Mad Poets

The Mad Poets were members of a Tiste school of poetry in the ninety-third century of ancient Kharkanas which was known for producing verse of extreme terseness. The poetry of the Mad Poets was characteristically untitled and constructed of two very short clauses, simply phrased, separated by a comma.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 8, US TPB p.243
However, by the following century, the Mad Poets' poetry had become so reductive in style as to be increasingly uninteresting and squeezed dry of meaningfulness - thus catalyzing the formation of a movement which ushered in an age of art and oratory of extravagant lushness that became known as the era of the "Flowering Bright".Toll the Hounds, Chapter 8, US TPB p.243Toll the Hounds, Chapter 9, US TPB p.279-280
==In Toll the Hounds==
The Mad Poets and their work came to the mind of Endest Silann as he thought about the meaning of life and about the Dorssan Ryl River which had flowed darkly through the center of the city of ancient Kharkanas - themes which were not infrequently found in the poetry written by the Mad Poets.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 8, US TPB p.242-245
Poetry of the Mad Poets remembered by Endest Silann:Toll the Hounds, Chapter 8, US TPB p.243/245
* "Water in Darkness, dreams in sleep."
* "Essence of truth, senses will lie."
* "Certainty scours, a world without wonder."
* "Ask no question, the river shall answer."
* "Question the river, find the answer."
==Speculations==
Although not specifically identified as products of the school of the Mad Poets, the following two 'poems' appear in the same chapter as the above examples and are certainly possible works of actual Mad Poets, or strongly influenced by their style:Toll the Hounds, Chapter 8, US TPB p.254/255
* "The moon does not rain, but it weeps."
* "Mercy in compassion, no dragon lives."
A third possible 'poem' of the school of the Mad Poets, although occurring somewhat later than the above examples and being formatted somewhat differently, is also remembered (or composed ??) by Endest Silann, who certainly seemed to have had their work running through his mind:Toll the Hounds, Chapter 10, US TPB p.321
* "Listen to the river. Remember the voices."
==Notes and references==
Category:Authors
Category:Tiste