In Praise of Dreams by Gary Soto
In Praise of Dreams by Wislawa Szymborska
Magic by Hiram Larew
Afterlife with a Gentle Afterward by Matthew Henriksen
Phone Therapy by Ellen Bass
Poem by James Schuyler
Scarf by Rita Dove
Discussion:
Soto/Szymborska: In Praise of Dreams: Many questions rise up when putting two poems with the same title side by side! What if we had started with reading Szymborska, followed by Soto? What if we didn't know anything about either poet? What influences how we read words on a page, where the voice, identity, of the poet is absent? How important are background circumstances?
We certainly all concurred that everyone borrows from everyone... witness composers writing variations on a theme by xyz hitherto established!
Comparing the two poems, we felt each poet had a different orientation to being. Soto, as Mexican-American has a different attitude to women perhaps. The expression "why don't you throw your mother an occasional bone" came up with the ending... and in addition to admiring his cleverness, we also wondered if God is on his side? He doesn't necessarily accept a circumstance, as he is busily engaging with the world. Szymborska on the other hand seems to go deeper, drawing on other sources, such as ancient Greeks, saints, imagines herself as virtuoso, with no assistance for such things as flying, breathing under water, discovering mythical Atlantis.
Soto's ending leaves us with a sense of Praise for some God in charge; Szymborska's ending makes you wonder where her dreams have taken her that would have such metaphorical possibilities as two suns, penguins clear as day at night. And you? What would like to be? What do you dream of that goes beyond aspirations?
Magic/Larew: Do see Eric Epstein's ASL translation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDUFK9pjVHc&t=0s. He creates magic and further, the sonic references of words "sounds" and "voices" are the hands themselves, flash-blinking, touch-topping, leaping into the heart and blazing outwards. Perhaps magic realism. Larew's background in agriculture and addressing hunger, and belief in the power of poetry to address it explained here: https://www.poetryxhunger.com/initiative-founder.html
We spoke of the "translator-traitor" phenomenon... Judith brought up how the Chinese understanding of translation is "all the threads, but not the pattern. Case in point, be aware of differences in translations. Judith highly recommends Brian Hooker's translation of Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac".
Maura was reminded by the poem of viewing the recent super moon illuminating a tree-- which at first looked like a far-off fire in a field, perhaps a full-decorated and illuminated Christmas tree... and then as the moon rose higher, it became clear the "magic" of its light.
Afterlife with a Gentle Afterward: Such an intriguing title. Beautiful binding of slant rhymes (reed/dreamed; sky/ lied/light). We do not know the circumstances of the writing of the poem, but it feels that this young man, who passed away at age 45, had a premonition. Maura's story enhances its presence.
Phone Therapy: What an opening line! I was relief... and such a masterful thumbnail sketch of New York City. We imagined other situations where we haven't a clue as to what to say... how something surprisingly comes up. Some analyzed the situation, imagining the cry for help, the power of postponement. Is Ellen Bass the "Ann Landers of Poetry"? She goes beyond. The last stanza with the memorable imagery of the goldfish, the turn in the glass bowl... the match to another through a cord strung under yet more others, the wait for the wave of sound... and that surprise of agreement to wait. OK. Masterful.
Poem: Beautiful villanelle... Each tercet starts with a statement. Ends with a conclusion. We enjoyed the reversal of art/death being brief; life/friendship long. That common way that lasts.
Scarf: What a beautifully sensuous poem! beauty lies... with its double meaning in the eye... the call on the sound of silk as music over a bared/ (line stanza break... ) neck. The additional last word "or a lover" dropped ever so gently in conclusion. Many feel they will not think of a silk scarf, or wearing one in the same way.
Extra!
Praise by Angelo Geter : probably not enough time to read this poem. many of you may enjoy reading it outside of the session: https://poets.org/poem/praise?mbd=1
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