We will start with The Return by Robinson Jeffers and My God It's Full of Stars (Part 5) by Tracy K. Smith which had been slated for May 1-2. other poems: Poetry : n., pl by Virginia Elson;
To Find Stars in Another Language by Elizabeth Bradfield; Visible Light by Heidi Seaborn; When Light Breaks by Jonathan Everitt; When Light Breaks by Jonathan Everitt; When Light Breaks by Jonathan Everitt
email sent out: Thank you Kathleen for sharing your rousing Patriot's Day account-- for just in case people want to re-read the
I also compiled a few thoughts from Popova's blog which curiously echoed much of the discussion :
also "Supplement to May 8" -- and the Side by Side "Reflections in the Florist's Window by Virginia Elson.
Nutshell:
Return: Not "The return" but "Return". Several people felt they couldn't sense where they were. Others that place didn't need specification but was a feeling of "my home, my life here". I showed a picture of Pico Blanco (in California) since it is mentioned.
It is clear that Jeffers is an environmentalist . I'm not sure when he wrote it (his dates: 1887-1962) but it was posted on Writers Almanac in 2000. There is a refreshing wholeness and timelessness to it. The simile of thoughts as "mouthless May Flies darkening the sky" that continues as what blinds our inner "passionate hawks". He is echoing a maxim of William Carlos Williams, modernist poet "No idea but in things" which encapsulates the essence of the Imagists' poetic philosophy.
My God, It's Full of Stars (Part 5): A lovely tribute to the poet's father which paints as well a hint of history of space exploration. Each stanza had a different voice and point of view. Posted in Maria Popova's blog, she says this: the poem's title borrowed from Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey — found in her sublime poetry collection Life on Mars(public library). The poem is Smith’s quest to bring lyrical and cinematic language to, as she herself frames it, “this real mystery, the universe that we belong to, that we’re at home in and yet such strangers of, in a way.”
Jim reminded us of the APOD -- Astronomy Picture of the Day... and how if you think of our sun as a series of nuclear explosions we see from our position as 3rd planet ... our preoccupations with "The Button" and atom bombs seems slightly exaggerated in importance. Different interpretations were offered for the 1st line, 3rd stanza: How does she mean "struggle" to view our enemies as children? The 1950's "great US, and the rest of the world stupid" or trying to see others as innocent. She captures the awesome immensity of space and our rather ridiculous activities on earth in the 5th stanza.
Then the one line stanza: Is that all? "We learned new words for things. The decade changed." This is the comfort of history repeating.
The final line is enigmatic and quite powerful. "to see to" the edge... is layered ... Can we see "to the edge of all there is?"
All there is, so brutal and alive... how do you understand that it would "understand us back"? Are we also brutal and alive?
Perhaps Smith is making a comment about our curiosity, our desire to know-- thatwe made all these machines and efforts to probe the universe. Oh... we THINK we are "seeing to the task"... and the universe mirrors our efforts back to us?????
Many people called on Science Fiction : Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven (mentioned in the poem): The Mote in God's Eye and Lucifer's Hammer, Ringworld Trilogy. Pournelle was the mathematics... traveling in space and finding a ringworld... mostly philosophy. Elmer mentioned Duncan Moore,Rochester Professor of Optical engineering, met the Apollo 11 astronauts during the 30th anniversary celebrations in 1999.
Poetry: a perfect definition by Virginia Elson in 5 lines. Elmer brought up that the Asian variety of Bittersweet is an invasive species... which works beautifully in that second line, whether as metaphor or plant to tangle with barbed wire. Here, on
there.
To Find Stars: Elaine pointed out the poet is Lesbian and perhaps the italics are an indirect reference that no matter what arrangement of "There was once" or boy or girl, the point is to let everything be. The discussion brought up the misunderstandings of what is not "familiar" (needs of one person often do not correspond with those of another).
What language might help us? The choice of "glistered" as adjective for conversations has a "blistered" sound, albeit meaning "sparkle, glitter". Judith brought up the story telling techniques of Georgian folktales: "There was, but there was not... an yet, there was." Suggested reference: https://www.pbs.org/show/a-brief-history-of-the-future/
Visible Light: We wondered who "you" is in the poem? It was confusing not to know if it were a glib self-referential pronoun, or addressing the reader, or some unknown third party. We imagined scenarios for all three. Is the tone sarcastic, describing the dog running into lamp posts, adding the simultaneous spectrum of evening news pulsing from a neighbor's TV. Tenderness for them? Really? A desire to enter their darkened rooms and sit watching the televised world? What is it we want from visible light?
When Light Breaks : we relived the eclipse a little bit. Everyone liked the couplet that reminded us: "A poem can set life on a different course... and then the title is repeated as anaphor and the poem breaks into a sort of prayer.
Mind Wanting more: Not much discussion. Self evident that the mind wants more... as if light were not enough... as if joy weren't strewn all around.
A gift: Yes... we are given the questions of others as if they were answers to all you ask.
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