 2009). This contrasts with the question regarding the Iraq-Afghanistan
conflict zone of Daniel D'Arezzo (Where
Have All the War Poems Gone?, The Conversation).
Poetry and Kazakhstan: As noted by Marat Yermukanov (Kazakh
Folk Poetry Slams Corrupt Establishment, 21 February
2007) of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute), folk poets (aqyns)
give vent at weekly festivals (aitys), engaging in contests that
are a national focus of attention via television. They publicly lambaste
social ills, such as deep-rooted corruption, mismanagement, disrespect
for national interests and missteps in foreign policy. In a society with
limited press freedom and rigid codes of social behavior imposed from above,
the aitys is the most available and a safe way to give vent to
public feelings.
Satirical verses of poets often target the inefficient
legislative system. The traditional folk poetry is a unique form in the
poetic culture of Central Asia, is recognized as a manifestation of the
reshaped ethnic consciousness of Kazakhs.
Poetry and the Caucasus: The Caucasus became a romantic
region for Russian poetry owing to its natural contrasts, as well
as the original and somewhat hostile culture of its tribes people. Nature and
history have combined to make Georgia a land of poetry, so recognized by its
peoples (Peter Nasmyth, Georgia:
in the mountains of poetry, 2006).
Mugham is
a unique phenomenon of Azerbaijani folk music heritage that perfectly reflects
the national way of thinking; the vocal form
in an organic harmony of music and poetry which may involve the alternation
of changing and constant elements, of improvised and concentrated episodes.
Poetry and the Middle East: It is curious that this conflict
takes place in the midst of an Arab world much influenced by poetry, notably
that of Al-Mutanabbi (11th
century, Baghdad), considered a master of Arab poetry. Mahmoud
Darwish, repeatedly named for a Nobel Prize, is considered
the poetic voice
of Palestine --
engaging himself in poetic dialogue with Israel.
Is there no scope for negotiation
with Israel through poetic forms that would give rise to an agreement of a
new kind -- expressed in (epic) poetic form? Who would be opposed to such an
exploration and why? One step in that direction has been a recent
film. There is an active literature on Palestine-Israel issues from a
poetic perspective.
Poetic leadership: More striking perhaps,
as a matter of history, is the fact that Joseph
Stalin, as a Georgian, was notably appreciated for his poetic and singing
skills -- in a culture which values song in ways unsuspected elsewhere. This
is true of other such leaders, including Mao
Tse-Tung and Ho Chi Minh (as noted above) -- whether or not their leadership
was commensurate with their aesthetic insights or skills. Although claiming
to be an artist rather than a poet, the possibility of Adolf Hitler being a
poet is a continuing matter of debate (The
Hitler Question - Poets vs. Poetry,
Asian-American Poetry, 2005). There is the ironic possibility that
the "clash of civilizations" between the values acclaimed by the "West" and
those cultures by which it is most challenged is in part reflected in the proportion
of leaders opposing those values who make some claim to be poets. A current
example is that of Hugo
Chávez.
It is not clear how many leaders of "Western" countries are new
celebrated as poets -- as opposed to the number thsat have been praised
or satirized in poems. Dag
Hammarskjöld, as Secretary-General of the United Nations, may be an
exception as was Winston Churchill (Collected
Poems, 1981). A website has been created by Peter Armenti (Presidents
as Poets: Poetry Written by United States Presidents) providing links
to the poetry of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John
Quincy Adams, John Tyler, Abraham Lincoln, Jimmy Carter (Always
a Reckoning,
1995), and Barack Obama. The latter has also been
widely appreciated for his "poetic" rhetoric and even organized
a "poetry jam", claiming he was fond of poetry (Ewen MacAskill, Obama
to host poetry party at White House, The Guardian,
12 May 2009).
Poetic protest: It is also of relevance
to note a corresponding role that music, song, and poetry (as indicated in
relation to Vietnam) have played in the recent articulation of Western popular
cultural values -- especially amongst those alienated from conventional approaches
to governance. Such cultural products have been widely appreciated around the
world -- although not necessarily in those parts upholding Islamic values and
opposed to their Western vehicles.
Prosaic dialogue: It is relevant to note
the widespread recognition of the very limited number of Arabic or native speakers
available to the intelligence services in the lead up to intervention in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Whilst "interpreters" may
have subsequently become available, questions could usefully be asked about
their competence in the poetic traditions of those cultures. "Poets" have
an unusually problematic status in the West, as does their poetry. The aesthetics
of poetry are not as widely appreciated as in Islamic cultures -- by all classes.
It is highly improbable that the "interpreters" sought in support
of any strategic conflict would now be selected or appreciated for their poetic
insights. This imposes an unnecessary constraint on strategic opportunities.
Western discourse with such cultures would then be appreciated as "prosaic" at
best -- and, as such, viewed with a degree of disdain as lacking any appropriate
"voice" for their values..
Indicative possibilities of reframing strategic engagement
- Negotiations are typically framed as a "war of words" -- "jaw
jaw" instead of "war war". The question here is whether any
such "war of words" might be "upgraded" from the binary
logic by which it is currently informed. An indication is offered by Frederick
Sommer: Poetic logic is the sensuous apprehension of what we do not yet
understand in the presence of reality (1984). This is arguably worthy of
further investigation given the apparent inadequacies of current negotiation
logic.
- A significant outcome of any poetic exploration might well be the highlighting
of more fruitful metaphors within which future interactions could be articulated.
These might rise about the limitations of binary logic and its framing of
a "clash
of civilizations"
(In Quest
of Uncommon Ground: beyond impoverished metaphor and the impotence of words
of power, 1997; Innovative
Global Management through Metaphor, 1989)
- Dialogue through poetry, lyrics and folk tales in many cultures makes
extensive use of metaphor. A question as yet to be explored is whether dialogue
between extreme positions can be conducted through metaphor
-- in contrast to making occasional use of it. This notably applies to "interfaith
dialogue" which is what is typically implicit in the dialogue between
clashing worldviews (Guidelines
towards Dialogue through Metaphor, 1993; Guidelines
for Critical Dialogue between Worldviews, 2006)
- There is a case for the United Nations, perhaps through UNESCO, to give
greater visibility to the strategic implications of dialogue with,
and between, cultures through such an appreciation of aesthetics and the
metaphors that it engenders. A little known publication perhaps justifies
this argument (Wit and Wisdom of the United Nations, 1961). Is
it the case that Islam is, to some degree, aesthetically offended by the
aesthetics of the West? Is the "clash
of civilizations" primarily a
clash of aesthetics -- to be compared within the Western culture with that
between the musical classics and pop?
- There would seem to be a strong case for an historical review of the
manner in which poetry (and song) had influenced policy-making, notably through
its appreciation by negotiating leaders -- or in relation to their followers
(Poetry-making
and Policy-making: arranging a marriage between Beauty and the Beast,
1993).
A more specific case is made with respect to the widely appreciated Japanese
poetic form (Ensuring
Strategic Resilience through Haiku Patterns: reframing the scope of the "martial
arts" in
response to strategic threats, 2006).
- A case for the potential role of any aesthetic
reframing in governance has been argued speculatively in Aesthetics
of Governance in the Year 2490 (1990).
- The specific role of song in the articulation of agreements arising from
any negotiation has been argued, with precedents, in A
Singable Earth Charter, EU Constitution or Global Ethic? (2006).
The case for the relevance of such reframing with respect to the Irish crisis
over the Lisbon vote was made subsequently (Reframing
the EU Reform Process -- through Song responding to the Irish challenge
to the Lisbon Treaty, 2008) -- calling upon the merits of Carla
Bruni
- With respect to the aesthetics of the religions reinforcing the clash
of civilizations, one approach is to review the styles favoured for the
collective celebration of individual religions -- and the manner in which
these may pose problems for their appreciation by others (Aesthetic
Challenge of Interfaith Dialogue as Exemplified by Meditation,
1997).
- Efforts are made to celebrate inaugural events, whether the opening sessions
of a conference or the visit of a leader, through poetry (or song). This
has been done with appreciation even in the USA. Potentially of equal, if
not greater, interest is the possibility of celebrating the closure of any
conference or negotiation with a poetic (or sung) adaptation of the conclusions
-- if only to enhance media diffusion and popular comprehension. A striking
example of this is the eminent economist and peace activist Kenneth
Boulding, author of a number of collections of poetry, who was wont to
summarize the debates of academic conferences he attended in precisely thos
way -- the poem being included in the conference procedings.
- In preparing these notes from the land of the All
Blacks, renowned for their much-publicized introductory haka --
one is readily reminded of the role of that dance of engagement in encounters
between Maori tribes. Their approach points to another possibility of contemporary
relevance, if only as a metaphor (All
Blacks of Davos vs All Greens of Porto Alegre: reframing global strategic
discord through polyphony? 2007)
- From these perspectives, it is appropriate to recognize the huge importance
attached to song in the Caucasus and its cultures -- and the impressive capacity
for it there. The question is how to use that capacity between competing
cultures. Competing choral "voices"
engendering a larger polyphony?
- In a world weary of conventional negotiations and the language of proposals,
there are many provocative initiatives to reframe strategic approaches --
some of them with an aesthetic dimension (Liberating
Provocations use of negative and paradoxical strategies, 2005).
For example, reports were recently circulated of a "breakaway republic" --
the Ghetto
Republic of Uganja -- in one of the slums in Uganda's capital, complete
with a full set of "cabinet ministers". It was formed around a
politically influential dancehall.
- Negotiations are typically about controversial issues on which opposing
views are strongly held. This is ideal thematic material to be processed
(even competitively) by poets (singers, musicians) to explore modes
of their harmonious integration -- perhaps using the discordant elements
to enhance the "colour" of the work. Such contributions, occasional
made for light relief at conferences, could be taken more seriously in offering
complementary insights to negotiators and their constituencies.
- Of related potential, in many Islamic cultures, is the appreciation for
the tales of Nasruddin. These
raise the possibility of strategic dialogue through the wisdom of such folk
tales. Recognized as "teaching stories", there is a tradition of their
use in dialogue between opposing perspectives.
- Of particular interest are widespread assumptions about the structure,
nature and communicability of the outcomes of negotiations between one or
more opposing perspectives. In a world characterized by "innovation" in
every domain, the structure of binding declarations and agreements has varied
little over centuries. As indicated above with respect to "singable" declarations,
there are other possibilities that merit consideration in order to invite
respect and popular engagement (Structure
of Declarations: challenging traditional patterns, 1992, Structuring
Mnemonic Encoding of Development Plans and Ethical Charters using Musical
Leitmotivs, 2001). The purpose of such initiatives is to embed mnemonic
resonances between the elements of the structure -- reflective of feedback
loops vital to their viability and sustainability.
- Whilst potential agreement might be fruitfully scoped out -- perhaps
as competing drafts -- of greater interest is the possibility of designing
the outcome in "epic form". The proposed EU
Lisbon Reform Treaty (of
300 pages of text) might be considered as an epic struggling to be born
and to elicit appeal from the citizens of Europe. It has no aesthetic value
at present and no consideration has been given to the possible merit of
framing it to give a primary role to the aesthetics that would render it
memorable. The challenge of the Western engagement with islamic cultures
might be fruitfully seen in the same light. It is the epic form that holds
the resonances that sustain credibility, memorability and long-term viability.
Briefly, if it cannot be "sung", does it hold sufficient significance
to be worthy of communicating to the next generation?.
- In term of epics on a grander scale, it was noted elsewhere (Happiness
and Unhappiness through Naysign and Nescience: comprehending the essence
of sustainability? ) that in relation to the Caucasus that
the Nart Sagas are
a set of folk tales originating from regions of the North Caucasus --
currently of great political sensitivity, namely the Ossetians and the
Circassian peoples, closely followed by the related Abkhaz and Abazin
people. Nart Sagas are also present in Karachay-Balkar and
Chechen-Ingush folklore. Some motifs in these sagas are shared by Greek
mythology. It has also been speculated that many aspects of the much-valued
Arthurian legends are derived from those sagas. Clearly there are common
imaginative roots to be explored
Clarification of Islamic views
Given the challenge of Islamic reservations regarding
poetry, fundamental to the possibility of poetic debate, valuable clarification
is provided by Patrick Colm Hogan (Philosophical
Approaches to the Study of Literature, 2000):
... the crucial concept for the Arabic Aristotelians is moral imitation
toward moral ends. More exactly, in the view of these writers, the poet need
not tell the literal truth. However, any poetic representation must present
an image of possible moral or immoral action, and it must do so in such a
way as to encourage people to emulate the former and avoid the latter. The
problem with the poetry condemned in the Qur'an is not so much that
it lies about facts as that it lies about morals -- or, rather, that it fails
to foster (Islamic) virtue and to diminish vice. (p. 29)
Hogan then continues:
...Arabic writers almost universally follow Aristotle in distinguishing
moral levels of agents: those who are better than we are, those who are worse,
and those who are the same. Incorporating this into their own framework,
they conclude that the proper function of poetry is to praise the first and
condemn the second, eulogize goodness and satirize evil....Later theorists
adopted the same view. For example, al-Qartajanni (1211-85 ce) wrote that
poetry "has the function of making [actions] attractive or repugnant to the
human spirit".
The relation between poetry and rhetoric in this scheme should be clear.
Indeed, the limitation of poetry to praise and blame makes it parallel certain
forms of oratory. However, the Arabic writers emphasize differences as well.
Specifically, rhetoric appeals to thought... Poetry, in contrast, operates
on feeling.... it inspires feelings conducive toward virtue and away from
vice, primarily the feelings of mercy and piety....(p. 30)
Of particular relevance are Hogan's comments on the Islamic understanding
of the manner in which poetic discourse should cultivate an image:
... the writer inspires virtuous feelings through an imitative, but imaginative
creation. This creation is structured around implicit or explicit approbation
or derogation, sometimes called "embellishment" and "defacement\"...
this imitative and imaginative creation must engage the audience members,
absorb them, immerse them, for it is in that engagement, absorption, immersion,
that audience members begin to feel attraction to virtue or aversion to vice....
The crucial Arabic term here is "takhyil". Takhyil is
a mimetic imaginative creation (a notion that is far more in keeping with
the spirit of Aristotle's theories than are most European conceptions of
mimesis...). Takhyil functions
to capture the audience so that they forget reality and accept the creation,
granting it what is sometimes called "imaginative assent"... Al-Jurjani defines
takhyil as "that process in which the poet presents as existing
an object which actually does not exist, and makes a statement for which
there is no possibility of a scientific presentation, and uses an expression
which he himself makes up, and shows himself as seeing what he does not see".
Takhyil is the focus of a more recent commentary annotating classical
texts (Geert Jan van Gelder, et al., Takhyil: the imaginary
in classical Arabic poetic, 2008). This
focus enables Hogan to clarify Islamic concern about poetry:
As Ibn Sina wrote: "The imaginative is the speech to which the soul yields,
accepting and rejecting matters without pondering, reasoning or choice"....
Indeed, "human beings are more amenable to imaginative representation than
to [rational or reflective] conviction"... -- which is precisely what
makes it so valuable, but also makes it so dangerous, and thus open to Qur'anic
condemnation when immoral.
R. Rubinacci. (Political
Poetry.
In: 'Abbasid belles-lettres 1990, pp. 181-201 argues:
If poetry in which the beliefs or acts of the leaders of a particular socio-political
system are supported or opposed can be defined as political poetry, there
is no doubt that this type of verse flourished in Arabia well before Islam. Indeed,
whatever the subject treated, the ultimate aim of the sizeable surviving
body of pre-Islamic poetry was the glorification or criticism of the tribe,
the nucleus of the system on which the contemporary social structure was
based.... The advent of Islam impelled a change in these types of political
poetry. The Prophet recognized the important political function of poetry,
and employed poets to respond in kinds to the attacks of the pagan poets...
the weapons were still those of fakhr [glorification, self-praise]
and hijā' [satire,
lampoon, invective], but the new way of life gave far greater prominence
to the religious element... (p. 185).
Improvisation in poetic debate
Poetic discourse as a lost art: The argument
in what follows emphasizes improvisation
rather than recital of poetry previously prepared. This does not
preclude insertion into the discourse of prepared verses, possibly selected
from classic poems. But if they have to be read -- not having been memorized
-- this is already an indication of lack of the spontaneity
essential to interactive debate, responsive both to the other contributors
and to any emergent aesthetic synthesis. This mode may indeed
call for an
unusual combination of skills,
although these have been a part of the poetic tradition -- especially in
Islamic cultures. The argument assumes that, given the strategic potential, people
with poetic skills in a context of improvisation could be sought and encouraged
in these abilities -- as with so many other skills that require
development, as with strategic negotiation itself.
It is unfortunate that the extensive literature on terms
like "poetic discourse" rarely if ever signifies any sense of actual
dialogue between
parties using that mode -- even when the discourse is designed to enable
social change. Such terms, implying such interaction, might be said to have
been appropriated in order deliberately to disguise the fact that the discourse
is unilateral from poet -- typically in written form, but occasional as a
recitation -- to a listener, or more typically a reader. There is an assumption
of assymetry in that the poet's aesthetic skills are assumed to be greater
than those of the essential passive listener. Curiously this echoes the manner
in which authorities, such as national leaders, engage in "dialogue" with
citizens through televised "fireside chats" (possibly themselves pre-recorded).
There
would seem to be no
term that identifies unambigiously any form poetic discourse in the moment
between equal parties.
Rather the poet is assumed to have prepared the poem for later recital or
publication and that any "dialogue" is a virtual one in which the
poet imagines a listener and the reader imagines that the poem engenders the
presence of the poet. The situation is somewhat different in some tribal folk
traditions where one poet indeed responds to another. However it is then unclear
whether the responses -- typically in the modes of panegyric (glorification)
or diatribe (invective) -- are effectively "cut and paste" exercises
using remembered verses as appropriate in an essentially defensive exercise
of tribal self-aggrandisement. In effect one poet "blasts" another
competitively in an exrcise in one-upmanship --
a mode well-echoed in international strategic debate.
Use of a term like "poetic discourse" then tends to obscure recognition
that "poetic
debate" is actually a lost art, although "poetical rhetoric"
naturally implies use of a degree of poetry in the phrases used in
the prose form of the rhetoric of the debating parties. Insight into when
the
"rhetoric" is so impregnated with poetry as to be understood as
constituting
"poetic debate" is again not a focus of attention. A feature of
the "lost
art" is that this unfortunate misapplication of terminology disguises
the fact that whilst students may be taught to read and
appreciate poetry, to recite it, and possibly to write it, there is no sense
in which they are expected to acquire skills to engage with each other through
poetry -- improvised spontaneously in response to content formulated in the
moment.
Curiously this lost art is again a reflection of discourse on vital
strategic matters in formal international arenas. There, typically, a speech
is prepared for "recital" -- and printed copies may even have been
distributed to the audience. Any speeches in response may have been similarly
prepared and distributed (if only to facilitate the task of "simultaneous
interpretation"
between languages). The speeches may not even be designed to respond to each
other but only to a predefined theme. Opposing speeches are even known to have
been written by the same speechwriter. Any passionate sense of suffering, or
appeal to larger value frameworks, is then a rational construct (at best decorated
with poetic flourishes). Any written outcome of the event may also have been
scripted and agreed in advance -- transforming the whole exercise into a piece
of theatre.
The analogous condition in the case of "poetic discourse" tends
to avoid response to a contrary perspective or -- if it is represented physically
or by implication -- again takes the form of verses prepared in advance and
not in response to those presented in the moment. Provocatively, at a time
of financial crisis when the inter-institutional lending of "values" has frozen,
it might be asked whether
the failure of poets to lend and borrow aesthetic values in a fruitful pattern
of interaction does not exemplify that challenge at an archetypal level.
Poetic engagement: In his analysis of the aesthetic theories
of Hegel, Heidegger, Kant, and Habermas, John McCumber (Poetic
Interaction: language, freedom, reason, 1989) comments that:
Poetic interaction is nothing more than interaction in which the hearer
of an utterance, rather than its speaker, determines its meaning -- and does
so because the utterance is... either irredeemably ambiguous or otherwise
anomalous. Poetic interaction is thus an elementary form of situating reason,
in that it is the initial form out of which such reason develops. (p. 22).
However, following this analysis, he argues that:
But my narrative cannot end here, for it is also the story of how poetic
interaction became lost -- theoretically occluded and practically proscribed.
(p. 201)
The metaphysical prescriptions of Aristotelian thought occluded poetic interaction
altogether.... Philosophy and other sciences... could make no use of poetic
utterances... poetic interaction could not even be recognized as an independent
form. (p. 400)
In a useful review of these issues, Chad Lykins (The
Practical and the Poetic: Heidegger and James on Truth, Chrestomathy,
2003) concludes that:
James believes the very desire for a more primordial account of truth is
rooted in the practical, psychological need for novelty. Heidegger thinks
that to reduce poetic engagement to a form of practical engagement is to
forget the essence of the former and mistake it for the essence of the latter.
James holds that if one wants to get at poetic engagement, then one ought
search in the places from which it actually emerges, “the muckiness” of
practical engagement.... The poetic engagement that James and Heidegger seek
to preserve emerges as an answer to practical needs, not as proof that those
needs presuppose a necessary foundation. While Heidegger argues in vain that
practical engagement presupposes deeper structures, James demonstrates that
the very concept of a deeper structure emerges from our practical needs for
rationality and poetic engagement
Is this confusion the fundamental reason why the strategies of
governance, articulated with "reason", have proven to be so boring, sterile
and unfruitful -- especially in response to situations especially characterized
by "muckiness"?
Lost archetype?: Other than through the
expression of audience appreciation, is
conventional poetry now to be understood as a non-interactive art
form, even elitist? See discussion by Maureen N. McLane (On
the Use and Abuse of "Orality" for Art: reflections on romantic and
late Twentieth-Century poiesis, Oral Tradition, 2002), although
this does not highlight improvisation..
Indeed,
where are the "poets" that can "think on their feet"
(creatively), in the "heat of the moment" (strategically), and
in response to the existential challenge of "the other" (fruitfully)? If
poetry is to offer any guidance to debate of higher quality, then there is
a need for poetic discourse and debate to practice skills it might expect
others to adopt in some measure. Detecting traces of such skills and their
practioners is a first step.
It is unfortunate, given the archetypal models they represent, that neither The
Glass Bead Game (1943) of Hermann
Hesse, nor the Seven
Days in New Crete (1949) of Robert
Graves offers indications
as to how such an interaction might ideally function.
Medieval Europe: Unfortunately the vital
possibility of this process is obscured by widespread use of the phrase "poetic
debate" to denote "debate
about poetry". A less confusing term "debate
poetry" is clearer -- an early form being known as conflictus.
A review of this tradition in Europe is provided by Emma Cayley
(Debate
and Dialogue, 2006). Cayley herself distinguishes:
- "debate
poetry" as referring to the genre itself
- "poetic debate" as being a more fluid term that encompasses both
"debate poems", and "debate about poetry"
- "poetic encounter" as relating to her concept of a "collaborative
debating community" in the sense that it might both refer to poetic responses
(brought about through the encounter), or to the encounter itself, whether
a textual or human one.
Clearly some "poetic
debates" would
have been pre-scripted, and performed (or simply read) as set pieces, rather
than improvised by genuine opponents in response to genuinely controversial
positions they upheld.
The terminology does not help to distinguish these various forms or even any
"poetry about a debate".
One insightful description of the interesting variant is that provided by
John M. Hill, et al (The Rhetorical Poetics of the Middle Ages: reconstructive
polyphony, 2000) quoting Jon Whitman (Hebrew
University of Jerusalem):
The adversaries [in a poetic debate] share a common frame of reference,
that on some level they both contribute to a single community. Indeed, one
of the salient features of the poetic debate is its effort to show contraries
complementing, rather than simply opposing, each other, a feature that leads
many debates to end either without a clear "winner" or with some
kind of reconciliation... A more complex cosmological approach to the strategy
of interdependence, based on broader philosophic sources and principles, will
develop by the twelfth century, but already in the poetic debate, there is
a constant tendency to turn metaphoric figures into metonymic terms of a larger
whole.
The medieval courts of Europe were entertained not only by a male troubadour but
occasionally by a female trobairitz --
known to have engaged in poetic debate together. In the Provençal
literature of France, the partimen is a poetic
debate, but it differs from the tension in so far that the range of
debate is limited; in the first stanza one of the partners proposes two alternatives;
the other partner chooses one of them and defends it, the opposite side remaining
to be defended by the original propounder.
Dialogue in Islamic cultures: Potentially of special relevance to the strategic
challenge is the understanding of the process associated with the Arabic term munatharah through
its various associations:
- as theory building, whereby an individual introduces his/her theory and
others comment on its strengths and deficiencies (Abbas Ali. Organizational
development in the Arab world. Journal of Management Development,
1996)
- in relation to "Munatharah ma' tantheem al-jihad al-islami",
a recording, widely available on the internet, of a controversial debate
(A
Debate between Sheikh Nassir Addeen Al-Albaani and a supporter of "The
Islamic Jihaad Organization")
- as descriptor of appropriately respectful conditions for debate, notably
as envisaged as calling for the re-creation of the classical majalis,
where people would sit and exchange conflicting views in the spirit of collegiality
and the common search for meaning (Mohammed Arkoun, Conference on Cultural
Diversity and Islam, 1998)
- as a form of controversial debate (Sheikh Al-Shanqiti, Art of Jadal
and Munatharah) -- argument and controversy (referenced in The
Counterfeit Salafis: deviation of the Counterfeit Salafis from the methodology
of Ahlul Sunnah Wal-Jama’a by Tariq Abdelhaleem)
- as a debating method that strengthens ijtihad,
namely the process of making a legal decision by independent interpretation
of the legal sources, the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The opposite
of ijtihad is taqlid,
meaning "imitation".
It would appear that munatharah is best understood as an appropriate
mode of debate whose nature may be notably modified if the focus is theological,
secular or a form of literary entertainment. Although he argues that, as such, munatharah "has
almost completely disappeared", Abbas Ali (Business
and Management Environment in Saudi Arabia, 2008, p. 190) provides
a very helpful distinction, in the light of facilitation possibilities in corporations,
between the complementary set of 5 Arab debating styles of which munatharah is
a part:
- Mudarasa or Munagasha (spirited debate): a means to stimulate
discussion, generate better ideas, and develop new perspectives. Seemingly
this is now only to be found in traditional informal Dewan, when there is
call for debate on a particular subject...
- Muthakrha, or specific goal-oriented arrangements that will be
the subject of intensive mudarasa.
- Murajaha, a process in which the facilitator summarizes critical
points (of a mudarasa) but also highlights interrelationships and
synergy in offering a synthesis
- Mudardha, in which competing ideas are introduced by designated
or volunteer individuals, then to be priotitized and steered in ways that
lead to relevant and practical perspectives. In its common use as a form
of poetic debate by informal group, each participant then picks up from the
end of the previous one; the challenge being to recite a verse which starts
with a letter with which the previous contributor finished. In this way meaning
may continue to be built through the succession of verses.
- Munatherah (or, more commonly, Munatharah), is then understood
to be a theory building, whereby an individual introduces his/her theory
and others comment on its strengths and deficiencies. This method tends to
be restricted to use by people of special authority or skill.
As Ali notes, all methods have been used in traditional Islamic culture and
have helped, to some extent, in maintaining cultural transition. He considers
their utility in organizational development should not be underestimated. As
such they may call attention to the need for a different facilitation style
(Islamic
Perspectives on Management and Organization, 2005, p. 225). What is
not clear from his focus on dialogue among executives is the manner in which
these forms are reinterpreted with respect to either theological or poetic
discourse -- as an art form (Sheikh Al-Shanqiti, Art of Jadal and Munatharah).
Needless to say there is little indication of their relevance to the conflicted
dialogues in the Middle East.
It would be interesting to explore any influence that such processes had,
through the occupation of Spain by the Moors, on the development of debate
in Europe -- notably the poetic style of debate of the 14th century, as documented
by Emma Cayley (Debate
and Dialogue: Alain Chartier in his cultural context, 2006).
Examples of poetic interaction
Improvisation in oral poetry: It is to
be expected that oral poetry, whether associated with folk traditions or not,
would offer some degree of insight into interaction between poets in a discourse
mode (Richard Bauman, Verbal Art as Performance, 1984; Ruth Finnegan, Oral
Traditions and the Verbal Arts: a guide to research practices, 1991; John
Miles Foley, How to Read an Oral Poem, 2002). Again however it is
typically far from clear from the terminology when the oral poetry is improvised
-- composed during the recitation -- irrespective of whether this is done in
interaction with one or more other poets.
With regard to improvisation, the Center
for Basque Studies (University of
Nevada) organized a Symposium
on
Oral Improvisational Poetry (2003) sponsored by the Bernard and Lucie
Marie Bidart Fund. The programme featured
studies of improvisational songs in various cultural traditions, including the
Castilian romances,
the Judeo-Spanish ballads, the Ibero-American decimas,
the Asturian cante jondo,
the Santanderian trovas,
the Slavic guslari,
the Arabic invectives, and the Basque bertsolariak.
The published contributions (Samuel G. Armistead and Joseba Zulaika, Voicing
the Moment: improvised oral poetry and Basque tradition, University
of Nevada Press, 2005) also mention current traditions in:
- Cuban decimistas, Puerto Rico, San Domingo, Ecuadoran cantores,
Argentinian
payadores, Brazilian cantadores (and repentistas),
Mexican troveros, Uruguayan payadores, Venezuelan galeronistas
- Cretan pytaris,
Maltese spiritu
pronto, Sardinian cantadori,
Balearic glosadores, Andalusian troveros
In his contribution, Samuel G. Armistead (Improvised
Poetry in the Spanish Tradition. 2005) notes:
Such poetry, often involving verbal dueling and mordant invective, has been
cultivated by Hispanic peoples for many centuries. Its origins remain obscure,
but they undoubtedly involve a variety of Mediterranean and Near Eastern
cultural currents... In these poetic contests, known as echarse
pullas, "one
person wished all sorts of misfortune, for the most part obscene, upon another,
who replied in similar strain.... Invective poetry, much of it -- originally
at least -- orally composed and some of it undoubtedly improvised on the
spot and as needed, is surely of very ancient origin and is probably worldwide
in distrubution. There can, however, be little doubt that Hispanic verbal
dueling is ultimately connected in direct oral tradition to Horace's opprobia
rustica and to an ancient Pan Mediterranean heritage of poetic competition.
(p. 30-1)
These ancient origins were also cited by Maximiano
Trapero (Improvised
Oral Poetry in Spain, 2005), describing the
Homeric tradition (of which active traces are curently to be found in Slavic
poetry, known for its relationship to nationalist politics):
This poetic contest had vertain rules: whoever started had the right to
choose the subject and his opponent had to answer him, to such an extent
that the latter always remained art the mercy of the former's chosen topic
and subject to his 'attacks'; yet the second one could both answer and counter
attack at the same time, thereby giving rise to a duel of attack and counter
attack that could go on until one of the contestant's strength (and reason)
waned, or until both of them (as was the norm...) declared himself the winner.
(p. 46)
As remarked by David R. Olson (From Utterance to Text:
the bias of language in speech and writing, 1977), Trapero
also notes that poetry today is immediately associated with its written form,
whereas written poetry is an extremely modern
phenomenon whose origin is in millennia of oral poetry.
Initially, the medieval literary genre of debates (also known as
"recuesta", "tenso" or "partiment")
became famous, with Provencal troubadours taking the genre to its highest
levels and spreading it throughout Europe. The debate might bring forth real,
flesh and bone, people or instead concern abstract, allegorical beings, to
which human conditions wwere ascribed. This all took place in a context of
opposites: male/female, love/dislike, wine/water, winter/summer, rich/poor
and so on. (p. 49)
Verbal improvisation of poetry now takes the form of slam in western cultures
(notably described as poetic jousting), involving a degree of enactment of
a recital -- where normally the text is fixed before performance. Poetry
slam is the competitive art
of performance poetry. It originated in the US as
a means to heighten public interest in poetry readings. It has now evolved
into an international art form -- as described by Susan B.A. Somers-Willett
(Slam
Poetry: Ambivalence, Gender, and Black Authenticity in Slam, 2001; Can
Slam Poetry Matter? Rattle: poetry for the 21st century). See
also: Chris Mooney-Singh, Getting
Out Of The Poetry Ghetto; Poetry & Improv:
A Perfect Match? (2009). Its origins in the Chicago rap culture merit
reflection as suggesting a potentially viable mode for engagement with other
cultures, such as those of Afghanistan. President Barack Obama has spent a significant
period of his professional life in Chicago.
Improvisation is also valued as enabling cultural renewal (James W. Fernandez, Playfulness
and Planfulness: improvisation and revitalization in culture. p. 97-119).
Invective poetry: The above-mentioned compilation (Voicing
the Moment, 2005) also variously drew attention to the the long tradition
of invective poetry.
Armistead, for example, offers as anecdotes:
- an historic incident in the year 912,
during an Hispano-Arab siege of a stronghold,
in which an acrimonious poetic exchange took place between one of the rebels
who hurls down a poetic challenge from inside the fortress, to which a muleteer
instantaneously responds, with a poetically improvised answer
- the exchange of ten-verse decimas across the Mexican-Texan
border in the late nineteenth century
There is an active Arabic hijā' tradition of improvised invective,
diatribe and insult in verse (C. Pellat, 1971; C. Elliott, 1960). One popular
form is naqa'id. This would seemingly
have contributed to the development of the tradition in Ibero-American cultures
(James T. Monroe. Improvised
Invective in Hispano-Arabic Poetry and Ibn Quzman's "Zajal 87".
p. 135-159; Adnan Haydar, The
Development of Lebanese Zajal: genre, meter, and verbal due, 1989).
Various authors discuss modern Arabian improvised invective (S. A. Sowayan, 1985,
1989; G van Gelder, 1988). Of particular relevance to the current exploration
is the fact that during the 1991 Gulf Wari, rival radio and television broadcasts,
made use of hijā' poetry
-- with Iraqis and Saudis trading poetic insults on a daily basis (Ya'ari and
Freideman, 1991). Pre-Islamic Arabs are known to have hurled curses at
the enemy as they went into combat.
Flyting is a public contest
of extravagant insults, often structured in the form of a poetic joust. It
is similar to African American practice
of freestyle battles and
the historic practice of the dozens.
In Germanic cultures, the convention can be detected earlier, for example
in the confrontation of Beowulf and Unferð in Beowulf. Flytings were a
feature of early Germanic cultures either a prelude to battle or as
a form of combat in their own right. Taunting
songs are part of many cultures predating Scottish flyting, such as Inuit civilization.
A comparable form is to be found in the competitive verses of Japanese haikai.
Folk traditions: It is appropriate to
note that the journal Oral
Tradition (Center for Studies in
Oral Tradition) has an extensive database of readily accessible
articles, in addition to offering sound files from various traditions. Relevant
to this exploration are forms which are notably recognized by terms such as
"poetic wrestling" or "poetic jousting".
Also to be noted, in addition to those
mentioned above, are:
-
The Persian poetic form of Qasida is unprecedented in Arabic
or New Persian, but it is part of the Middle Persian (Pahlavi) tradition.
The Pahlavic poetic debate Draxt i Asurik shows that this form
of debate has had a long history. Of great potential interest is that the
five debates on record (Monazerat)
are called Arab o 'Ajam (The Arab vs the Persian), Mogh o Mosalman (the
Magian vs the Muslim), Shab o Ruz (the night vs the Day), Neyza
o Kaman (the Spear vs the Bow) and the Asman o Zamin (the
Sky vs the Earth). [more]
- Ironically web resources give unusual prominence to a Palestinian example
(D. G. Sbait, Debate
in the Improvised-Sung poetry of the Palestinians, Asian Folklore
Studies, 1993).
- In the Philippines, balagtasan is
a traditional literary form -- a poetic debate in which two poets engage
each other for about 20 minutes on a designated topic, in versified Tagalog;
another form is dupluhan, a popular poetical debate competition; cancionan is
a form of argument in song and verse, with bantayonan as another
form of poetic debate.
- In Bangladesh, kabigan is a form
of poetic debate.
- In the Mariana Islands, the Kantan
Chamorita is the contemporary name given to traditional call-and-response,
impromptu verse-making.
- In Sicily, known as the island of
poets, contrasti,
is a poetic debate between two poets.
- Poetic debate has been a feature of Russian
internet participation.
- In Lebanon, zajal is
semi-improvised and semi-sung form of oral strophic poetry, often performed
as a debate between zajjaali (poets who improvise the zajal).
- Improvisation is central to traditional musical activity in Corsica,
as is the case in many other Mediterranean cultures -- the tour de force being
the chjamí è rispondi,
a spontaneously improvised poetic debate set to a relatively stable melodic
prototype which is nevertheless personalized by each individual singer as
well as being adapted to the shifting stresses of the textual line in the
moment of performance.
- Improvised poetry in Castillian-speaking areas of Spain (Santander,
Murcia, Almerta and Granada), competitively sung in the form of quintillas and decimas as
late as the 1950s.
- Competitive improvisation continues to be practiced in the Canary
Islands in the form of decimas by poets (verseadores)
who, even though semi-literate, spontaneously compose with ease ten-verse
strophes with a fixed rhyme scheme.
- In Chile one singer or poet poses a versifed problem (riddle
or paradox), to which the antagonist must instantaneously supply a poetic
answer. In Ecuador, in one mode one singer provides three verses and the
opponent must provide the fourth. Related practices are known in Galicia (enchoyadas)
and in Portugal -- in the form of challenging songs (cantigas
ao desafio)
among two or more contenders. In the Cape Verde Islands,
abusive songs may be sung against each other all evening
- In West Africa the role of poet / praise singer /
wandering musician, known as a griot,
continues to be valued as a repository of oral tradition. Although they may
know many traditional songs, they must also have the ability to extemporize
on current events, chance incidents and the passing scene -- including gossip,
satire, or political comment.
- Amongst the Gikuyu of Kenya (believed
to have originated in West Africa) there is a poetic tradition which
fosters competition among various poets. These have been described as poetic
wrestling matches between various regions -- highly respected as an art form.
- In a detailed report of a politically influential Deelleey poetic
debate in Somalia,
Ali M. Ahad (Could
Poetry Define Nationhood? the case of Somali oral poetry and the nation,
2007) notably states:
The aim of that debate as conceived by its proponents was to rekindle
nationalism and national values versus clan ideology and kinship. The
Deelleey poetic debate was coordinated by one of the modern Somali
poets, the scholar who discovered the metrics of Somali poetry. Although
most of the poets who participated in the debate knew how to read and
write, their poems were in oral form and were tape-recorded. The fixed
rules were that every poet must alliterate his/her poem in D and must
produce the poem in jiifto or maanso genre
How ironic that Somalia should have so recently explored so seriously a political
possibility that less conflict-torn countries have failed to do.
However this initiative should be compared with the commentary, noting the
role of poetry, by Martin Kramer (Arab
Nationalism: mistaken identity, Daedalus,
Summer 1993).
Interactive
dialogue projects: In addition to those identified above, and especially
that of the Center for Studies in Oral Tradition, a
variety of projects and initiatives touch on related concerns and merit reflection
on their successes and constraints with respect to the encounter between cultures:
- Dialogue through
Poetry: This initiative has aimed at building a culture of peace and
non-violence through poetry. A UN conference was seemingly held in 2002
to investigate ways to stimulate dialogue among cultures through poetry
using new technologies and international resources. The central focus is
the development of an internet portal for poetry through Poetry
International Foundation in Rotterdam and an organizational structure to facilitate interaction
and events programming. The arguments and cautions of John
Kinsella (Statement
for Dialogues of Cultures Conference, New York, United Nations)
merit careful attention
- Debating
Culture in Europe (1300-1500), directed by Emma Cayley
at the Centre for Medieval Studies (University of Exeter)
- Poetic Dialogue Project: an
exhibition of collaborative works by artists and poets
- Fondation
Royaumont has developed a creation program devoted to slam, and
the way it relates to music and language. Poetry slam normally takes the
form of competitive poetry recital of previously written work. The initiative
focuses on slam
/ improvisation. The initiative explores the poetic and
rhythmical worlds of slam in an innovative way, creating a space where the
sound-word and music model each other.
Whilst not directly relevant to this exploration,
there have been numerous international initiatives to enable poetry in different
ways (as recorded in the Yearbook of International Organizations).
Curiously an unusual proportion of them have not proved to be viable.
Framework for clarification of "poetic debate":
The following table could notably be enriched by the insights of John Miles Foley
(Comparative
Oral Traditions,
2005).
Towards a clarification
of connotations of the phrase "poetic debate"
to highlight most relevant to socio-political poetic engagement (tentative)
[interactions in the lower right portion of
the table are potentially most significant] |
| Degree of improvisation |
Thematic content |
Number of active participants in the debate |
| . |
.. |
1
"interactant"
(possibly simulating alternating voices/views) |
2
"interactants"
(preferably representing
alternative views)
|
3 or more
"interactants"
(preferably representing
alternative views) |
Pre-prepared, set-piece articulation
in poetic form
(possibly allowing for a degree of thematic response to the other
participant ) |
Principles/Values |
. |
. |
. |
| People exemplifying values |
. |
. |
. |
| Impersonal archetypes |
. |
. |
. |
| Socio-political issues |
. |
. |
. |
Constrained improvisation in poetic
form
(externally imposed
theme and possibly positions to be taken; even ritualised within a tradition) |
Principles/Values |
. |
. |
. |
| People exemplifying values |
. |
. |
. |
| Impersonal archetypes |
. |
. |
. |
| Socio-political issues |
. |
. |
. |
Constrained improvisation in poetic
form
(thematic challenge by one participant imposing a theme on
another) |
Principles/Values |
. |
. |
. |
| People exemplifying values |
. |
. |
. |
| Impersonal archetypes |
. |
. |
. |
| Socio-political issues |
. |
. |
. |
Improvised, but making spontaneous
use of selected verses from classic poems
(free with thematic focus emerging through interaction) |
Principles/Values |
|
|
|
| People exemplifying values |
|
|
|
| Impersonal archetypes |
|
|
|
| Socio-political issues |
|
|
|
Spontaneous poetic improvisation
(free with thematic focus emerging in response to the dynamics of interaction) |
Principles/Values |
. |
. |
. |
| People exemplifying values |
. |
. |
. |
| Impersonal archetypes |
. |
. |
. |
| Socio-political issues |
. |
. |
. |
This table of course echoes the range of forms of participation in conferences
of any kind -- from reports about them (or about hypothetical events), through
typical presentations of pre-prepared documents, ritualised set-piece dialogues,
to improvisation in response to the thematic content of others. In the case
of "poetic debate" or "poetic dialogue", the possibility
is to heighten the degree of resonance between participants in an improvisation --
to enhance the reverberations of the encounter as a whole. Concrete examples,
such as those cited above from different cultures, could be appropriately positioned
within the table in the light of the precise process implied by the terms currently
used to describe them.
Towards an imaginative reflection on possible "Rules of Poetic Engagement"
The following comments do not adequately take account of the insights to be
obtained regarding the active disciplines of engagement characteristic of the
different folk traditions mentioned above.
Collaborative aesthetics: A form of aesthetic
collaboration may be said to take place through a common inspiration, even
though there is no direct interaction (Lloyd Halliburton,
Poetic
Symbiosis: Hart Crane and Federico García Lorca, Neohelicon,
December, 2001). The term "poetic collaboration" is widely used to
describe various forms of mutual consultation in the preparation of poetic
works. There may indeed be concern regarding the degree to which the contribution
of one is "flattened"
ar the expense of another or allocated in some overly rational manner. The
challenge is helpfully articulated for only two poets by Lucy Newlyn (Coleridge,
Wordsworth and the Language of Allusion, 2001) who asks what method
do we adopt to describe the interweaving of literary emotional strands in a
relationship so complex? What word do we have for a friendship which was at
once productive and destructive? She comments:
- 'Literary friendship' or 'literary
partnership' are too bland, too general.
- 'Collaboration' and 'mutual influence'
deal only with literary and intellectual content.
- 'Symbiosis' is inaccurate,
given that both writers were in so many ways an emotional liability to
each other.
- 'Affinity' does not account for the important differences which emerged
as the relationship unfolded.
- 'Duet' is too choreographed, too organized,
and mutually enhancing.
- 'Duel' plays too much on antagonism.
- 'Dialogue' is
too circumscribed, given that more than two voices can be heard during
the process of any intellectual and emotional exchange.
- 'Competitive/collaborative
relationship' is accurate, but cumbersome. (p. xiii, reformatted
for emphasis)
Also noted was the "threat of amalgamation" which collaboration involves,
implying a need to avoid the "complete merging of voices" if they were to preserve
their distinct identities. With respect to the two poets, Newlyn notes:
Their divisions, when they acknowledged them, tended either to be rartionalised
as compatibility or transcended by the ideal of a shared vision.... When
the merging of 'compounding' of opposite styles proves impossible, collaboration
is figured as an experiment that has gone wrong. (p. xxxiii)
Missing from the above is the sense in which the poets might be struggling
aesthetically, even existentially and to a far higher degree, with the contrasts
that their respective sensibilities represented. Rather than a "shared vision"
that they held in advance -- and had already agreed upon -- the
question is whether the interaction between their differences enabled the emergence
of a "shared vision" that encompassed those differences without diminishing
their significance -- one that
had not previously been envisaged, namely something new with whose aesthetic
significance they could resonate.
It
is difficult to locate resources on collaborative aesthetics acknowledging
the above nuances -- where the emphasis is on a common aesthetic outcome and
not primarily on group process or group learning techniques (cf Leveraging
Web 2.0 Technologies: building innovative online learning communities).
Anindita Basu and David Cavallo (Full-Contact
Poetry: creating space for poetic collaboration)
describe a collaborative digital play space for children, written in Squeak,
and developed at the MIT Media Laboratory. A software experiment in computational
poetry, as described by Eric Elshtain and Jon Trowbridge (Gnoetry
0.2 and the Transcendence of the Human Poetic, January 2007), analyzes
how words are used in an extant text and tries to discern patterns. However
it does allow for a degree of interplay:
Gnoetry0.2 also allows for the human end-user to facilitate “conversations” between
disparate authors and epochs; a conversation enhanced by Gnoetry’s ability
to statistically weight the texts during composition. That is, the end-user
may “ask” that 23% of the time, solutions to the problem of “haiku,” for
example, be found in Emma; 21.7% in The Custom
of the Country; and so on up
to 100%. This function allows the “voices” of the texts to be
raised and lowered throughout the composition, much like a do-wop group trading
solos and singing in different harmonies.
Following
on the initiative of Bruno Latour (Why
Has Critique Run out of Steam? From Matters of Fact to Matters of Concern, Critical
Inquiry, 30, 2),
one initiative by Marsha Bradfield and Jem Mackay (An
Aesthetics of Matters of Concern, Critical Practice, 2008) raises
questions rather than immediately providing answers:
What might a collaborative aesthetics involve? How might it look, feel, taste,
sound, smell? More specifically, what are the possibilities of a collaborative
aesthetics grounded in Latour's notion of 'matters of concern'?
Collaborative creativity: This is the
focus of the Collaborative
Creativity Group within a programme of the United Nations University,
centered at the Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre
on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT).
The group investigates the
socio-economics of creative collaboration across all domains, but presumably
with relatively little emphasis on the aesthetic creativity of significance
in any strategic poetic engagement regarding a "matter of concern".
It is currently collaborating with the Wikimedia Foundation to undertake a survey
of the Wikipedia process.
Collaborative creativity is clearly a preoccupation of tangible product innovation
(cf Hillevi Sundholm, Henrik Artman
and Robert Ramberg, Backdoor
Creativity: collaborative creativity in technology supported teams,
2004).
A focus for such reflection is provided through the PICNIC gathering
which periodically brings together
and disseminates the ideas and knowledge of creators
and innovators, highlighting relevant products and services at the intersection
of media, technology, arts (including poetry) and entertainment.
As a form of collaborative creativity, unfortunately it is possible that
it is precisely what has proven to be viable and practical in the mysterious
success of open
source and related projects (Linux, Wikipedia)
that inhibits recognition of the subtle strategic challenges of cross-cultural
engagement, as in the Middle East. At this point in time these challenges may
well be better represented by the challenges and possibilities of improvised
poetic debate as a reflection of contrasting aesthetic preferences. The aesthetic
considerations, expressed poetically, are then intimately related to issues
of collective identity -- and to challenging differences in ideological perspectives
and their strategic implications.
Such reservations would clearly also apply to optimism regarding the possibilities
of collective
intelligence, notably as expressed by Mark Tovey (Collective
Intelligence: creating a prosperous world at peace, 2008). What is
carried by poetry and through poetic debate is subtler than the forms of knowledge
which are the focus of innovative knowledge
management.
Practical concerns: There are particular issues in exploring
the aesthetic possibilities:
- Cultures that highly value aesthetics tend to appreciate style -- possibly
even above substance. Traces of this are to be found in the appreciation
of the speeches of politicians in the West, notably in France, Italy and
Germany. Style may be recognized as indicative of a degree of coherence and
maturity which conventional presentations of "substance" may lack.
Curiously style is a significant factor in urban gang cultures -- however
much the preferred style may be offensive to other cultures.
- Problematic modes of interaction may, to some extent, be fruitfully reframed
as "bad" poetry (or song), namely lacking any attractive qualities
(or seriously
"out of tune"). Avoiding such a possible framing is a challenge
to negotiators -- as a potential stimulus to bad press in an aesthetically
critical culture.
- As is well-recognized, notably in the world of opera, there are major problems
in choreographing the engagement of prima donnas -- whether or not
these are analogous to those experienced in diplomatic encounters and
"managed" there by protocol. What are the necessary aesthetic protocols?
There are of course some with skills in eliciting a degree of order from
what is aesthetic chaos to others -- choreography on the fly.
- To the extent that any exploration focuses on a "conference" of
those interested in this possibility and its implications, there are a range
of concerns with how such an event might itself be organized in practice
as discussed in Proposal
for an Exploratory International Conference: Poetry-making and Policy-making (1993)
- A range of organizational possibilities and precedents have been reviewed
elsewhere (Organizational
implementation, in A
Singable Earth Charter, EU Constitution or Global Ethic? 2006) notably
a collective process following the logic of crowdsourcing (Participative
Development Process for Singable Declarations Applying the Wikipedia-Wikimedia-WikiMusic
concept to constitutions, 2006)
Characteristics of possible "rules":
- Creative ways of combining useful rules, whatever they might be, with
the possibility of a "no holds barred" approach that would avoid
inhibiting creativity. Indications of how to reconcile these incompatible
approaches might perhaps be obtained from the philosophy and practice of
Eastern martial arts, such as aikido.
- Recognition of viable patterns of improvised poetic dialogue. Indications
regarding such patterns might be obtained from:
- music improvisation, as, for example, with the perspective
of an avant-garde composer (Vinko
Globokar, Drama and Correspondences.
Harmonia Mundi, 20 21803-1) regarding "the principle of mutual psychological
reactions and attempts to 'join' the four participants with each other
and to make them increasingly dependent on each other. There are four
levels:
- the musical material is entirely fixed, but the choice
of instruments
is left open.
- Each musician possesses only incomplete instructions. In order
to be able to play, each musician must search for missing material
in the performance of the neighbour (pitches from the first, length
from the second, etc) and react to it in different ways: imitate, adapt
himself to it (if need be, further develop), do the opposite, become
disinterested or something else (something 'unheard of').
- The composed material is completely substituted by the description
of the possibility arising from the reactions of the performers
to their neighbours.
- On the last level, it is left up to the
performers whether to cease playing or to continue; for not even
the selection of reactions is now necessary"
Inspired by jamming in
jazz groups, internalizing the polar tensions between musical score and
improvisation, such possibilities have been used by John
Kao (Jamming: the art and
discipline of business,
1997). A jam session is a musical act where musicians gather and play
(or "jam") without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements.
- polyphony, whether involving only distinct instrumental
voices or the addition of lyrics in relation to the separate melodic
voices (cf All Blacks of Davos vs All Greens of
Porto Alegre: reframing global strategic discord through polyphony?. 2007)
- multi-participant juggling,
as extensively documented in the form of passing
patterns, which have been extensively documented. A juggling group
can of course shift between patterns and include extra jugglers during
the process, or drop them from the pattern.
- dance, offers both a considerable range of dance
moves (integrated into more complex dance patterns) as well
as the possibility of improvisation (see Glossary
of dance moves).
Any codification of the patterns could be indicative of possibilities
for poetic interaction within groups of different sizes whose contrasting
perspectives were represented by distinct sub-groups. Square
dances provide an example of formalized dance patterns.
- card games, point to a range of possibilities of
interaction between collaborating and competing parties in which "improvisation"
is integrated into game strategy. There are web sites under the theme
"poker poetry". Dave Morice (Poetry Poker:
Misfit Improvisations on Language, Teachers and Writers,
1992, ) describes a strategy that allows
a student to write a poem by playing cards.
- piston engine operation offers a more mechanical insight
into the manner in which a cycle of creative "sparks" can be
used as the motive power of a common vehicle. An engine can have many pistons.
The challenge is to convert the insights from any such technical metaphor
into valuable features of a poetic debate -- each participant functioning
as a "piston" in the creative initiative. In all types of
piston engine the linear movement of the piston is converted to a rotating
movement (via a connecting rod and a crankshaft or by a swashplate);
a flywheel is often used to ensure smooth rotation. The more cylinders
a reciprocating piston engine has, generally, the more vibration-free
(smoothly) it can operate. The power of a reciprocating engine is proportional
to the volume of the combined pistons' displacement.
All these patterning possibilities together lend themselves to formal
mathematical analysis to identity the range of interactions that might be called upon
in any aesthetic interaction.
- Insights from traditional practices of poetic dialogue between several
participants (as noted above with respect to improvised oral poetry, whether
sung or accompanied by music). For example, work on the thriving Basque bertsolaritza is
extensive, as documented by Linda White (Orality
and Basque Nationalism: dancing with the devil or waltzing into the future? Oral
Tradition,
2001). As she notes:
The artists (bertsolariak), often called “Basque
troubadours,” perform
in competitions broadcast on television and become regional celebrities.
The audience does not need to read Euskara in order to enjoy the “sport
of words,” as it
is called.... The verses created by the bertsolari must comply with specific
rhyme
patterns. When aficionados discuss bertsolaritza, such rhyme patterns are
often at the center of their evaluation of an artist’s creative production.
To the novice, it can often seem as though these oral artists are faced with
the onerous task of counting rhymes and syllables as they versify. However,
the rhyme patterns and syllable counts per line are an intimate part of the
melody being used for a particular verse, and the music is what makes it
possible for a bertsolari to keep all these schemes in mind...
- Insights from contexts in which there is an appreciation of the "rhythm
of debate" or "rhythm in debate" as in the educational process
in Buddhist philosophy. In mathematical physics, Andrew Warwick (Masters
of Theory: Cambridge and the Rise of Mathematical Physics, 2003)
highlights the unfortunate consequence of the shift from the formal procedure
of a disputation (with the rhythm of public debate between opponent and respondent
by
"Wranglers")
to the written examination. Related to this is the significant issue of the
balance between qualitative and quantitative perspectives in any adversarial
assessment process, as discussed by John Danvers (Assessment
in the Arts: qualitative and quantitative approaches):
These differences emerge as the result of the adversarial process of advocacy
and argument that characterises most assessment meetings. This process is
a mixture of negotiation, rational argument and peer pressure, centred on
subjective opinions about the degree to which students have achieved particular
learning outcomes, as manifested in the artwork or texts presented for assessment.
In most assessment meetings there is an alternating pattern of convergence
and divergence of opinions, interpretations, prejudices and insights – energised
by the particular dynamics of the group. However this rhythm of debate and
open-ended exchange is always constrained by the need to arrive at a definitive
single mark, the holy grail of quantitative assessment. In some ways the
process would be much more transparent and informative to the student if
the marks of each assessor were published and a cluster of marks were awarded
for each unit of assessment – not one mark! This would reflect the
variety of evaluations and suggest that the process, and the mark, is conditional
rather than absolute.
- Insights from the tradition of "poetical rhetoric",
aptly introduced in terms of historical understanding of the problematic
relationship between poets and philosophers by Stanley
Rosen (Plato's
Republic: A Study, 2005):
The philosopher...uses poetical rhetoric for purposes of persuasion, but
at least his or her rhetoric is informed by the truth....The poet... produces
copies of the items of genesis, or what one could call simulacra (images
of images). The poet thus deludes us into believing that he or she knows
the truth, and this illusory knowledge is more attractive to the general
populace than is the rigorous and genuine truth of philosophy. To make a
long story short, if they are not checked, the poets will become the unacknowledged
legislators of society, thereby usurping a role that ought to be filled by
philosophers. (p. 3)
This matter is of some relevance given the current appreciation of the "poetic
rhetoric" of Barack Obama as President of the USA. However, any implication
that philosophers are especially endowed with the truth is radically undermined
by their own inability to dialogue fruitfully with each other, as noted
by the philosopher, Nicholas
Rescher (The Strife of Systems: an essay
on the grounds and implications of philosophical diversity, 1985).
He
responded to their distinctly unintegrative conflict by concluding:
For centuries, most philosophers who have reflected on the matter have
been intimidated by the strife of systems. But the time has come to put
this behind us -- not the strife, that is, which is ineliminable, but
the felt need to somehow end it rather than simply accept it and take
it in stride.
It is perhaps the interplay of poetry and philosophy that could be more fruitfully
envisaged, through patterns as suggested below.
- Insights from understandings of "poetic resonance" in
relation to the landscape with which any myth of cultural identity is associated
and cultivated, notably as highlighted in commentaries on José Lezama
Lima’s La Expresión Americana (1957) -- who, as
a poet, contrasts North and Latin American understandings that are of
great political significance. For example, William Rowlandson (‘Un
mito es una imagen participada’, Bulletin
of Hispanic Studies,
2010) notes:
Periods of history that fail to awaken in the interpreter the awe of la
imago fail to achieve the poetical resonance that we see characterised
in the historical reconstruction of La expresión americana.
Similarly, la imago itself becomes the animistic heart of the poetic
(and historic) moment... Furthermore,
it is not simply the historical moment that becomes the interactive text to
be interpreted; a similar signifying process takes place converting the ‘espacio
gnóstico’ that is ‘naturaleza’ into
the defining text that is ‘paisaje’. Much has been written
on this process of transformation from nature to landscape... Nature itself
is the unwritten text that awaits the creative participation of the subject
to transform it into a meaningful entity, and by extension into a cultural
construct.... the epistemological dimension of the creative interpretation
of both landscape and history. The subjective interaction with nature becomes
a hermeneutic process – one of interpreting – and such a process
is integrally linked to the processes by which we gain knowledge.
Such perspectives may be valuable in challenging the assumptions of the foreign
policy of the USA (and the West in general) regarding cultures like those
of Afghanistan (and the Middle East in general).
- Insights from "pattern language", notably as
developed by Christopher
Alexander (A
Pattern Language, 1977) as a part of a set of writings, themselves
described as poetical (Jonathan Price, What
Technical Writers Can Learn from Christopher Alexander's Pattern Language,
2001). One of its chapters is entitled The Poetry of the Language.
In introducing the deep nature of patterns, Alexander comments (The
Nature of Order, 2003):
A
pattern language is a created thing. It is a work of poetry, a work of
art. It is potentially as profound in its way as a building can be.
But there seems to have been no attempts to associate the focus of Alexander's
253 interrelated patterns (see comment)
-- most of which have long been a focus of poetry -- with any attempt
at structuring poetic insight into the pattern they constitute as a whole.
The comment however indicates how the set of phsically-focused patterns
has been used experimentally as a template for the elaboration of 4 additional
sets of patterns (5-fold
Pattern Language, 1984): an abstract variant, a socio-organizational
analogue, a cognitive analogue, and an intra-personal analogue.
- Elucidation of rules consistent with particular musical
genres, if the
improvisation is to take place within some such genre
- In the spirit of experimental poetry in three
dimensions ("3D poetry"), it may be fruitful to explore the possibility
that the Islamic distinction between the poetic forms of eulogy (panegyric)
and denunciation (diatribe) would lend itself to their mapping onto
three dimensional structures (of association and dissociation). The question
is whether participants in a poetic debate could together -- through their
poetic consonance and dissonance -- "build" such memetic constructs,
effectively bridging their differences without denying them. Further to any
such achievement, there is the possibility that they might then transform,
such structures aesthetically into richer poetic constructs involving more
complex resonances between the aesthetic elements. The images below are indicative
of the principle (on the left) and a possible complexification (on the right).
The structure on the right of course recalls features of Islamic architecture
whose principles it reflects (Keith
Critchlow, Islamic
Patterns: an analytical and cosmological approach, 1999). Either structure
is in effect a three dimensional interweaving of appreciation and criticism
into a mimetic "carpet". In this memetic architecture, there may
be the possibility of poetic epics embodying radical difference appropriately
in what could then be understood as memetic analogues to geodesic
domes (even
of opposite chirality).
| Indicative design possibilities interrelating
contrasting perspectives in a poetic debate |
Example of tensional integrity (tensegrity) structure
in which aesthetic elements of poetic dissociation (denunciation) might
be indicated by solid, incompressible rods and those of association
(eulogy) might be indicated by linking, tension elements; circuits might
then represent verses interlocking to constitute a larger whole |
Example of aesthetic elaboration of a
polyhedral
configuration
in which more complex patterns of association enrich the memetic structure
as a whole, enabling its further transformation or simplification
(image developed using Stella
Polyhedron Navigator) |
 |
 |
| In Quest
of a Strategic Pattern Language: a new architecture of values (2008) |
Conclusion
The emphasis here has been on enabling skills that combine the following:
- improvisation -- namely composition during recitation, whether or not some
content is derived from classical verses
- interaction with one or more others -- such that each responds to thematic
content and aesthetic parameters introduced by the other
- debate responsive to radically divisive socio-political and ideological
issues -- variously represented by the interactants as "stakeholders" --
namely beyond any emphasis on entertainment or representation
- cultural sensitivity, especially with respect to Islamic reservations
The ambition need only be modest, whatever the potential. It might be fruitfully
framed as a means of engendering a different framework of mutual respect --
independent of other more conventional indicators of strength. Framed in this
way, there is the possibility of more fruitful outcomes, mutually valued.
Given the modest costs associated with this possibility -- compared to other
forms of more physical engagement between cultures -- it is easy to argue that
there is little to lose, with the potential of there being much to gain. It
might be questioned how "serious" is any such initiative. This would
be a matter of collective concern in ensuring that any exploration is fruitful
The argument here is that there is little to lose and the cost of investing
in such possibilities could be low. More intriguing is the poetic interface
with Europe of the cultures by which the West is challenged. Perhaps a cognitive
and policy reframing of the Eurovision approach -- as argued in some
detail (Singable
Earth Charter, EU Constitution or Global Ethic? 2006). Certainly there
is scope for work by musicians, poets, songwriters, choirs and strategists
-- with outcomes that might be taken more seriously by wider segments of the
concerned populations than those conventionally envisaged.
Perhaps a more fundamental challenge, to enhance the potential viability,
would be exploration of the relevance of:
- the mnemonic significance of rhythm and rhyme in
enabling long-term retention of complex non-linear patterns of
association. This function
was originally noted with respect to use of saj‘ in
Arabic speech. In
addition to such a purely mnemonic function is the degree to which such
patterns represent the subtler feedback loops essential to the viability
of the knowledge cybernetics that are a challenge to represent adequately
in prose or in conventional strategic "plans" and agreements.
It is these feedback
loops, implicit in sets of folk tales, that form the identity of any group
and give coherence to it. Hence the importance in any strategic encounter
of engaging through rhyme and rhythm. There is also the possibility that
the binary alternatives of fakhr (glorification) and hijā' (satire,
lampoon, invective) may be in some way associated with positive and negative
feedback loops -- lending themselves to representation together as
in the tensegrity image (above, left), rather than vainly endeavouring to
stress one at the expense of the other (Being Positive
Avoiding Negativity: management challenge of positive vs negative, 2005)..
- a process of autopoiesis as
redefined by Amal Alayan (in a book in preparation) to apply to self-creation,
recreation and renewal, amongst a group who are both poetic and altruistic.
This then takes the form of an evolving, cascading, thematically intertwined
sung epic in relation to change on a collective, bi-national and a global
level. Autopoiesis is envisaged as
a lens and a mechanism for organizing social, cultural and economic change in
the Middle East and in its relationship to the West. For Alayan this approach
is inspired by the Arab phrase Nathama
Al-Shi’r -- poetry as organizing -- inviting
creative new possibilities for more appropriate collective
initiatives of every kind.
Indeed, given the common root (auto-poiesis), is there not the possibility
that poets could engender larger memetic structures through a dynamic interaction
whose nature is yet to be discovered? A relevant set of insights is perhaps
offered by Anthony Blake (The
Supreme Art of Dialogue: structures of meaning, 2008). The challenge
lies in the ability of a group of poets to introduce moderating processes
to correct for individual tendencies to neglect the collective product --
a skill which is vital in musical improvisation in groups. Arguably poets
need seriously to internalize collectively the challenge they face in working
collectively.
Of interest is the manner in which intervention is followed by riposte in
a process of escalating significance -- with some sense of emergence of memetic
structures transcending such binary exchanges. Understandings from current
explorations of multi-level metadialogue could offer indications of possibilities
(Maurice A. Finocchiaro, Arguments,
Meta-arguments, and Metadialogues: a reconstruction of Krabbe, Govier,
and Woods. Argumentation, 21, 3, September 2007, pp 253-268).
- enabling a dynamic of improvisation between poets, as
is much more frequently done in other arts (Musical
improvisation, Singing Improvisation, Theater, Dance, Film, Comedy, Poetry,
Television, Role-playing games). This
implies an ability for both poetic improvisation as
well as the capacity to respond to another poet, amplifying or challenging
the content -- but retaining a degree of overall connectivity with it. Impressive
examples of the result, but typically in the absence of improvisation, are
to be found in song, notably some folk songs in which singers effectively
challenge each other through alternating verses -- as may be done in opera
and multi-voice choirs.
The practice is the
focus of a periodic Mediterranean festival (Poetarcantando
nel Mediterraneo – dall’ottava
rima al rap). This drawsd on many cultures of the Mediterranean
which have preserved a tradition that is highly appreciated at evening gatherings
and village festivals: vocal jousting in which poet-singers confront each
other, improvising with wit and irony on various subjects: love, politics,
social commentary, etc.
- poetic debate: Clearly (as implied
by the above table) considerable
clarification is required to distinguish the variously related uses of
this and other terms in order
to highlight those relevant to current socio-political challenges. "Debate"
may itself be inappropriate -- where "encounter" or dialogue" offer
other possibilities, but also fraught with the possibility of other misunderstandings
and what might be considered (by those with greater
expectations) as aesthetic indulgences. There are many ways
in which "poetic" interaction can take place avoiding precisely
those modes that might prove fruitful to a problematic socio-political
situation like Afghanistan. In that sense poetic debate emulates -- or
provides a model for -- the binary logic of parliamentary rhetoric between
representatives of opposing parties.
It would be intriguing to discover that the Islamic formal reservations
about poetry implied a valuable disciplinary corrective against individualistic
poetic indulgences -- inhibiting effective emergence of collaborative insights.
What might be the criteria for fruitful critical dialogue between worldviews
through poetic debate? (cf Guidelines
for Critical Dialogue between Worldviews,
2006). In this respect the quadrilemma articulated from an Asian perspective
by Kinhide Mushakoji (Global Issues and Interparadigmatic
Dialogue, 1988) call for reflection on the distinctions between: Poetry,
Not-Poetry, Poetry-and-Not-Poetry, Neither-Poetry-nor-Not-Poetry.
Again, how ironic it would be if Somalia should
have explored so seriously a political possibility that less conflict-torn
countries have failed to do. More curious is the extent to which such "debates"
have been significant thought the history of many cultures. Jeffrey Walker
(Rhetoric
and Poetics in Antiquity, 2000) demonstrates that in antiquity
rhetoric and poetry could not be viewed separately. Missing however is a
sense of the poetic engagement between those of opposing views -- and perhaps
not just two -- and the extent to which a richer and more fruitful framework
emerged from their interaction.
What would it take to engender a larger aesthetic
framework embodying contrasting viewpoints in challengingly significant ways
of relevance to situations such as Afghanistan, the Caucasus or Iran?
- implication of a sense of "poetic
justice" as an understanding of the appropriateness
of the outcome of an interaction in which "virtue" is ultimately rewarded
or "vice" punished, notably through an ironic twist intimately
related to the conduct of either protagonist. A contrast can however
usefully be made between a purely aesthetic sense of justice and one
which reflects the strategic values and priorities of those engaged through
a challenging poetic debate -- as with the focus here. This "sense" is
important to the viability of any resolution of strategic differences
and to the ability to comprehend and accept it -- especially within a
wider population that must necessarily be engaged by the aesthetic outcome.
Relevant to a common appreciation of poetic justice
in the cross-cultural conflict of concern here is how different aesthetic
criteria apply and interweave. This may well be exemplified
by any juxtaposition between different musical genres in an encounter
(as with the Eurovision / EU anthem images above). In such cases, as with fusion
music, there is an understanding of the possibilities (Tod Swift
and Norton Phillip,
Short Fuse: The Global Anthology of New Fusion Poetry, 2002).
An annual Fusion Poetry Contest is
now held -- juxtaposing genres, but not in the kind of improvisational
encounter envisaged above.
However the challenge in any
encounter, involving poetic improvisation meaningful within Islamic
cultures, is more easily comprehended in the musical case (especially
given the reservations indicated above) and all the more so given the
deep-seated sense of injustice driving the strategic conflict. What insights
are to be drawn from the theory of musical
harmony? The question is how the
aesthetic resolution enables a non-trivial transformation of that sense of
injustice (and pain) into an existentially appreciated sense of poetic justice
-- for all involved. This goes beyond the rationale of the classic strategic
negotiating objective of Getting
to Yes (1981) -- which clearly has proven to be totally inadequate
to the "clash of civilizations". Hence the merit of exploring the possibility
of a multi-genre improvisationall epic.
Relevant strategic implications of Japanese warlord
poetry
(Sengoku-jidia, 1467-1600) |
When Japan was churning in continuous, contagious arson and killing
among warlords from the 16th century onwards, there were three samurai
leaders who would lay the foundations for modern Japan today -- the
first whose vision of the country was of one nation-state. They were
to rule Japan in succession.
The three samurai leaders tried to unify the country: Nobunaga was known
for his cruelty, Hideyoshi for his impetuosity, Tokugawa for his patience.
A poetic parable (now learnt by all Japanese school children) was told
about them.
There was a little bird who wouldn't sing, they were asked by a Zen master
what they would do::
Nobunaga said, "little
bird, if you won't sing, I'll kill you"
Hideyoshi said, "little
bird, if you won't sing, I'll make you sing"
Tokugawa said, "little
bird, if you won't sing, I'll wait for you to sing."
Tokugawa became Shogun (leader
of Japan) in 1603, and his dynasty ruled until 1867. |
References
Because of the number and range of relevant references, these have been
placed in a separate document: Strategic
Dialogue through Poetic Improvisation: web resources and bibliography
|
