I love the way you have explicated this poem with the four strands. When reading it, I thought that it must have taken some time to put this together and I appreciate the effort.
I learnt so much from this essay which is always a joy to me. I also love how you wove in the personal details of your life through that learning also. And I was only thinking this morning how my own poetry is quite 'unbeautiful' on the page which is why I think I put up audio versions. I was pondering whether it should be called a philosophical performance art instead of poetry because I agree with Larkin somewhat about how the words and lines look on the page being part of the beauty. I am very glad you got challenged to write this because it was great.
Thank you for this close, deep and personal read--my introduction to a poem worth many rereadings. Not coming from a farm in England, I looked from other angles and was struck by the many pleasingly unusual word choices: “tall heat,” “frail travelling coincidence”... I could go on. The squares of wheat reminded me of Auden’s “As I Walked Out One Evening,” in which the London crowds are compared to “fields of harvest wheat.” Over what I saw you layered the Englishness of this challenging and emotionally nuanced poem. I look forward to knowing it better.
Thank you Rona! I hope you will enjoy reading and re-reading the poem. This essay and "La Autopista del sur" were experiments. I may try again with another work at some stage.
I agree about the lines on a page, too. Where I live, people much prefer poetry to be read out loud, often in a sing song voice. I like to look at the words.
I like to hear people read poetry if they do it well. But there is something beautiful about structure and the look of the words on a page. My own poetry is fun I think but it wouldn't stand the test of time ha ha and I think that my performance is better than the poem itself if that makes sense. The concept as it were. But I do love it when someone is able to show me a new way of looking at a poem which is what Jeffrey has done so well in this essay.
Hola , Brillante Relato , Me Han Entrado Ganas De Coger Una De Mis Viejas Guías De Viaje ( Baedeker ) , Subirme Aún Viejo Tren Y Recorrer Toda Inglaterra. Un Saludo.
I've loved Larkin since I first found this poet, bought his collections, quoted him. And then you give us this grand essay that explains more than I could have ever known without you.
I think you live with poetry here -- analyzing, personalizing, integrating it -- the way we're most humanly meant to take literature into our lives, beyond cooler scholarly analysis. Of insights you share, I'll offer these two, one leading in it's way to the other:
"he was a poet who showed more interest in the gaps in existence than in its lived plenitude"
"But it’s also a classic Larkin ending, gesturing towards some kind of vatic utterance beyond the ostensible topic of the poem."
Thank you! I love your phrase "live with poetry". And I do find that life with/in poetry is somehow more complete for me. Thank you for being such a great reader here!
I have been guilty, I admit, of saying "I'm not much for poetry" - even though I once contemplated going to graduate school for poetry because of a single class I took at uni where we studied Wallace Stevens and I was entranced by the professor's ability to crack open the world of a poem and show me universes I never could have detected on my own.
You have just done the same with Larkin's "The Whitsun Weddings."
I could read VOLUMES of this, Jeffrey. Please: continue. This is wonderful. 🙏🏼🥰🤩
Hi Troy, I replied to your very kind comment, but somehow as a new comment, not a reply. Here's what I said: "Wow, I'm humbled. Thank you, Troy. It's great to have you here and your feedback means a lot to me."
Wow, I'm humbled. Thank you, Troy. It's great to have you here and your feedback means a lot to me.
I love the way you have explicated this poem with the four strands. When reading it, I thought that it must have taken some time to put this together and I appreciate the effort.
Thank you, Lynn!
I learnt so much from this essay which is always a joy to me. I also love how you wove in the personal details of your life through that learning also. And I was only thinking this morning how my own poetry is quite 'unbeautiful' on the page which is why I think I put up audio versions. I was pondering whether it should be called a philosophical performance art instead of poetry because I agree with Larkin somewhat about how the words and lines look on the page being part of the beauty. I am very glad you got challenged to write this because it was great.
Thank you so much, April!
Thank you for this close, deep and personal read--my introduction to a poem worth many rereadings. Not coming from a farm in England, I looked from other angles and was struck by the many pleasingly unusual word choices: “tall heat,” “frail travelling coincidence”... I could go on. The squares of wheat reminded me of Auden’s “As I Walked Out One Evening,” in which the London crowds are compared to “fields of harvest wheat.” Over what I saw you layered the Englishness of this challenging and emotionally nuanced poem. I look forward to knowing it better.
Thank you Rona! I hope you will enjoy reading and re-reading the poem. This essay and "La Autopista del sur" were experiments. I may try again with another work at some stage.
I agree about the lines on a page, too. Where I live, people much prefer poetry to be read out loud, often in a sing song voice. I like to look at the words.
I like to hear people read poetry if they do it well. But there is something beautiful about structure and the look of the words on a page. My own poetry is fun I think but it wouldn't stand the test of time ha ha and I think that my performance is better than the poem itself if that makes sense. The concept as it were. But I do love it when someone is able to show me a new way of looking at a poem which is what Jeffrey has done so well in this essay.
Absolutely. There are I suppose multiple ways of approaching poetry - and appreciating it.
Hola , Brillante Relato , Me Han Entrado Ganas De Coger Una De Mis Viejas Guías De Viaje ( Baedeker ) , Subirme Aún Viejo Tren Y Recorrer Toda Inglaterra. Un Saludo.
Gracias! Y feliz viaje! 😊
I've loved Larkin since I first found this poet, bought his collections, quoted him. And then you give us this grand essay that explains more than I could have ever known without you.
Thank, Mary. I think Larkin has lasted well. Great to know you're a fan too!
This was such a cool idea.
I really enjoyed the way you clearly laid it out in four part sections, and I particularly liked the fourth section — your reflections— of each piece.
I also really enjoyed this line:
“Nowhere does a life find better meaning than between the lines of a poem”
Thank you Michael! It was a labour of love. Thank you for reading and for being here!
I think you live with poetry here -- analyzing, personalizing, integrating it -- the way we're most humanly meant to take literature into our lives, beyond cooler scholarly analysis. Of insights you share, I'll offer these two, one leading in it's way to the other:
"he was a poet who showed more interest in the gaps in existence than in its lived plenitude"
"But it’s also a classic Larkin ending, gesturing towards some kind of vatic utterance beyond the ostensible topic of the poem."
Thanks for this.
Thank you! I love your phrase "live with poetry". And I do find that life with/in poetry is somehow more complete for me. Thank you for being such a great reader here!
I have been guilty, I admit, of saying "I'm not much for poetry" - even though I once contemplated going to graduate school for poetry because of a single class I took at uni where we studied Wallace Stevens and I was entranced by the professor's ability to crack open the world of a poem and show me universes I never could have detected on my own.
You have just done the same with Larkin's "The Whitsun Weddings."
I could read VOLUMES of this, Jeffrey. Please: continue. This is wonderful. 🙏🏼🥰🤩
Hi Troy, I replied to your very kind comment, but somehow as a new comment, not a reply. Here's what I said: "Wow, I'm humbled. Thank you, Troy. It's great to have you here and your feedback means a lot to me."
Oh no worries Jeffrey, I saw that :)
The farm in Devon sounds wonderful, by the way.
It was. But it was also a long time ago!