PoemoftheWeek

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Originally Posted by Virgil

Now I would like to ask the million dollar question that I have a hard time answering: Why is that "no country for old men?"

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I don't know if I shall say something, being old and new.
I read with great interest all your comments. I noticed that at each reading of the poem I reached a different opinion.
First, to answer Virgils question: in one of the learned books of my husband's (Brodie's Notes) it is said, Yeats speaks of Ireland in the first stroph.
Then, in my understanding of the poem, he wants to turn his back on this country where 'all neglect Monuments of unageing intellect', (he's not humble) and there too much life going on for an old man. So he sails to B. and pleads to the emblems of permanence, to allow him to enter eternity - and here the key word - 'sick with desire'. He knows he's human (dying animal) and he knows: eternity is just an idea, a dream, a desire, an illusion. He accepts that. The sages in the gold mosaic, who are eternal, shall be his singing master, as he is a poet.
Beginning of stroph IV stresses not a truth (maybe denial of rebirth) but ('But') the wish to be that poet who works and hammers at the material that lasts (the words). And he is conscious that that object is without any practical use in the world, we are the drowsy Emperors, eyes half closed we listen to a bird sing 'Of what is past, or passing, or to come' (the sensual music of life) and then go back to real living.
This poem is the sigh which is in all of us.

Melanie

I think your reading seems to fit as I read it too. I take it you liked the poem?

Every Monday, one of us selects a new poem for the week to discuss. Since it is near nightfall on Sunday for you, why don't you post a poem you would like discussed? I think we've pretty much completed the Keats poem.

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Originally Posted by MelanieD

I don't know if I shall say something, being old and new.
I read with great interest all your comments. I noticed that at each reading of the poem I reached a different opinion.

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Hi Melanie. Good to meet you. You're right, seems we already know something of a work or start from scratch, and each read and each post brings a new impression. Quite amazing how the picture (almost a book, if I may) unfolds each time. You brought some very interesting comments with you. "shall be his singing master, as he is a poet" gives me another piece in the puzzle and I did not know this about him and Ireland. :nod:

One thing I forgot to mention on "Sailing to Byzantim." There is a great rendition of it set to music by Paul Hillier in a CD called "Bitter Ballads". Hillier is an early (medevil and renaissance) music conductor and arranger, and this CD is poetry (Swift, Blake, Yeats, Stein, etc.) arranged around early music form. You can check the CD out here, and even listen to little clips: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=glance&n=5174
Early music has become a fascination for me, and coupled with poetry, I was overwhelmed. I can't say that everything on the CD works perfectly, but everything is at least interesting. You can read about Paul Hillier here:http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Hillier-Paul.htm
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Hillier

I also would love to hear other classic poems set to music. I have not been too succesful in finding some. If anyone is aware of classic poetry set to music, please inform me of it.

Virgil, I don't know if you like folk at all but I love this guy, Greg Brown. He dedicates an entire album to William Blake.



Greg Brown, and Songs of Innocence and Experience

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Originally Posted by Riesa

Virgil, I don't know if you like folk at all but I love this guy, Greg Brown. He dedicates an entire album to William Blake.



Greg Brown, and Songs of Innocence and Experience

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Cool. Thanks Riesa. I'm going to order it.

How do I do that? It's Monday morning.
Okay, I just type one up.


Morning song

He speaks:
Come, my laid lady, whom I wooed with words,
And called my Star--
Since you proved that you loved me, I
Know what you are?

For, knowing what I am, I have a rod
To measure by
If you mistake what I gave you for love, you are
More beast than I.

And having eased in you my ambiguous lusts
I now can prove
That you're a dupe who let me wallow you
And call it love.

If I have feet of clay, yet you are now
The dirt they trod --
And in that moment when I brought you down,
I was a god!

Katherine Anne Porter

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Virgil

One thing I forgot to mention on "Sailing to Byzantim." There is a great rendition of it set to music by Paul Hillier in a CD called "Bitter Ballads". Hillier is an early (medevil and renaissance) music conductor and arranger, and this CD is poetry (Swift, Blake, Yeats, Stein, etc.) arranged around early music form. You can check the CD out here, and even listen to little clips: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=glance&n=5174

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Thanks Virgil, I very much appreciate that!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MelanieD

How do I do that? It's Monday morning.
Okay, I just type one up.


Morning song

He speaks:
Come, my laid lady, whom I wooed with words,
And called my Star--
Since you proved that you loved me, I
Know what you are?

For, knowing what I am, I have a rod
To measure by
If you mistake what I gave you for love, you are
More beast than I.

And having eased in you my ambiguous lusts
I now can prove
That you're a dupe who let me wallow you
And call if love.

If I have feet of clay, yet you are now
The dirt they trod --
And in that moment when I brought you down,
I was a god!

Katherine Anne Porter

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Thanks Melanie. You did it. Let me digest it.

Quick look: Very sensual. We're going to have fun with this one. ;)

On first reading one would assume that Ms Porter takes a very dim view of men. And a not much brighter one of women.

Shall I list the sexual puns as a start, just to get that out of the way? Why not. Here are the words with double entendre: "come," "laid", "rod", "eased in."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Virgil

Shall I list the sexual puns as a start, just to get that out of the way? Why not. Here are the words with double entendre: "come," "laid", "rod", "eased in."

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But Virgil, you mean... this isn't this about a gardner, in love with nature, and flower arranging? :lol:

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Originally Posted by jackyyyy

But Virgil, you mean... this isn't this about a gardner, in love with nature, and flower arranging? :lol:

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I didn't fully realize it when I posted before, but that was a very naughty post. On reading it over, it makes my heart flutter. Oh the cheap thrills in life.

Ew, what a horrible poem! Great puns, horrible message. But, alas, I know it is true, sometimes.

I don't think there are any double-entendres in this poem. The meanings of the words on Virgil's list are blatantly sexual and allow no innocent interpretation in the context of the poem. Except that I contest his interpretation of 'eased in' - the speaker is saying that he has eased his lust, not eased into the woman's body.

I should like to say in defence of the male half of humanity that I have never treated a woman with the contempt shown in this poem and doubt that many men are as callously, sexually predative as the one described here. Although I know that such do exist, it still strikes me as feminist cliche.