Poet Laureate Ramsey Nasr films important poems

September 26, 2012 In filming these poems, Nasr will be taking an approach that focuses more on pure visual interpretation rather than direct representation of their contents. The poems will not be accompanied by an analytical text or an explanation, but instead each clip is a response from its creator and an interpretation of the poem on its own terms, aiming to elicit a unique interpretation in turn. This project aims to breathe new life into old poetry, and to bring that poetry to a new group of people.

Nasr explains it in his own words, saying that “Dichter Draagt Voor [literally ‘Poet Recites’] is the name of a project that I have wanted to realise since I became poet laureate. The goel of this project is to get more people, especially young people, interested in poetry. The idea is based on my experience that a poem has a more direct appeal when it is read aloud than when it is simply read. All the assumptions that people have about poetry – difficult, elitist, spacey, incomprehensible – disappear like snow in the sun as soon as they actually hear a poem instead of having to read it themselves. For many readers it’s simply a way to get a handhold in a poem that sometimes lacks any punctuation. With these clips we can give them some semblance of comprehensibility: the poem will not become any easier, but they will no longer have to start from scratch. With these clips we want to bridge the gap to a new world of potential readers. As Poet Laureate, I would like to use this project as my way of leaving something behind.”

Ramsey Nasr’s plan still needs financial support to be fully realised. You can donate to the effort on Voordekunst.nl (‘For Art’), and receive things like a copy of the films on DVD or even a personal poetry reading from Ramsey Nasr – plus the obvious gift of having joined the long and noble tradition of arts patronage.