{ Thursday, February 20, 2003 }
I finally got around to reading 20-30 of the poems on the Poets Against the War site, and as I had suspected, there are a lot of facile, uncooked poems there (and in my sampling, two or three that were downright awful and that should never never have been released from the confinement of their authors' hard drive. I'm being kind. Why be kind? It was more like 10, really. 12. Poets! We cannot afford to lose any more audience!) There were 8,000 poems submitted to the site within two weeks of Sam Hamill soliciting them (and there are 10,000 now). Two weeks doesn't seem long enough to write a proper poem. Several months seems about right. High standards did not have to go out the window with the master narrative. Democracy does not depend on embracing crumminess. And if everybody's talking, nobody's listening.
Fortunately for us, the world already has many, many good poems against war. Hit it Pablo:
Keeping Quiet
by Pablo Neruda (translated by Alastair Reid)
And now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the earth
let's not speak in any language,
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fisherman in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands.
Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about,
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I'll count up to twelve,
and you keep quiet and I will go.
LINK | 10:47 PM | TB
although not directed in a poem, the poet makes a rather fitting comment about everyone from politician's to peace protesters when he writes:
"Nothing is peaceful in your faces. All is struggle, desire, avidity. Even peace you want violently."
-Henri Michaux
I just want to share this one, please forgive the length:
The Roar
That was the last time I would walk up those five
flights with a woman in tow, standing
in the hall patiently trying my keys
listening to my heart pounding from the climb.
And the last time I would sit in front of the
refrigerator,drinking white wine and asking
questions, and lecturing- like a spider-
and rubbing my hands through my hair- like a priest.
Look at me touch the burning candle
with my bare palm and press a rusty knife
against my eyelid while she undresses.
Look at me rise through the cool airshaft
and snore at the foot of the bed with one hand
on her knee and one hand touching the white floor,
the red and blue beacon of Empire
just beyond those little houses
as familiar now as my crippled birch
and the endless roar out there
as sweet as my own roar
in my other dream, on the cold and empty river
Gerald Stern
tim | February 21, 2003 2:19 AMThis post has been erased, as its author left a fake email address.
(IP Address: 65.49.101.3, which resolves to Rogers Cable in Ontario)
I am a Coward | February 21, 2003 8:28 AMAmen Leopold, amen.
Hillary | February 21, 2003 10:20 AMare not poetry critics just failed poets themselves?
lincoln | February 21, 2003 10:27 AMAnd what pompous literary critics are you referring to, "Leopold" and Hillary? Dana Gioia? Richard Howard? Charles Bernstein? Me?
BTW don't think you cowardice hasn't been noticed "Leopold" -- leaving snarky comments under a fake email address is worse than bad poetry or literary critics.
The policy here at Caterina.net is that anyone who posts a nasty comment under a fake name will be deleted and booted and their IP Address posted.
While I agree with you that many of the poems were not amazing or even good in some cases (and I didn't read all of them by any means), I did think that it was a bit harsh to tear into them so zealously. I thought that the idea behind the site was people speaking out about the situation between the US and Iraq and to that end, I think that everybody has the right, and should be encouraged, to do so. Not everyone is a writer, and god knows there are plenty of talentless poets around, but your post just seemed a bit on the harsh side ... my 2 cents.
Hillary | February 21, 2003 1:20 PMSo you're saying I'm a literary critic? I'm flattered! However, I can't take the mantle. I think actual literary criticism ought take as much effort as writing a poem -- some deep reading, deep thinking and time. In actuality, what you're reading here is a post to my weblog.
I agree with you that everyone has a right to speak out against war. That is completely non-controversial. But we also agree that many of these are lousy as *poems*. And then I posted Neruda as an example of an excellent poem.
Caterina | February 21, 2003 1:58 PM"Nobody gives a shit what anti-war or pro-war writers think. Really. So shut up. That goes double for poets. Shut the hell up, poets. Everybody just shut up."
- from an article by Neal Pollack in The Stranger.
http://www.thestranger.com/2003-02-20/feature.html
David | February 21, 2003 2:24 PMHeya Caterina - I'm (as of today) maintaining the news page for the poetsagainstthewar.org site! If you or any of your readers see any good newspaper articles about the site, keep me posted? (I don't think they want the Neal Pollack article on there, though it is pretty funny...)
Geegaw | February 21, 2003 3:45 PM"High standards did not have to go out the window with the master narrative."
yes. thank you, caterina. i am tuned to your net dial and i won't stray.
bad poetry, so easy to write, so often written, clutters up too much of the world.
if you were in new york, i'd send you to poet's house: http://www.poethouse.org
where you can whittle away your day reading great poetry, station yourself in front of the photocopier to take a few sheets of it home with you, and sit in a room full of words.
I have a question--I have a video tape I made many years ago with Jack Lemmon reciting a poem about war--a box that was locked and labeled do not open and someone did--he was introduced by one of the Smothers brothers--unfortunately I didn't get the title and author of the poem recorded--Is it "War", "The Box" or something else? Do you know? Thanks.
bettystewart | February 27, 2003 3:03 PMEvidently literary criticism is in worse shape than I thought. The jist of the arguement about Poetsagainstthewar is, like close to making sense. Then again the entry fee being only $.02 I guess the expectations can't be too high.
Alan Bender | March 9, 2003 12:29 PMPearl Harbor
Upon the waking hour, in there beds they soundly slept.
To be awaken by such fury, I can't begin to imagin the nitemare which was uncrept.
Screaming for there crewmates, grab your coats and guns.
There is no sleep for the weary, when our nation is in danger from someone.
They stand proud on that helm, rising to fight for us.
No danger for them do they fear, there courage so proudly undone.
The planes they fly above with missles coming down,
Many live's destoyed that day, oh how sad we must count down.
Is there a victor in this battle or is it in vain?
Do they fight for freedom, what's there cause or gain?
We now know that day as Pearl Harbor when so many souls were laid to rest.
Can we count the faces of so many gone and left?
More so do we continue to rage and raise our guns?
Or do we try to undue all the damaged so long ago done.
There lives are no less valued be it now or then.
I just cannot in good conscience kill to make right the dead.
Do you see my reason, do you see the same?
I hope my words have helped you and you continue to remember them all.
For without each other our nation would fall.
In U.S. the opposition's right to its voice is a national pride. That the poetsforwar site was in response to poetsagainstwar site is Americans voicing opposition-ok (funny they don't think of themselves as opposition). But, pro's large number of vindictive poems aimed at anti-war people and poets is more disturbing than quality of pro-war poetry. Seems Sadam-like.
Mira | April 2, 2003 1:00 PMIndian poet Mira wrote in "Why Mira Can't Go Back To Her Old House": "I have felt the sway of the elephant's shoulders. And now, you want me to ride on a jackass? Try to be serious!" For poets who attend to craft, the poetsforwar poetry is ... the jackass. Poetsforwar -- please note. Rhymed and metered poetry lost its impact on adults a century ago. Would you mind trying something new? Your poems could be entries for the next "Bad Poetry Night."
mira | April 2, 2003 1:09 PMIn response to Mira:
'Rhymed and metered poetry lost its impact on adults a century ago'.
What a ridiculous statement to make. Is it your opinion that adults of late have grown to sophisticated for conventional metred and rhymed poetry? Or is it just your belief that anyone who wishes to express their support for a justified war is childish and must resort to rhymed poetry?
Rhymed poetry maintains its place in literature as one of the most powerful conventions to play on an active mind.
I"m no adult so far be it from me to say what has an effect
This is a question rather than a comment. Does anyone know a website with the original Spanish of Neruda's "Keeping Quiet"? I'm teaching reading to ESL students and I'd like one of the Spanish-speaking students to be able to read the original Spanish for the others. Thanks! Kate
Kate | January 16, 2004 9:55 AMI love this blog! Come visit my site, it's the only free and open MLS in all of Mexico. Ajijic real estate, chapala real estate, mexico city real estate, you name it, it's a free MLS. MLS Mexico
MLS Mexico | April 19, 2006 8:43 AMYes, KATE. Here it is
http://rantingandrejoicing.wordpress.com/2007/02/03/nerudas-keeping-quiet/
Ahmed | January 15, 2008 6:56 AM{ Post a comment }
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful...I can go to sleep tonight with a smile despite the world's woes...
Paul | February 21, 2003 12:22 AM