[lit-ideas] Re: Poetry x 2 = Sabbatical
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:57:51 -0700
I was never very fond of Merwin, and this poem doesn't cause me to change my
mind. The ee cummings lack of punctuation doesn't help, although I don't
recall that cummings capitalized even the first word. The poem is
light-weight, simplistic and not very interesting.
I like this one, also by Merwin, better:
The Morning
The first morning
I woke in surprise to your body
for I had been dreaming it
as I do
all around us white petals had never slept
leaves touched the early light
your breath warm as your skin on my neck
your eyes opening
smell of dew
Lawrence
_____
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Mike Geary
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 4:26 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Poetry x 2 = Sabbatical
LH:
>>You would be much better off not to begin paragraphs like your long one
with "you still don't get it." You thereby set yourself up as someone who
does get it. There is irony in that because your subsequent sentences
indicate a lack of appreciation for some of the common types of poems.
Suppose a poet wants to use a little irony. You must understand what he is
saying in order to "get it." You can't be humming along with the tune you
think you hear. He intends you to pay attention to the sense of this poem
in order to appreciate the irony. <<
Aaaaarrrrrgggg! You STILL don't get it! You don't get my point. I do get
my point. So there. Let's get specific:
Read this poem -- I'll tell you later who wrote it -- not me.
A Contemporary
What if I came down now out of these
solid dark clouds that build up against the mountain
day after day with no rain in them
and lived as one blade of grass
in a garden in the south when the clouds part in winter
from the beginning I would be older than all the animals
and to the last I would be simpler
frost would design me and dew would disappear on me
sun would shine through me
I would be green with white roots
feel worms touch my feet as a bounty
have no name and no fear
turn naturally to the light
know how to spend the day and night
climbing out of myself
all my life
Do you like it? Why / why not?
Mike Geary
hanging around a few more hours
in Memphis
Other related posts: