by phillipw | Apr 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
Stunned, Stung with Esthetic Tears “When it reaches Alexandria, poetry comes in out of the sun, retires to the library . . . And so it [poetry] survives in a world where the vulgar tongue is not Greek.” ~ Michael Schmidt, The First Poets, 19 At Florida Technological U...
by phillipw | Apr 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
Scorn “Enargeîs is the technical term ‘for divine epiphany: a word that contains the dazzle of “white,” argós, which comes to designate a pure, unquestionable “conspicuous-ness” ’ ”. ~ Michael Schmidt, The First Poets, 19 I wonder if perhaps we moderns know This...
by phillipw | Apr 23, 2020 | TH
Lordosis The gods “‘do not appear in all their fullness [enargeîs],’ Calasso writes.” ~ Michael Schmidt, The First Poets, 19 Jehovah shows his backside to the eye Of Moses in the fire and smoke and cloud. We wonder if that eye was sideways, sly,...
by phillipw | Apr 22, 2020 | DE, EU, PO
Poetry Makes a Different Exploration of the Realm of Death No poet thinks about the path the wife Of Orpheus took down to Hades. Not One poet ever writes about how harshly rife That journey was. The poisoned bride’s death lot Was just the same as anyone’s. The path...
by phillipw | Apr 22, 2020 | ET, GR, OR
Etymology of Orpheus If “of the river bank” is what the name Of Orpheus might mean,* then that might flow From jet slick River Hades and the shame Of failing to recover, to the glow Of life and sunlight, his lost love. Again It might refer to two of his five...
