Torgeir,
One problem when reading the poem in English is its contrast to and vague with
Joyce Kilmer’s “I hope that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree.” At
some point early on, Joyce Kilmer was presented to us as an example of the
worst sort of poet. His poems were presented to us, and while we were all
invited to defend him if we had an academic death wish, no one did. His poetry
seemed demonstrably bad.
Havet, I must believe (on the evidence of this poem only) is far better and
more sophisticated than Kilmer. So what can he have in mind? I have never
been to the Louvre, but it seems safe to say that it is filled with paintings
of nature, many no doubt of the sea. The persona in Havet’s poem is judging
the sea by depictions by human painters of the sea. What sort of person would
judge the sea in that fashion? I think of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series in
the (I believe) first volume wherein he depicts the planet Trantor, the center
of the galactic empire as having become so populated that it is covered
entirely by construction. The only nature that exists is up on top of the
outer structure where hardly anyone goes. Have any of us grown so homo
sapiens oriented that we judge all else by our own standards? Clearly we have
done that with theology, but shall we do it with the sea as well? I can’t
believe that Havet thinks so.
Lawrence
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On ;
Behalf Of Torgeir Fjeld
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2019 8:54 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Exhibit: Ocean (was Re: The progress of poetry)
Lawrence,
Not sure. He might have commented on Kant's disinterested observer.
Mvh. / Yours sincerely,
Torgeir Fjeld
https://torgeirfjeld.com/
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On Wed, 3 Jul 2019 at 17:10, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Torgeir,
I trust that the poet is being ironic. ;-)
Lawrence
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ;<mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
] On Behalf Of Torgeir Fjeld
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2019 1:20 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [lit-ideas] Exhibit: Ocean (was Re: The progress of poetry)
I stand before the ocean.
There it is.
There's the ocean.
I'm looking at it.
The ocean. I see.
It's like the Louvre.
Translation of *Havet* (*The Ocean*) by Göran Palm.
Mvh. / Yours sincerely,
Torgeir Fjeld
https://torgeirfjeld.com/
rock philosophy: meditations on art and desire is now in paperback with 30%
discount: order before June 8, 2019, with coupon code VEPNFTCEA30 from
https://vernonpress.com/book/770
On Wed, 3 Jul 2019 at 03:53, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Is it linear progress:
Kingdoms, democracies, a
Global identity, reactionary
Brexits notwithstanding?
Similarly is there progress
From Elizabethans to
Augustans on down to
Our Rock-Star lyrics?
I wondered if my task
Was to move poetry in
Another direction.
Chomsky told us we
Must enter anarchy
And I saw that we had.
Fatigued, appalled
I might be. It thundered,
Impervious to change.
It seemed enough here
Watching her fade year
By year to find the means
To write a new Inferno.
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