Chris this is your lucky day. Every time someone asks me about my favorite poems, music, novels, etc. I get immobilized by conflict. So, since you have so much to offer, I am ceding my time, if indeed I have any, to you. Now we will both feel better. Veronica > [Original Message] > From: Chris Bruce <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Date: 3/30/2005 1:29:15 PM > Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: National Poetry Month exercise? > > On the 25th of March, 2005 Mirembe Nantongo wrote: > > > April, which starts next Friday, is National Poetry > > Month. Would anyone like to participate in a poem > > sharing exercise? > > I have an idiosyncratic translation (about which more later) > of what is termed by some as the best-known poem in the > German language (about which also more later) which I > would like to post to the list toward the end of the month. > > I also have a couple of translations (by others) of another > very short well-known 'comic' poem (one of my favourites) > which I would be happy to post and critique earlier in the > month if we are having trouble filling all the dates .... > > In addition - I am working on a translation of a poem by > Gottfried Benn who appears to be little known outside of > Germany but whom a major literary magazine in a poll of > writers chose (over Rilke, Celan, George, Trakl, Morgenstern, > Hofmannsthal, etc., etc.) as *the* German-language poet of > the 20th century. I mention this in part because this poem is > perhaps *the* answer to G. L. Hodgkins': > > > . . . In death caused by a chronic condition, whether animal > > or human, the dying being stops eating and drinking. It is > > part of the natural process. Does anyone care to know about > > the natural process of death or has ignorant speculation > > become the acceptable norm? > > (And a very disturbing answer it is, too - to be posted with the > strongest of caveats ....) > > Oh - this I almost forgot: recently there was some discussion > of a passage in Hegel which (and this is lost in translation) 'turns > upon' Hoelderlin's 'Brot und Wein'. I have a translation of that > as well ..... > > There are 4 offerings - which I would prefer to post in the order: > 2, 4, 3, 1 (perhaps one a week?). If space is limited my order of > preference is sequential (1, 2, 3, 4). > > Thanks very much for this, Mirembe! > > Chris Bruce > Kiel, Germany > > P.S. And, now that I think of it, there's ..., and ...., and ..., and > ..., > and ... (to say nothing of offerings from the above-mentioned > poets whom Benn edged out in the 'German-language poet of the > 20th century' poll). What the heck - once April is over I'll start a > series: 'Wednesday Poems-in-Translation' .... > > P.P.S. I just mentioned Morgenstern, didn't I? Well, I can't ask for > even *more* space on the Poetry Month list - but during poetry > month I *must* post about a reading of one of Morgenstern's > 'Galgenlieder' [Gallowssongs] which I saw recently (via DVD). This is > one of the most chilling things I've seen in my life - and I am > grateful that I saw just a recording of it and not the live performance. > I had to stop the machine at the end of that one - and that was also > the end of that evening's 'entertainment', believe you me! (Of course > in commenting on the reading I will be obliged to post at least some > of the poem itself as well, but - unless you absolutely insist on > scheduling it in as an item of its own - I will just slip it in > somewhere; with the Benn translation mentioned above if that is > 'authorized'.) I'd love to hear from others about readings and > 'performances' of poetry and prose (i.e., pieces f literature that > one 'ordinarily' reads silently to onesself). (Additional > parenthetical remark: do any read out loud to themselves?) > > And now the sun is shining and the garden awaits, so I will (donning > jacket and gardening hat) finally close, for now .... > > -cb > -- > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, > digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html