Thank you Monica, for joining us...and you are NOT late! People, feel free to submit at any time. I can't say it enough!
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by Monica
Sorry it took so long for me to do this assignment. I didn't have the poem I wanted to quote, so I had to wait for Amazon to deliver it.
It's called "Serenade" by James Merrill. Although born rich, Merrill never has given off any pretense that seems to come with money. He always seems very "real" to me, just a normal guy going through life. His work I think reflects that, and at the same time goes past reality and becomes achingly beautiful. The poem opens thus:
Here's your letter the old portable
Pecked out so passionately as to crack
The larynx.
This is the personification of the typewriter used to write a note to Merrill by a loved one. This is important because a writer's medium is sort of an extension of oneself, and so to give human qualities (emotion, even!) seems essential and natural.
The poem ends with a similar treatment of the very paper that love note was written on. More importantly, though, the action of the light transforming the page into a sky view transfers an eternal quality to the written word. That page quite possibly outlived the person who typed it.
Heard now
In his original setting--voice and reeds--
As music for a god, your page
Asks to be held so that the lamp shines through
And stars appear instead of periods.
Why this speaks to me is why I've always considered myself to be a writer. Words - spoken and written - hold such power, and weilding such power brings vitality. They are a life force for me, and one of the few things that have brought me joy continuously throughout the years.
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5 comments:
better late than never!
Monica,
I'm so genuinely moved by this post. How achingly beautiful...and your analysis...
"More importantly, though, the action of the light transforming the page into a sky view transfers an eternal quality to the written word. That page quite possibly outlived the person who typed it."
I feel like I've just missed an accident...being exposed to the joys of poetry these past months, I feel so lucky to have some years left to delve in furher...thanks to all....
Monica,
I enjoyed the quotes you chose, but more than that, I enjoyed what you wrote about them and about words,
"Words - spoken and written - hold such power, and weilding such power brings vitality. They are a life force for me, and one of the few things that have brought me joy continuously throughout the years."
I have to put this up as one of my favorite writer's quotes now. You've summed up my feelings perfectly.
Marianne
Your instincts are spot on regarding JM.
He may one day soon be regarded as America’s greatest poet.
And you are right about his accessibility;
If you had the pleasure to meet him he would insist you call him Jimmy.
His house in Stonington (the ballroom at Sandover) was a modest structure for a person
of his means. But it was more a matter of location, location. The “Burrah” as it is
referred to. But he was far from ordinary, as I am sure you will gather from further reading.
I know college professors who can’t read him.
Funny story. A Uconn professor assigned one of his poems for a final exam.
Some students called him to ask what he was talking about in it. He was most
cordial to them, but their professor couldn’t find a hole deep enough.
Anyway, for what it is worth, I went to school with his intern, Bradley Wade.
So I guess you have two degrees of separation now.
Thanks, guys, for your comments.
I remember one time in college, some friends and I were on a little road trip to an amusement park. I brought along Merril's Mirabell and asked to read it to the group. As I read along, I kept waiting for someone to stop me, but no one did.
It was a thrill.
Monica
I'm getting a thrill just from the comments section!
The anecdotes are wonderful!
Keep them coming!
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