Ian Wedde and Sam Hunt - Workshop 27/10/21

Hello, everyone.

Below are two poems from New Zealanders in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Ian Wedde was born in 1946. In 2010, he was awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to art and literature.

Sam Hunt was also born in 1946. According to Wikipedia, "he has been referred to as New Zealand's best-known poet."

Also in 2010, Hunt was awarded Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to poetry.

Some themes we can identify in the first poem are animals, light and thought.

The second poem also features animals but additionally incorporates human interaction.

Structural features of the first poem include being concrete and sparse. Another word would be minimal.

Some structural features of Hunt's poem are lyricism, repetition, sensuality and shock.

Six words to attempt to incorporate into your writing from Wedde: landscape, moving, character, effect, lit, corner.

Six words from Hunt: night, sky, white, stones, watch, spin.

That's all. I hope you can be inspired to create a piece of writing today from the above.

Take care. Thanks.

Animals Moving Out
by Ian Wedde

The landscape has a way
of folding in upon
itself. Dark light

pours across it
it flows together
listen: you

can hear it / that
sound like small
animals moving out

& the dead sun before
it goes
under     .    catches

a tip of poplar.
Spot! Pale
flame above

that loss of
character &
feature. I

hold this theatrical
effect in
some well-

lit
corner of
my skull.

(Made Over, Pegasus, Christchurch, 1974)

The Gulls
Sam Hunt

At night the gulls fly back to
rock ledges.
            A volcanic
island, I remember. Grey
sea, the grey sky quickening to
blackness. And the gulls, black-back
but white, white underwing, they
return in legions to rock
ledges of the night. And this
place, too, I know. A bunk-like
ledge where I crouch on black
stones with a woman, and kiss
her till she quickens. Then link
with her, black to black.
                        While high
overhead, we watch white legions
of gulls, circling... till giddy,
we spin into sleep.
                    And I
find next morning, pecked remains
of some woman beside me.

at Rangitoto Island
(Landfall, Caxton, Christchurch, 1967)