Poems May 20

Opus from Space by Pattiann Rogers
Returning Birds  by Wislawa Szymborska

The next two poems come from http://www.ekphrastic.net  a fabulous contemporary journal which posts a poem responding to an artwork each day, sometimes, several!  Artwork:

The Swing, by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (France) 1767, and Peonies, by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Scotland) 1920)

Fragonard’s The Swing by  Dan MacIsaac

Peonies  by Barbara Crooker

Discussion: See May 18 for  further discussion. Shared with those present:

Discussion:

For the Ada Limon…  Concentrating on each word of the title allows us to think about what “end” and what “poetry” means.  I loved the questions people shared  — Why this title?  What is meant by end?  by poetry?  What is the purpose?  What would the beginning of poetry look like?

The difference between “enough”,  enough of, and what could be an apostrophe to “enough” to say “I am alone, etc. 

Well worth listening to the poetess read her own work which allows the sound and gentle flow not sound at all like “the end”.  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/04/the-end-of-poetry

We did not discuss who “you” is… but it is logical to think it is poetry — but coupled with an underpinning of our confinement, where we miss the actual physical touch of others.  Touch, as in move the heart, have an effect. etc.

I am grateful for our sharing of how we feel the touch of each poem!

For the Pattiann Rogers:  Having spent time thinking about “Opus” and different ideas of “space” in the title,

it was exciting to think of space including as well what is around us before we are born, what is around any living creature in its confined shell before born.  The first line allows an expansion of what “glad” means (etymology goes back to Old English  glæd with the original sense of “bright/shining”; Related to Old Norse, glathr‘bright, joyous’.

the enjambed “glad/to be born— is like a birthing of creation!  Discussion focussed on the urge and pulse in the word

“rage” — not as anger, but like a river overflowing; the building whether physical body or metaphoric, “speeding 

with clear and total/ fury” (what a surprise that fury!) to this singular honor.

Deft use of rhythms, line breaks, vocabulary,  amazing imagery including “dust-congealings” not to mention the contrast between stanzas 1 and 2, and so much more…

For Szymborska: In two stanzas, a tapestry of ideas including biology, philosophy, religion, Greek drama, garnished with a treasure-trove of images,  adjectives alliterated with nouns… The discussion could have gone on all day… 

Compared to  the Rogers before, the indignation here is quite different from the accelerating fury.  In the end, all dies, 

whether instinct is right or wrong— and yet the poem is laced in optimism.  We enjoyed high-lighting the many superb moments…I doubt any of us can think of a bird other than as  miraculous structure and now beaks can be associated with Benedictine patience, and Angels as earthbound protein, 

How to understand the tone… rejoice with no exclamation point, the joke fate plays on instinct  of birds to return… but alas too early.  The stone might see a chain of failed attempts… but perhaps the title allows us to return to birds,

their returning.

Dan MacIsaac

bio from The Ekphrastic Review: Dan MacIsaac, a trial lawyer, served for ten years as a director on the Environmental Law Centre board at the University of Victoria. In 2017, Brick Books published his collection of poetry, Cries from the Ark. His poetry, fiction and verse translations have been published in a wide variety of literary magazines, including Stand, The Malahat Review, Arc, and The American Journal of Poetry. His poetry has received awards including the Foley Prize from America Magazine. Dan MacIsaac’s work has been short-listed for the Walrus Poetry Prize and the CBC Short Story Prize. His website, which includes links to his poetry published in online journals, is www.danmacisaac.com
Dave :  If Judith were participating in today's meeting, she would probably point out (as our expert on dance) that the first act of the Tony award winning show, "Contact," was an erotic dance impression of this same Fragonard painting. In the play, a man who appears to be a servant makes love to the girl while the two of them are on the swing. At the conclusion of the dance, it's revealed that the supposed servant was in fact a nobleman, who switched roles with his servant and pretended to seduce the girl as a servant, apparently for the nobleman's own amusement. The amusement of the master at the idea that a mere servant could make love to the beautiful girl is perhaps symbolic of the class structure that prevailed in pre-revolution France.

We discussed the dance, the ominous, the end of innocence… the sensual language… very much like the painting… and also like the other poem from the Ekphrastic Review, by Barbara Crooker.  I still haven’t figured out a good way to read a poem sentence by sentence…especially with 12 voices!   However, I appreciate all the perceptive comments — how the one block of stanza supported the monologue, the density of the words packed like a peony’s petals… a different sort of confinement…

In the one poem, the end of innocence and the other, no permission needed to “carpe diem” … returning as we began to touch… 

and to be touched.

email sending the poems:

I know many of you see the “Poem a Day Feature” which is below this message. As you may have noticed with many sites, the recording of the poem heard  is not the voice of the poet.  Indeed, in this case it would be hard to have Dunbar’s ghost return to say his 1905 poem!  I have taken some of  his words to pen this message of caring for all receiving this email who I have known in the past twelve years linked by a love of poetry.  

yesterday, those of us who met in person said

“could anything be sweeter

Sharing lyric song, admirable meter ?”

Today, let us be thankful for virtual connection—

let virtual not be a source of sorrow,

but help us stay connected,  

look forward to the gleam of tomorrow.

 I understand completely  that not everyone wants to try the electronics of teleconferencing, and for sure, it cannot be substitute for the intimacy of meeting in a group around the table— nor can it allow us to replicate the way we used to read the poems together.  

I have therefore made two versions of the weekly  poems.  One is to read privately, which I label “non-zoom” for those not attending the zoom meeting.

   

The other version is intended for those who will participate in zoom.  I will give further details and instructions on Wednesday to those present.  Kindly remember to mute when you enter the meeting, especially if arriving late. 

Heartfelt thanks to Elaine for arranging the technicalities — I will send out a confirmation of meeting ID and password once I hear from her.  I am grateful for her assistance and for everyone’s patience and good will.