Light: A Beacon in a Sea of Mediocrity

Poetry readings don't draw crowds like concerts or sporting events, and are generally attended only by poets, such as they are. One theory about poetry's decline in popularity over the last 30 years is that modern verse has lost the lyrical quality that made classic poems so memorable, and so pleasing to the ear. Saying "formal poetry" is redundant, since by definition poetry entails writing something meaningful within a certain set of parameters, a practice long since abandoned in favor of unfettered verbiage. Rhyme in particular is disdained as juvenile and unnatural. But the editors and contributors at Light are doing what they can to remedy the situation.

Light bills itself as "a quarterly of light verse," and while the material definitely leans toward the side of levity, many of the poems display a keen sophistication. Intelligent allegories and erudite allusions abound. Some of the language is deliberately pedantic, even pompous, but this is employed most effectively for creating humor and irony. Thus, "Mary had a little lamb" might become "Mary possessed a diminutive juvenile ovis aries." Probably 90% of the poems in Light rhyme and employ traditional poetic protocols, but few could accurately be labeled juvenile.

One of the main arguments against traditional poetry is that it often sounds forced. Granted, there are plenty of poets whose procrustean methods produce work that is awkward and cacophonous, but a skilled wordsmith will craft his poems so that the lines and stanzas flow together with smooth segues and natural cadences. Most of the poetry in Light achieves the lofty paradigm to which the magazines aspires, but occasionally, there are verses that stumble, drag or end abruptly. Whether this is better or worse than rambling, undisciplined verses that suck the reader into a quagmire of confusion is moot. (This is not to say that all poetry must be rhymed and metered, or that good poems can not be constructed employing free verse, merely that traditional poetry has a wider appeal to the masses).

Light loosely categorizes each issue's selections under headings that may or may not give some intimation as to the subject. These vary in length from half a page to half a dozen pages. The poems chosen for each issue are not grouped together under the individual poets' names, rather scattered throughout the magazine, according to which particular category the editors deem appropriate.

Each issue of Light presents a number of different poets, some with merely one or two poems, others with half a dozen or more. The featured poet each quarter is awarded his own private category -appropriately called "Featured Poet"- which consists of eight to ten pages in the beginning of the magazine. Well-known, established writers like Pulitzer Prize winner John Updike share space with those of lesser but considerable repute, as well as with a few burgeoning scribes. Occupying the last few pages are generally two or three essays, reviews or observations from the staff or contributors, letters from readers and a brief news section cleverly dubbed "Light Currents." A few random black and white sketches serve as occasional fillers.

Light has a presence on the Web, at www.lightquarterly.com, but only a tiny sampling of their content is available online. Better to order a single issue for six dollars (five dollars per back issue), or a one-year subscription for $22. Send correspondence to:

LIGHT
P.O. Box 7500
Chicago, IL 60680