Theodor Fontane is the German writer best known as the author of novels which are considered “the most completely achieved of any writer between Goethe and Thomas Mann.”  He possessed a clear and vivid sense of “factuality.” He sought in his work to transfigure everyday facts into something imbued with Rätsel and Halbdunkel, ‘mystery‘ and ‘twilight.’ Ordinary facts have to be converted into memorable art. “A piece of bread ….is poetry”, he wrote.

That is the aim of poetry – to transform ordinary facts and ordinary experiences into memorable art. The task and craft of the poet is to achieve this. It is not often done well.

One of the reasons I like the Australian poet Les Murray so much is because of his ability to evoke the universal in…..