Comments on: Presidential Poetry http://asymptotia.com/2009/01/03/presidential-poetry/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:44:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Kortney http://asymptotia.com/2009/01/03/presidential-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-129062 Kortney Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:57:41 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=2756#comment-129062 lt.milo Gentle; 5: Not harsh,stern or violent. Merriam-Webster pocket dictionary 1974. Mr. Walcott chooses to be calm and gentle, despite what may anger him. He still delivers his message of 'his opinion' of truth, with a kind and gentle spirit. Preferring a culture that still tells their stories to the people "as the human heart craves" through lyric and song. Thank you so much for sharing 'The Mongoose' here! Excellent poetry. Listening to it, I will again say more emphatically, Mr. Walcott has a very gentle spirit, wanting to be "anonymous, transparent...to evaporate in front of the poem". And I will concur with Maximillian Forte, that, The Mongoose may be "narrowly misunderstood and chastised by the grownup versions of the classroom perfect". I am happy to note that you too appreciate Mr. Walcott's work. Thanks again for inserting a link to The Mongoose. lt.milo

Gentle; 5: Not harsh,stern or violent. Merriam-Webster pocket dictionary 1974.

Mr. Walcott chooses to be calm and gentle, despite what may anger him. He still delivers his message of ‘his opinion’ of truth, with a kind and gentle spirit. Preferring a culture that still tells their stories to the people “as the human heart craves” through lyric and song.
Thank you so much for sharing ‘The Mongoose’ here! Excellent poetry. Listening to it, I will again say more emphatically, Mr. Walcott has a very gentle spirit, wanting to be “anonymous, transparent…to evaporate in front of the poem”.
And I will concur with Maximillian Forte, that, The Mongoose may be “narrowly misunderstood and chastised by the grownup versions of the classroom perfect”.
I am happy to note that you too appreciate Mr. Walcott’s work.
Thanks again for inserting a link to The Mongoose.

]]> By: Anne http://asymptotia.com/2009/01/03/presidential-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-129048 Anne Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:48:08 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=2756#comment-129048 Linking your 2 sub-sections, I have to wonder if Obama's choice of Elizabeth Alexander as "inaugural poet" is an elliptical statement on persona and politics, and how they work alongside representation (of both political and literary bent). I also find her interesting because she writes critical essays, some on canonical high-culture works (both poems, and teaching anthologies, like Norton), and some on mass culture (film/acting/masculinity) and other mass artifacts (Rodney King videos). Link to Graywolf, publisher of 1 collection: http://www.graywolfpress.org/component/page,shop.flypage/product_id,16/category_id,b21ff00eb415f4704816023d830a0f9c/option,com_phpshop/ Linking your 2 sub-sections, I have to wonder if Obama’s choice of Elizabeth Alexander as “inaugural poet” is an elliptical statement on persona and politics, and how they work alongside representation (of both political and literary bent). I also find her interesting because she writes critical essays, some on canonical high-culture works (both poems, and teaching anthologies, like Norton), and some on mass culture (film/acting/masculinity) and other mass artifacts (Rodney King videos). Link to Graywolf, publisher of 1 collection: http://www.graywolfpress.org/component/page,shop.flypage/product_id,16/category_id,b21ff00eb415f4704816023d830a0f9c/option,com_phpshop/

]]> By: lt.milo http://asymptotia.com/2009/01/03/presidential-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-128972 lt.milo Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:01:07 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=2756#comment-128972 I too appreciate Walcott, but Kortney, I would not say he has a "gentle spirit". I may just be unsure of what exactly that means, but you should listen to him read "The Mongoose". http://openanthropology.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/the-mongoose-by-derek-walcott-has-a-bigger-bite-than-one-might-think/ (you can listen to his reading about 1/4th down the page) I too appreciate Walcott, but Kortney, I would not say he has a “gentle spirit”. I may just be unsure of what exactly that means, but you should listen to him read “The Mongoose”.

http://openanthropology.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/the-mongoose-by-derek-walcott-has-a-bigger-bite-than-one-might-think/
(you can listen to his reading about 1/4th down the page)

]]> By: Kortney http://asymptotia.com/2009/01/03/presidential-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-128955 Kortney Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:26:17 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=2756#comment-128955 Mr. Walcott has Such a gentle spirit. His poetry speaks volumes in so few words. His voice carries the gentle calm of wisdom and truth, from the depths of knowing to the infinite breadth of love. Thank you for sharing. It is nice to share beautiful literature. I look forward to reading more of his writings. Gracia y paz Mr. Walcott has Such a gentle spirit. His poetry speaks volumes in so few words. His voice carries the gentle calm of wisdom and truth, from the depths of knowing to the infinite breadth of love. Thank you for sharing. It is nice to share beautiful literature.
I look forward to reading more of his writings.
Gracia y paz

]]> By: Kate http://asymptotia.com/2009/01/03/presidential-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-128940 Kate Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:49:49 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=2756#comment-128940 I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. Kate I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Kate

]]> By: Jude http://asymptotia.com/2009/01/03/presidential-poetry/comment-page-1/#comment-128805 Jude Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:47:44 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/?p=2756#comment-128805 I had to listen to the poem because I was negatively overwhelmed by the slave imagery--not just the forty acres that freed slaves didn't receive, but the image of back-breaking labor in cotton fields. It reminded me of this post from Julius Lester's blog, A Commonplace Book, http://acommonplacejbl.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html Today, in my Colorado town, I saw a pickup loaded with confederate flags and stickers. Since we're a boomtown, people are here from everywhere in the US, many of them way too polite for our western sensibilities (e.g., they incessantly say ma'am) but also posting racism on the back of their pickup trucks. Julius Lester's fear seemed extreme to me back in '07 (although it's nagged at me since I read it); the hope so many of us feel is perhaps equally extreme, even Walcott's image of change bringing light after all that bleak history. I had to listen to the poem because I was negatively overwhelmed by the slave imagery–not just the forty acres that freed slaves didn’t receive, but the image of back-breaking labor in cotton fields. It reminded me of this post from Julius Lester’s blog, A Commonplace Book, http://acommonplacejbl.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html
Today, in my Colorado town, I saw a pickup loaded with confederate flags and stickers. Since we’re a boomtown, people are here from everywhere in the US, many of them way too polite for our western sensibilities (e.g., they incessantly say ma’am) but also posting racism on the back of their pickup trucks. Julius Lester’s fear seemed extreme to me back in ‘07 (although it’s nagged at me since I read it); the hope so many of us feel is perhaps equally extreme, even Walcott’s image of change bringing light after all that bleak history.

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