Another post mentioned how The Prelude reminded them a lot of Kerouac. Though I didn't realize it until I read it, I think I feel the same way, particularly regarding Kerouac's poetry and not necessarily his prose. I think the flow in The Prelude has more to do with this than anything: it's a little jumpy on the subject and frequently only focuses on one matter for a few lines or less. This reminds me mostly of Kerouac's "American Haikus," where he takes his everyday observations, sets them in a few lines (though not in the traditional haiku form) and alternates many of the little poems with brief jazz rifts.
A few examples of this proceed as follows:
"In my medicine cabinet,
The winter fly has died of old age."
"Bee, why are you staring at me?
I am not a flower!"
"Beautiful young girls running up the library steps with shorts on."
Obviously, the style varies significantly, but I like how both poets seem to delve further into the little happenings around them and find more meaning and appreciation in them than most would. It's the kind of thing that makes me sit back and want to read/listen to poetry for the rest of the evening.
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