Courthouse Steps
by D.A. Powell
to say no more of art than that it makes, by its very distraction
a mode of abiding
accordingly, its variations: each type of thread-and-piecework
named double engagement ring, log cabin, or broken dishes
all built on the same geometric figures—
precise interception of angle and line
so too each tale of love is rooted in that first tale: the poet
descending to the underworld
finally granted his shade, who'll follow him
only to disappear again. perhaps one version has them reunite
affixed in their solo chromospheres the stars, which,
to the human eye, appear to overlap
substanceless love
immune at last to gravity and time—
in texas (I might as well recount this as a story) there's a town
with a courthouse built on concrete and twisted iron
edified in red granite, capitals & architrave of red sandstone
with point and punch, a carver broached the effigy of his muse
he rendered her attractive features, down to the very blush
of course she spurned him,
of course there was another to whom she turned
love should not be written in stone but written in water
(I paraphrase the latin of catullus)
the sculptor carried on: not just the face of his beloved
but the face of her other lover:
snaggle-toothed, wart-peppered, pudgy
them both, made into ugly caricatures of themselves, as wanton
as the carver perceived them, and as lewd
well, craze and degenerate and crack: the portraits hold
though, long since, the participants have dwindled into dirt
beautiful. unbeautiful. each with an aspect of exactness
tread light upon this pedestal. dream instead of a time before
your love disfigured, a time
withstanding even crass, wind-beaten time itself
I chose this song to represent this poem for a number of reasons. For one reason, one of the least "deep thinking" reasons for choosing this video and poem correlations, was the beauty and euphonious sound of both. Now, more deeply, I chose this poem and this song because both were speaking of distress in some way. The dispute between "beauty" and "unbeauty" was very similar to angst felt by the author of this song, "Help!". Moreover, the lines "I need somebody" written by John Lennon in collarboration with Paul McCartney mimick the lines written by D.A. Powell when he speaks up "subsaneless love" and his angst and confusion with this woman comperable to a court house. I found this song and this poem to be very comperable, both in beauty, composition, and topics. I feel the upset feelings of both of these works were very similar indeed.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Line Em' Up
"Crow is Walking"
Crow is walking to see things at ground level,
the ground as new under his feet as the air is old under his wings.
He laves the dead rabbit
waiting -- it's a given, it'll always be there --
and walks down the dirt road, admires the pebbles, how they sparkle in the sun;
checks out his reflection in a puddle full of sky
which reminds him of where he's supposed to be,
but he's beginning to like the way the muscles move in his legs
and the way his wings feel so comfortable
folded back and resting.
He thinks he might be beautiful, the sun lighting his back with purple and green.
Faint voices from somewhere far ahead roll like dust down the road towards him.
He hurries a little.
His tongue moves in his mouth; legends of language move in his mind.
His beak opens.
He tries a word.
-- Grace Butcherfrom Poetry , 2000.
I feel that the way I split up my poem into lines added great effect to the mood and "poetic effects" in it. I tried to make the line breaks in the poem at the end of each complete thought, which lent more emphasis on the very beginning and the end of each line. The combination of advejctives and nouns at the ends of the top lines all provide a passiveness to the actions of the crow, which mocks his attitude in this poem. At the end, with verbs ending the phrases, it adds emphasis to a change in action of the crow and continues to mimick his build up to an action, and then end with another noun. Another point I tried to make by splitting up the lines in this way is to emphasize the change in action and thought process of the crow.
Crow is walking to see things at ground level,
the ground as new under his feet as the air is old under his wings.
He laves the dead rabbit
waiting -- it's a given, it'll always be there --
and walks down the dirt road, admires the pebbles, how they sparkle in the sun;
checks out his reflection in a puddle full of sky
which reminds him of where he's supposed to be,
but he's beginning to like the way the muscles move in his legs
and the way his wings feel so comfortable
folded back and resting.
He thinks he might be beautiful, the sun lighting his back with purple and green.
Faint voices from somewhere far ahead roll like dust down the road towards him.
He hurries a little.
His tongue moves in his mouth; legends of language move in his mind.
His beak opens.
He tries a word.
-- Grace Butcherfrom Poetry , 2000.
I feel that the way I split up my poem into lines added great effect to the mood and "poetic effects" in it. I tried to make the line breaks in the poem at the end of each complete thought, which lent more emphasis on the very beginning and the end of each line. The combination of advejctives and nouns at the ends of the top lines all provide a passiveness to the actions of the crow, which mocks his attitude in this poem. At the end, with verbs ending the phrases, it adds emphasis to a change in action of the crow and continues to mimick his build up to an action, and then end with another noun. Another point I tried to make by splitting up the lines in this way is to emphasize the change in action and thought process of the crow.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Imitation
A dark unfathomed tide
Of interminable pride -
A mystery, and a dream,
Should my early life seem;
I say that dream was fraught
With a wild and waking thought
Of beings that have been,
Which my spirit hath not seen,
Had I let them pass me by,
With a dreaming eye!
Let none of earth inherit
That vision of my spirit;
Those thoughts I would control,
As a spell upon his soul:
For that bright hope at last
And that light time have past,
And my worldly rest hath gone
With a sigh as it passed on:
I care not though it perish
With a thought I then did cherish.
Edgar Allen Poe
The style of the author is incredible in writing this poem. This poem really makes people feel, and not just read amusing lines that rhyme. DIDLS play a particularly huge role in this poem in introducing emotion to a topic that many do not thoroughly think about. All of these literary functions are employed by Poe in creating great expression and feeling within this poem that make the reader put great though into imitation. Diction such as "unfathomed" and "interminable" are indeed higher level, and set the stage for a higher level analysis of a topic previously less thought of. Imagery is probably hugest literary item used in this poem. Every line tend to draw visions out of your imagination and make you see what the author is discussing. "Let none of earth inherit, That vision of my spirit" are som particularly beautiful lines that really make me get involved with the poem and it's beauty. Details are undoubtedly expressed which point to the poem's significance, and language and syntax are both characteristic to the time in which Poe is writing. I love this poem by Edgar Allen Poe, as it is very beautifully written, and the DIDLS used can most certainly be highly regarded and thanked.
Of interminable pride -
A mystery, and a dream,
Should my early life seem;
I say that dream was fraught
With a wild and waking thought
Of beings that have been,
Which my spirit hath not seen,
Had I let them pass me by,
With a dreaming eye!
Let none of earth inherit
That vision of my spirit;
Those thoughts I would control,
As a spell upon his soul:
For that bright hope at last
And that light time have past,
And my worldly rest hath gone
With a sigh as it passed on:
I care not though it perish
With a thought I then did cherish.
Edgar Allen Poe
The style of the author is incredible in writing this poem. This poem really makes people feel, and not just read amusing lines that rhyme. DIDLS play a particularly huge role in this poem in introducing emotion to a topic that many do not thoroughly think about. All of these literary functions are employed by Poe in creating great expression and feeling within this poem that make the reader put great though into imitation. Diction such as "unfathomed" and "interminable" are indeed higher level, and set the stage for a higher level analysis of a topic previously less thought of. Imagery is probably hugest literary item used in this poem. Every line tend to draw visions out of your imagination and make you see what the author is discussing. "Let none of earth inherit, That vision of my spirit" are som particularly beautiful lines that really make me get involved with the poem and it's beauty. Details are undoubtedly expressed which point to the poem's significance, and language and syntax are both characteristic to the time in which Poe is writing. I love this poem by Edgar Allen Poe, as it is very beautifully written, and the DIDLS used can most certainly be highly regarded and thanked.
Silence
There are some qualities- some incorporate things,
That have a double life, which thus is made
A type of that twin entity which springs
From matter and light, evinced in solid and shade.
There is a two-fold Silence- sea and shore-
Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,
Newly with grass o'ergrown; some solemn graces,
Some human memories and tearful lore,
Render him terrorless: his name's "No More."
He is the corporate Silence: dread him not!
No power hath he of evil in himself;
But should some urgent fate (untimely lot!)
Bring thee to meet his shadow (nameless elf,
That haunteth the lone regions where hath trod
No foot of man,) commend thyself to God!
Edgar Allen Poe
-Personal Response-
I find this poem to be very interesting and I feel as if I can easily relate to it. This poem, written by Edgar Allen Poe is probably one of the prettiest poems has ever written, and it is very cool to interpret. I believe this poem, entitled Silence, is about silence itself and calming people's fear of it, but it is also about how it is a a type of "twin entity" refrenced multiple times to sea and shore as well as body and soul, both of which have a noisy or literal side which silence might also have. The "Corporate Silence" that Poe also mentions, I believe, references death and discusses how silence is indeed the final state in life, or rather, at the end of one's life, but it should not be feared.
This poem is very interesting and something very different from most of the other poems written by Edgar Allen Poe. I chose this poem because of this very fact indeed, that it is in great contrast to most of the other dark poems written by him. I chose this poem also due to the fact that it is written about something that confuses nearly everyone. To many people, silences are considered "awkward" and are something of a mystery. When silence is present, people want to break it, but sometimes silence is something people crave. It's also cool how he explained death as the ultimate silence and put a new perspective on things in this way.
That have a double life, which thus is made
A type of that twin entity which springs
From matter and light, evinced in solid and shade.
There is a two-fold Silence- sea and shore-
Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,
Newly with grass o'ergrown; some solemn graces,
Some human memories and tearful lore,
Render him terrorless: his name's "No More."
He is the corporate Silence: dread him not!
No power hath he of evil in himself;
But should some urgent fate (untimely lot!)
Bring thee to meet his shadow (nameless elf,
That haunteth the lone regions where hath trod
No foot of man,) commend thyself to God!
Edgar Allen Poe
-Personal Response-
I find this poem to be very interesting and I feel as if I can easily relate to it. This poem, written by Edgar Allen Poe is probably one of the prettiest poems has ever written, and it is very cool to interpret. I believe this poem, entitled Silence, is about silence itself and calming people's fear of it, but it is also about how it is a a type of "twin entity" refrenced multiple times to sea and shore as well as body and soul, both of which have a noisy or literal side which silence might also have. The "Corporate Silence" that Poe also mentions, I believe, references death and discusses how silence is indeed the final state in life, or rather, at the end of one's life, but it should not be feared.
This poem is very interesting and something very different from most of the other poems written by Edgar Allen Poe. I chose this poem because of this very fact indeed, that it is in great contrast to most of the other dark poems written by him. I chose this poem also due to the fact that it is written about something that confuses nearly everyone. To many people, silences are considered "awkward" and are something of a mystery. When silence is present, people want to break it, but sometimes silence is something people crave. It's also cool how he explained death as the ultimate silence and put a new perspective on things in this way.
To The River
To The River
Fair river! in thy bright, clear flow
Of crystal, wandering water,
Thou art an emblem of the glow
Of beauty- the unhidden heart-
The playful maziness of art
In old Alberto's daughter;
But when within thy wave she looks-
Which glistens then, and trembles-
Why, then, the prettiest of brooks
Her worshipper resembles;
For in his heart, as in thy stream,
Her image deeply lies-
His heart which trembles at the beam
Of her soul-searching eyes.
Edgar Allan Poe
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