Comments on: Why poetry matters

By: huxley

huxley — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 05:34:02 +0000

Mrs Whatsit:

And thanks for your mention of Edna St. Vincent Millay. She was hot stuff in her day, widely read as no poet is today,

Poets killed off their normie audience. Sad.

By: Walt Gottesman

Walt Gottesman — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 21:28:27 +0000

Grrr. Darn computers! Had no intention of posting twice. Sorry about that.

By: Mrs Whatsit

Mrs Whatsit — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 21:19:08 +0000

Huxley, thanks for the vote in favor of free verse.

By: Walt Gottesman

Walt Gottesman — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 19:25:58 +0000

Yes, thank you. There are hymns based on Longfellow’s poem, but my interest in referring to it, rather than the hymns, was based on my reading of the circumstances of Longfellow’s life that preceded his writing of Christmas Bells.

I thought that the transformation evinced between the penultimate and final verses of his poem might have been appreciated by Gerard Vanderleun. I thought he might have empathized with that healing awareness, as I do, and vaguely hoped that Neo might have affirmed that. Was probably too vague on that point.

Good Sunday to ya!

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 09:03:03 +0000

Longfellow’s poem has been sung as a hymn for many years, in more than one setting. One audio version is included in this article, and it links to another tune sung by Bing Crosby.

The first one is the tune I’m familiar with, although our church choir sings it more sedately.
https://www.hymncharts.com/the-story-behind-i-heard-the-bells-on-christmas-day/

Crosby’s cover of the other tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmCW68_JaRM

By: Walt Gottesman

Walt Gottesman — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 06:04:05 +0000

From -Christmas Bells- by H. W. Longfellow:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
…
…
…
…

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth. good-will to men.”

I can imagine that Gerard would’ve liked this poem.

By: huxley

huxley — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 23:55:12 +0000

In praise of free verse.

By: huxley

huxley — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 23:27:55 +0000

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

–William Carlos Williams (1934)

By: huxley

huxley — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 23:21:48 +0000

Song of Myself 1

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,
I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air,
Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,
I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death.

Creeds and schools in abeyance,
Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,
I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,
Nature without check with original energy.

–Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself” (1892)

By: huxley

huxley — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 23:18:52 +0000

Buffalo Bill ’s
defunct
               who used to
               ride a watersmooth-silver
                                                                  stallion
and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
        Jesus

he was a handsome man
and what i want to know is
how do you like your blue-eyed boy
Mister Death

–e.e. cummings (1920)