Canon Fire

Poet and critic Anthony Hecht makes a brief comment on the canonization of poetic forms that we might apply to the ghazal. The comment occurs in Hecht's essay, "The Sonnet: Ruminations on Form, Sex, and History." The second section, "The Form," begins

As any form becomes canonical, it invites experimentation, variation, violation, alteration.

from Melodies Unheard, 2003, p. 53

Hecht goes on to briefly mention sonnet variations by Gerard Manley Hopkins, Elizabeth Bishop, Mona Van Duyn, and Rimbaud. Many others could be listed.

The application to the ghazal's migration into English is obvious. I take Hecht's remark to be historic and descriptive, not a stated goal. The open question is, "Has the ghazal become canonical in English?" If so (or if when), how will we know? What do you think?

My thanks to Steffen Horstmann for pointing out this essay. Hecht's critical essays are well worth reading.

Comments

[Joshua Gage]

One could argue that, while the ghazal is not yet a canonized form, it is on its way. As a poetry contest reader for a major university, I tend to stumble across the occasional ghazal. I might run into a handful, maybe five, every year I read manuscripts, and I'll usually go through 150-250 manuscripts each year. I see many more sonnets, villanelles, and even sestinas than I do ghazals. When I start running into three or four ghazals per case of manuscripts or when I run across entire manuscripts of ghazals on an occasional basis, as I do these other forms, I will know that the ghazal is canonized.

However, sites like this are an important first step.
Keep up the good work, Gino!