“I see with a kind of intuitive flash but words escape me”— Now I think that’s the kind of observation any poet would like to see made about his/her work—thanks!
In this kind of careful verse, key words take on the weight of the occasion by showing up at the ends and beginnings of lines.
"...pretending" and "Innocent", here, seem to enact the crucial bit of business.
But "intuitions" of conscience, history and a moral universe?
Well, it's hard to intuit anything but a lynch mob when one reads the words Lynch Mob. Those are pretty specific words.
I don't know, ought not critical discriminations of this sort be called something a little less vague... as, say, recognitions, or, in fact, perceptions?
Sloppy writing genuflects before its image in its mirror, blesses itself as special, and spatters a few extra drops splashed from the holy font on any "innocent bystanders".
Vassilis, the Lovejoy version was a kick, but the prize for Most Invisible Communist must go finally to the mild-mannered, unassuming, oft-confused yet always privately plucky Dana Andrews, who played the lead in the radio version and then for 18 months in the tv series ('52-'53), back in those years when being a Communist seemed even more interesting than, say, being a New York Yankee. In fact both these categories represented useful objects of general opprobrium, in my neck of the woods.
Here's a really helpful one-minute guide, from that wondrous period, on How To Spot a Communist.
Both the movie and the tv series indelibly etched in my youthful Greek immigrant mind and I've seen that spot before and I must admit--under cross-examination from the honorable junior senator from Wisconsin--that it continues to impress me with its impeccable Neanderthalian logic.Then and now, there and over here, we’re sorely in need of Tarzan to protect us from such ruthless animals.
(Rough translation of this Yannis Markopoulos song which was immensely popular during the Greek junta’s reign; evidently, the censors could not understand what “satire” was, even if it was a Greek word!)
I’m going to the jungle with Tarzan, I’ll have a great time, I’m going to the jungle with Tarzan, I’ll leave in a month, and if wild beasts eat me, I’ll go down in history because I was meat for wild beats And not for the cataclysm of the century.
I’m going to the jungle with Tarzan, my childhood friend; Together with the elephant so they don’t beat the shit out of me And if wild beasts eat me, I’ll go down in history Because I was eaten by them And not the cataclysm of the century.
I’ll leave my office and all my belongings I’ll take my girl for company And if the wild beasts eat us We’ll go down in history Because we were meat for wild beasts And not for the cataclysm of the century.
This is totally relevant to the time. Better the wild beasts than the cataclysm.
Sneaky afterthought lingers however: that the poet might have intended wild beasts and cataclysm of the century to signify one and the same thing... are not poets congenitally tricky that way, as we have heard said?
(Perhaps the censors were unable to grasp "irony" as well??)
Perhaps unable to grasp "irony" but they certainly knew how to grasp "irons" i.e. guns as well as those that fit so well around the ankles of dissidents, did they not?
Granted, certainly. But today the detaining of dissidents is enacted much more subtly and surely, without the aid of hardware, due to the tracking devices people must carry in order to remain "linked in". Increasingly these devices become the sources of credential, even for would-be dissidents.
Speaking of being carried off, back in the 50s we used to dive off this bridge and others like it; in 1912, a train going over it or some other one in town, took my father and his countrymen (along with some firebrand Finns) for a ride they would never forget--a ride you may already be aware of, having sent me this link accompanying your comment.
Vassilis,
ReplyDeletealways love the 'multi-layers' of these. But more than that...I see with a kind of intuitive flash but words escape me.
Just what poetry ought always to do.
“I see with a kind of intuitive flash but words escape me”—
ReplyDeleteNow I think that’s the kind of observation any poet would like to see made about his/her work—thanks!
ReplyDeleteIn this kind of careful verse, key words take on the weight of the occasion by showing up at the ends and beginnings of lines.
"...pretending" and "Innocent", here, seem to enact the crucial bit of business.
But "intuitions" of conscience, history and a moral universe?
Well, it's hard to intuit anything but a lynch mob when one reads the words Lynch Mob. Those are pretty specific words.
I don't know, ought not critical discriminations of this sort be called something a little less vague... as, say, recognitions, or, in fact, perceptions?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSloppy writing genuflects before its image in its mirror, blesses itself as special, and spatters a few extra drops splashed from the holy font on any "innocent bystanders".
ReplyDelete...and then takes off for the Exit!
ReplyDeleteno sense just approaching everything with a continuous "flash-card"
ReplyDeletementality/habit... as though an Absolute is.
or reduce things to argument and snide-ness !
just go through any "door/exit" and you just might find a bit of sun-
shine
and (because of that sunlight) be able to clearly see farther beyond ego ?
(notice that that IS a question ? and NOT ridicule? ????????
no need to explain.
Lynch mob tactics made much more “refined” later but still people standing around pretending they were innocent bystanders.
ReplyDeleteCool advice from the ego-less, thanks Mr B.
ReplyDeleteWriting as finger-painting?
"Words escape me..." "no need to explain".
Vassilis, the Lovejoy version was a kick, but the prize for Most Invisible Communist must go finally to the mild-mannered, unassuming, oft-confused yet always privately plucky Dana Andrews, who played the lead in the radio version and then for 18 months in the tv series ('52-'53), back in those years when being a Communist seemed even more interesting than, say, being a New York Yankee. In fact both these categories represented useful objects of general opprobrium, in my neck of the woods.
Here's a really helpful one-minute guide, from that wondrous period, on How To Spot a Communist.
Both the movie and the tv series indelibly etched in my youthful Greek immigrant mind and I've seen that spot before and I must admit--under cross-examination from the honorable junior senator from Wisconsin--that it continues to impress me with its impeccable Neanderthalian logic.Then and now, there and over here, we’re sorely in need of Tarzan to protect us from such ruthless animals.
ReplyDelete(Rough translation of this Yannis Markopoulos song which was immensely popular during the Greek junta’s reign; evidently, the censors could not understand what “satire” was, even if it was a Greek word!)
I’m going to the jungle with Tarzan, I’ll have a great time,
I’m going to the jungle with Tarzan,
I’ll leave in a month, and if wild beasts eat me,
I’ll go down in history because I was meat for wild beats
And not for the cataclysm of the century.
I’m going to the jungle with Tarzan, my childhood friend;
Together with the elephant so they don’t beat the shit out of me
And if wild beasts eat me, I’ll go down in history
Because I was eaten by them
And not the cataclysm of the century.
I’ll leave my office and all my belongings
I’ll take my girl for company
And if the wild beasts eat us
We’ll go down in history
Because we were meat for wild beasts
And not for the cataclysm of the century.
This is totally relevant to the time. Better the wild beasts than the cataclysm.
ReplyDeleteSneaky afterthought lingers however: that the poet might have intended wild beasts and cataclysm of the century to signify one and the same thing... are not poets congenitally tricky that way, as we have heard said?
(Perhaps the censors were unable to grasp "irony" as well??)
Perhaps unable to grasp "irony" but they certainly knew how to grasp "irons" i.e. guns as well as those that fit so well around the ankles of dissidents, did they not?
ReplyDeleteGranted, certainly. But today the detaining of dissidents is enacted much more subtly and surely, without the aid of hardware, due to the tracking devices people must carry in order to remain "linked in". Increasingly these devices become the sources of credential, even for would-be dissidents.
ReplyDeleteIn any case could it be the last train out of Raymond carried off some but not all the early dissenting memories?
Speaking of being carried off, back in the 50s we used to dive off this bridge and others like it; in 1912, a train going over it or some other one in town, took my father and his countrymen (along with some firebrand Finns) for a ride they would never forget--a ride you may already be aware of, having sent me this link accompanying your comment.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was that ride I had in mind.
ReplyDelete