The first devil poem really is quite bizarre isn't it?
The second one is poking fun at Texas, but since I haven't been there either, I can't possibly comment, except to say that some of the most charming people I have encountered on the internet have been Texans.
It's a good poem though, and reads a bit like song lyrics.
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The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
Only those become weary of angling who bring nothing to it but the idea of catching fish.
He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world is mad....
Rafael Sabatini
He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world is mad....
Rafael Sabatini
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
I liked the first poem, A Devil. But I don't think he's a loser - he's a master of disguise. Posing as a loser and a softy, soft and furry like a bunny, is a great disguise. Much trickier than appearing as the usual serpent like devil image. I thought the closing line was an amazing image: "When he walks down the street, you see distinctly the motion of the rosy wings of his lungs."
The Devil Made Texas reminded me of the Chris de Burgh song, Spanish Train, although unlike the poem, in this one the Devil comes out ahead:
Spanish Train
But I think I'll give you one more chance"
said the Devil with a smile,
"So throw away that stupid lance,
It's really not your style",
"Joker is the name, Poker is the game,
we'll play right here on this bed,
And then we'll bet for the biggest stakes yet,
the souls of the dead!!"
Later verse…
Well that Spanish train still runs between,
Guadalquivir and old Saville,
And at dead of night the whistle blows,
And people fear she's running still...
And far away in some recess
The Lord and the Devil are now playing chess,
The Devil still cheats and wins more souls,
And as for the Lord, well, he's just doing his best...
Never been to Spain
“Well I never been to Spain, But I kinda like the music”
Three Dog Night
Oddly, both of these songs reference Spain.
The Devil Made Texas reminded me of the Chris de Burgh song, Spanish Train, although unlike the poem, in this one the Devil comes out ahead:
Spanish Train
But I think I'll give you one more chance"
said the Devil with a smile,
"So throw away that stupid lance,
It's really not your style",
"Joker is the name, Poker is the game,
we'll play right here on this bed,
And then we'll bet for the biggest stakes yet,
the souls of the dead!!"
Later verse…
Well that Spanish train still runs between,
Guadalquivir and old Saville,
And at dead of night the whistle blows,
And people fear she's running still...
And far away in some recess
The Lord and the Devil are now playing chess,
The Devil still cheats and wins more souls,
And as for the Lord, well, he's just doing his best...
And this reminded me of a song too, but I had to think on it for a while, another pop hit, and this is the song and the first line :realiz wrote:I've never been to Texas, but I like the poem.
Never been to Spain
“Well I never been to Spain, But I kinda like the music”
Three Dog Night
Oddly, both of these songs reference Spain.
Last edited by giselle on Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- realiz
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
[quote="giselleAnd this reminded me of a song too, but I had to think on it for a while, another pop hit, and this is the song and the first line :
Never been to Spain
“Well I never been to Spain, But I kinda like the music”
Three Dog Night
[/quote]
Great song, I love the way he sings the opening lines.
Our next poem is Welsh and it sounds like an old Welsh nursery rhyme.
Dinogad's Petticoat (anon.)
Dinogad's speckled petticoat
was made of skins of speckled stoat:
whip whip whipalong
eight times we'll sing the song.
When your father hunted the land
spear on shoulder club in hand
thus his speedy dogs he'd teach
Giff Gaff catch her catch her fetch!
In his coracle he'd slay
fish as a lion does its prey.
When your father went to the moor
he'd bring back heads of stag fawn boar
the speckled grouse's head from the mountain
fishes' heads from the falls of Oak fountain
Whatever your father struck with his spear
wild pig wild cat fox from his lair
numless it had wings it would never get clear.
From the Welsh (trans. Gwyn Williams)
Never been to Spain
“Well I never been to Spain, But I kinda like the music”
Three Dog Night
[/quote]
Great song, I love the way he sings the opening lines.
Our next poem is Welsh and it sounds like an old Welsh nursery rhyme.
Dinogad's Petticoat (anon.)
Dinogad's speckled petticoat
was made of skins of speckled stoat:
whip whip whipalong
eight times we'll sing the song.
When your father hunted the land
spear on shoulder club in hand
thus his speedy dogs he'd teach
Giff Gaff catch her catch her fetch!
In his coracle he'd slay
fish as a lion does its prey.
When your father went to the moor
he'd bring back heads of stag fawn boar
the speckled grouse's head from the mountain
fishes' heads from the falls of Oak fountain
Whatever your father struck with his spear
wild pig wild cat fox from his lair
numless it had wings it would never get clear.
From the Welsh (trans. Gwyn Williams)
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
Code: Select all
Dirge
Dirge
By Kenneth Fearing 1902–1961 Kenneth Fearing
1-2-3 was the number he played but today the number came 3-2-1;
bought his Carbide at 30 and it went to 29; had the favorite at Bowie but the track was slow—
O, executive type, would you like to drive a floating power, knee-action, silk-upholstered six? Wed a Hollywood star? Shoot the course in 58? Draw to the ace, king, jack?
O, fellow with a will who won't take no, watch out for three cigarettes on the same, single match; O democratic voter born in August under Mars, beware of liquidated rails—
Denouement to denouement, he took a personal pride in the certain, certain way he lived his own, private life,
but nevertheless, they shut off his gas; nevertheless, the bank foreclosed; nevertheless, the landlord called; nevertheless, the radio broke,
And twelve o'clock arrived just once too often,
just the same he wore one gray tweed suit, bought one straw hat, drank one straight Scotch, walked one short step, took one long look, drew one deep breath,
just one too many,
And wow he died as wow he lived,
going whop to the office and blooie home to sleep and biff got married and bam had children and oof got fired,
zowie did he live and zowie did he die,
With who the hell are you at the corner of his casket, and where the hell we going on the right-hand silver knob, and who
the hell cares walking second from the end with an American Beauty wreath from why the hell not,
Very much missed by the circulation staff of the New York Evening Post; deeply, deeply mourned by the B.M.T.,
Wham, Mr. Roosevelt; pow, Sears Roebuck; awk, big dipper; bop, summer rain;
Bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong.
I like this. Very different. So, did he die of natural causes or did he commit suicide? I took the 'wow' in he died as he lived to be ironic and that his dull, depressing live was anything but wow and that his death was also like that, which points to a dull death, nothing shocking like suicide.
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
"Dirge" is written in a sort of careless way, like he doesn't care and no one else cares either. I think he committed suicide but the event is treated with a heavy dose of irony suggesting that its a non-event, like the other non-events of his life. To me the poem reads a bit like Tom Robbins prose. A Dirge is meant to be a lament but this one is really sad because its written about himself and as a lament its ... well, lamentable. The closing lines are very strange. They may have specific meaning which I can't guess but certainly they add to a feeling of disjointedness, of falling apart from the inside and tumbling into chaos.
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
The Wham, pow, awk, bop are comic book like, a joke, yet the subjects are huge (same for the line about getting married....getting fired). It is a very cynical look at all of existance....does anything really matter? I think the repeat of Mr., bong, Mr., bong shows the futility of life, at least in this narrator's view.Wham, Mr. Roosevelt; pow, Sears Roebuck; awk, big dipper; bop, summer rain;
Bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong.
On to the next:
(Cein`ture´
n. 1. A cincture, girdle, or belt; - chiefly used in English as a dressmaking term. )
Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock
Wallace Stevens
The houses are haunted
By white night-gowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
None of them are strange,
With socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches Tigers
In red weather.
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
I didn't get the comic book idea, I think that is a good intepretation, makes sense. I'm not sure about the 'joke' part though ... another interpretation could be that he has listed major American cultural 'institutions', things they believe in, motherhood and apple pie type things, especially in the post war period and through the 50's but a lot of things were being called into question by the early 60's when this poem is set. I agree his closing words convey futility indicating that it all just descends into pointlessness anyway. So perhaps he is playing the part of the cynical (ex) journalist, even in his own 'dirge'?realiz wrote:The Wham, pow, awk, bop are comic book like, a joke, yet the subjects are huge (same for the line about getting married....getting fired). It is a very cynical look at all of existance....does anything really matter? I think the repeat of Mr., bong, Mr., bong shows the futility of life, at least in this narrator's view.Wham, Mr. Roosevelt; pow, Sears Roebuck; awk, big dipper; bop, summer rain;
Bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong, Mr., bong.
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
Not sure what gave you the idea it was set in the 60's as the poet died in 61. I could not find a publishing year for this poem, but found this quote on it:especially in the post war period and through the 50's but a lot of things were being called into question by the early 60's when this poem is set.
"As the title implies, this poem is a kind of musical lament, in this case for a certain sort of businessman who took a lot of chances and saw his investments and life go down the drain in the depression of the early thirties."
Maybe this information will give a different read on this poem.
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Re: The Rattle Bag: The D & E Poems
That is interesting information which clarifies the poem's meaning quite well. I assumed the poem was written by and about Kenneth Fearing in 1961 the year that he died and so has the context and perspective of that time, but certainly the events of his life (with the exception of his suicide) and other events, like the Roosevelt presidency, occurred much earlier. I had thought he was a journalist but on checking the poem again I see it is the 'circulation dept' of the NewYork Evening post that is lamenting his passing, so this fits much better with a businessman not a journalist.