June 15 poems

We did not discuss the Wiman.

We had a lot of fun with the first poem — isn’t it remarkable that a word can be composed of only one letter?  And that ö be an island — one word represented by one letter!  

We enjoyed very much the images, especially the “glass forehead” the present extends — a window-- or perhaps a spyglass.   We agreed that the meaning of a word depends on its use in a sentence.   Linda brought up Wittgenstein  whose comments  in his time were not in line with the prevailing analysis: the tendency was to understand meaning by looking into the origins of a word, not its use.
Each of the stanzas is like a little island.  If you notice, stanza 2 and 5 have enjambments (the word strides from last word on the line, through a stanza break to the next line) which connects it.  Indeed… one starts out with one thing (the shape of the lips, and then sound), the house into a ship, sounds of the neighborhood… 

from Geri:

I think Rita is talking about the magic of words and how words are related to the uncertainty and variability of everyday life ("You start out with one thing, end up with another...")

Both Rita Dove and John Donne choose to write in the present about universal themes.  

No Man is an Island by John Donne - from Geri:

This poem was written during the time of religious persecution in England and the war with Spain. I think the author is trying to remind us that we are all a small piece of the large fabric of humanity and that we should try to avoid tearing it apart.

Breathe by Lynn Ungar - 

Lynn also wrote Pandemic which I love.

Ironically, Pandemic talks of connecting with one another through love and compassion while Breathe talks of connecting with others through anger to create turbulence ("We're going to need a lot of air to make this hurricane together.")-- Geri

Lynn’s poem Pandemic is a beauty.  Thank you for bringing it up — She indeed believes in connection… and I love when she uses the marriage vow to promise the world your love, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health.  

What I particularly love in Breathe  is the conversation between wind and the other and the surprising connection with the personnification of the wind — who tells us it NEEDS us to breathe — and then to be part of the storm that will change things. I don’t think she implies we have to be angry… but the idea of working WITH the wind, not to destroy ourselves, but to shake up what needs shaking up seems to be the direction. 

Spiderweb by Kay Ryan - 

The author compares a spiderweb to life. Both, at first glance, might seem delicate but the survival of both requires strength.-- Geri

For the Kay Ryan, we admired the “skinny lines”, how each word seemed to count, as if making a long “coarse rope,/

hitching lines to the best posts possible.”  It could also be a poem about poetry.  Her poem gives renewed respect to Spider’s work and underlines in the last sentence again not to make assumptions.  “It isn’t ever delicate to live” is a marvelously ambiguous conclusion. 

And someone wrote it down by Christian Wiman - Geri

I think the author is saying that, although we may see the bomber as an impersonal being, he is a fellow human with human characteristics (his "favorite fruit was dates"). The bomber reminds me of the descriptions of some of the people who have committed mass shootings. In the eyes of their family and friends they are often described as "ordinary" people who you wouldn't think would commit a heinous act.

We ran out of time to discuss the Christian Wiman.  I love the emphasis on the final line — part of what makes us human is recording what happens…whether it be art, music, or word.  His clever use of the word “date” which we associate with history…

but also the emptiness of word if we don’t pay attention to warnings.

A Poetry Reading At West Point by William Matthews -  Geri

I think the author is telling the cadet, the rest of the audience and us that he is trying to write about experiences in such a way that they don't need translation but that he recognizes how difficult that can be. I think the last stanza illustrates that the cadet and the rest of the audience finally understand what the author is trying to do and that they appreciate his attempts ("Sir," he yelled. "Thank you, Sir.").

Imitating the cadet’s voice is fun… and Suzanne’s question at the end was whether the cadet got anything out of the poetry reading.  We all know the kind of poems that give us headaches… we also know there is room to have poems which are

not all serious, and can forgive a poet who tries to write about being human, even should he fail.   Why is it we think truth is hard? Can’t you see the picture of this reading?  I’d love to know which poems Matthews read.  Could put myself there!