Anecdotes of the Spirit

[PrinceMyshkin]

“Art to me is an anecdote of the spirit.” Mark Rothko

“Here,” he says, over his shoulder
as he leaves the room,
passing a key behind him.

But a “key” is just a metaphor.
Until you swallow the flame,
“fire” is just a metaphor.

The spirit sends us
anecdotes and riddles,
Zen koans. The body dances,
although that, too,
is an anecdote of the spirit.

Do you need to know
why you dance, or why
you sometimes cast a backward glance
where there is nothing to be seen?

[Delta40]

I fail to be informed enough to review some of your work Prince. you are a reminder of my humble and limited education...

although the last stanza makes me think of why I look both ways down a one street.

[dafydd manton]

Speechless in admiration! I bow humbly.

[MGK]

the last stanza is breathtaking! the meaning of the poem is somewhat beyond me at this point in time, and from a purely verbal aesthetic sense it does not appeal to me much; but that last stanza is glorious, glorious!

[SleepyWitch]

the meaning of the poem is somewhat beyond me at this point in time, !

I'll second that. But I like the flow of it and also the last stanza. Does it say to go with the flow and not analyze things too much?

[Hawkman]

I absolutely love this one, Prince. It is seriously good and speaks volumes.

Best, H

[Song of Mercy]

the past is gone, the relevance is personal, the questions distracting.

That is what I see in this.

Song

[PrinceMyshkin]

Many, many thanks Delta, Song of Mercy, Hawkman, Sleepy Witch, MGK and Dafy...

But, Song, no it doesn't particularly refer to the vanished past but to those emanations we receive or seem to receive, various examples of which are splashed all over these pages under many different pseudonyms.

[breathtest]

The part about swallowing the flame puts me in mind of 'The Road' by Cormac Mccarthy, where the father talks to his son about carrying the fire within you. The fire is never really explained, but we all know what it is, i think. Something to do with courage and bravery and perseverance. I don't know if this is what you meant in your poem, Prince, but that's just what came to mind.

I seem to remember you sending me that quote by Rothko but i never did get around to writing a piece inspired by it. I think i may try to do that in the next few days, the quote is really good.

I love to think that dancing is an anecdote of the spirit. In that sense, isn't all we do an anecdote of our spirit?

Wonderful poem Prince.

[Jerrybaldy]

Things learnt today following a reading of Prince's poem
1/ Mark Rothko is a Russian born American painter of the abstract. (Not for me, after a glance at his work)
2/Zen Koans are ideas that cannot be understood by rational thought, but may be deciphered through intuition.
3/ I know little

My googling has helped me make some more sense of your poem, I think, Prince, or maybe like a zen koan, it's to be admired and understood more intuitively.
Your work can never be speed-read Prince. And who wants to be speed-read?
kind regards
Jerry

[hillwalker]

I'm with most of your readers on this one, Prince..... waiting to untangle the riddle. I'll also join in their praise for that final stanza - the use of rhyme adds a touch of the sublime.

However, I will say something that I've never said before about one of your pieces - it could do with a slight trim (shock horror - that's blank|verse's influence for you).
I felt the second and third verses could be condensed and combined to better effect. You are the master of the cryptic and the minimalist and the enigmatic, and these two look in need of a little more of your tender touch.

H

[PrinceMyshkin]

Many thanks, Breathtest and Jerrybaldly.


I'm with most of your readers on this one, Prince..... waiting to untangle the riddle. I'll also join in their praise for that final stanza - the use of rhyme adds a touch of the sublime.

However, I will say something that I've never said before about one of your pieces - it could do with a slight trim (shock horror - that's blank|verse's influence for you).
I felt the second and third verses could be condensed and combined to better effect. You are the master of the cryptic and the minimalist and the enigmatic, and these two look in need of a little more of your tender touch.

H

Without in the least resenting your comment re trimming the 2nd & 3rd verses, I would like to say only that I'm proud of my craft in this poem. In my admittedly subjective view, it reads like a good piece of carpentry, all the joints mitered together without the need for glue or nails.

Of course, respecting both your own poems and your critiques as much as I do, I'm disappointed that it doesn't work for you.

As for the "riddle" in it, it's as clearly stated as I could make it, in what to me was Rothko's marvelous aphorism. The spirit, that is, has its vignettes to tell and does so via art of one form or another. Rothko regarded his somewhat cryptic, graphically non-representational paintings, as metaphysical statements. Some viewers have been noted to break into tears on viewing the originals.

[hillwalker]

I'm disappointed that it doesn't work for you.


It does work for me Prince, and although the riddle took some time to unravel I did get there in the end (as is so often the case with your gems - they take some re-reading to fully appreciate).

As one who often doesn't know when to cut back, I'm now in that difficult position where I see other writers' work and constantly ask myself could this be trimmed? That's what I did here - I don't deny your craft. It was a comment made in good faith and thanks for your response.

I know the next piece I post is going to get shot down in flames for being too long..... I might stick with a limerick!

H

[blank|verse]

(shock horror - that's blank|verse's influence for you).
Shock horror - hillwalker encourages others to edit poems!! :svengo:

(Only joking hill, old chap.) This is a brilliant piece, Prince, particularly the first two stanzas.

I know what hill is saying though - for me, the first two stanzas somewhat overshadow the rest of the poem, which is more didactic, and not quite as palatable. I presume hill is in part referring to the repetition of 'is just a metaphor', which does stick out a bit once noticed.

In fact - and this is perhaps a bit too harsh - but the more I consider it, the more I would like stanzas one and two enlarged, and three and four, dare I say, discarded. I think there is enough there with the Rothko epigraph for the reader to understand the bold, brilliant metaphors, which are the great strengths of the poem.

And as it's based on Rothko, part of me would like that to be reflected in the poem's form - two blocks of contrasting stanzas, with a break in the middle - a bit like a traditional sonnet. (And come to think of it, Rothko's paintings have a sonnet-like quality to them which might relate to the Fibonacci ratio, in the same way sonnets are said to.)

Anyway, for expressing Rothko's illuminating quote in such an articulate way, the poem has great merit. A pleasure to read.

[Bar22do]

“Art to me is an anecdote of the spirit.” Mark Rothko

“Here,” he says, over his shoulder
as he leaves the room,
passing a key behind him.

But a “key” is just a metaphor.
Until you swallow the flame,
“fire” is just a metaphor.

The spirit sends us
anecdotes and riddles,
Zen koans. The body dances,
although that, too,
is an anecdote of the spirit.

Do you need to know
why you dance, or why
you sometimes cast a backward glance
where there is nothing to be seen?



And some say, the whole "visible" universe is an anecdote of the spirit, best expressed in the Art of all Arts - the Art of Living.

A beautiful poem (except for my usual reservation as to the didactic element), inspired by a beautiful quote. Rothko's art is unique, for sure. Thanks a lot.

Best regards - Bar

[PrinceMyshkin]

Many thanks. B|V. I now have 3 audiences to evaluate if I might stipulate you and Hillwalker as representative of two opposing ones - and myself as a third!


[COLOR="Navy"]And some say, the whole "visible" universe is an anecdote of the spirit

As, perhaps, in “and the spirit [or breath] of God played [or skipped] upon the face of the waters” and in the Buddhist concept of “Maya,” but I take issue with the essence of this notion. True, my concept of reality and yours - and that of how many other people - may differ so widely that either one or both or all of them must be to some extent illusory, but unless we practice that some aspect of ‘reality’ is true, mortal, vulnerable, precious, then we are in danger...


best expressed in the Art of all Arts - the Art of Living.
E.g. in your phrase “the Art of Living.” I hope I do understand the moral way in which you intend it but I am fearful of what might be merely aesthetic about it. In that latter sense to make an “art” of life is to make something trivial of it.

[Bar22do]

E.g. in your phrase “the Art of Living.” I hope I do understand the moral way in which you intend it but I am fearful of what might be merely aesthetic about it. In that latter sense to make an “art” of life is to make something trivial of it.

I intend no moral way at all. And certainly not "to make an 'art' of life" but to aim at and to live according to its depth (accessible to different extent in each individual case), reflecting BEING. So I should have said perhaps - the Art of Being, or alternately - Creating.
I mean Art as from Greek "just" or "complete". Like the feeling one experiences facing harmony (relative).

[PrinceMyshkin]

Hillwalker: thanks for your subsequent post,


I intend no moral way at all. And certainly not "to make an 'art' of life" but to aim at and to live according to its depth (accessible to different extent in each individual case), reflecting BEING. So I should have said perhaps - the Art of Being, or alternately - Creating.
I mean Art as from Greek "just" or "complete". Like the feeling one experiences facing harmony (relative).



My apologies. I've since googled that phrase and see that it has many perfectly serious and deeper applications than I creditted. I had memories of having seen it used in certain 'smart,' sophisticated circles.

[angliholic]

This piece is very Buddhistic!
Everything is empty except the spirit and the karma.
All the visible things on earth are just anecdotes of the spirit, I believe!

Thanks, Prince, for sharing this!

[PrinceMyshkin]

This piece is very Buddhistic!
Everything is empty except the spirit and the karma.
All the visible things on earth are just anecdotes of the spirit, I believe!

Thanks, Prince, for sharing this!

Thank you, angliholic.

[tailor STATELY]

Quite an enigmatic piece. Still studying.


But a “key” is just a metaphor.
Until you swallow the flame,
“fire” is just a metaphor.

At the risk of unduly overemphasizing minutia I would suggest singular ['] as opposed to ["] for 'key' and 'fire' as you have already defined a quoted passage.

Also (tongue in cheek) does one need to swallow the 'key' for it not to remain a metaphor - for as yet it has not come to pass ?

Enjoyed the "Zen koans" lesson; Mark Rothko next on my web inquiry list.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[PrinceMyshkin]

Quite an enigmatic piece. Still studying.



At the risk of unduly overemphasizing minutia I would suggest singular ['] as opposed to ["] for 'key' and 'fire' as you have already defined a quoted passage.

Also (tongue in cheek) does one need to swallow the 'key' for it not to remain a metaphor - for as yet it has not come to pass ?

Enjoyed the "Zen koans" lesson; Mark Rothko next on my web inquiry list.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

In Canada we follow the British style of spelling but the US version of double and single quotation marks.

Tarradiddle (long for "Ta")
Jerry

[lallison]

Nice title quote. I'm a Rothco fan too. Saw a couple of his works last summer at the High Museum in Atlanta.

So I found your poem and interesting read and worth a reread or two. I liked your use of "koan," it's not a work one comes across very often. I particularly enjoyed the narrative of the first paragraph and was hopeful that this would unravel into a nice little Rothco tale. But it loses its imagery and substitutes with philosophical musings, interesting musings, but musings none the less.

The sound of this is not so melodic as it is colloquial. i think some more focus on sound devices would contribute to it's beauty. For me, the couplet seemed odd, coming out of nowhere. It's a telling piece, but a worth while read.

[Haunted]

An amazingly multi dimensional poem. I start to wonder if I'm indeed just a metaphor...

[PrinceMyshkin]

Thanks Lallison & Haunted.