Jump to content
Poetry Magnum Opus

Thirteen Ways of Looking at 50+ Years of Poetry, 7


David W. Parsley

Recommended Posts

David W. Parsley

THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT 50+ YEARS OF POETRY

VII

O thin man of hand ham I

have caught you imagining a golden bird

flew up my skirt while I tried to beat

it down to the stirrups as the tour went by.

Obediently the quarter spat from my lip

and you returned blackbird fleshy

swimming past my bats with your lantern

in tow. Give it back

right now. Give.

 

 

 

 

 

 

unpublished

© David W. Parsley 2011

Re: poems of Anne Sexton

"Housewife" http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/annesexton/9320

"Buying the Whore" http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/annesexton/560/

"Angels of the Love Affair" http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/annesexton/550

"Bat" http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/annesexton/557

"Anna Who Was Mad" http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/annesexton/551

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't read a whole lot of Sexton, but what I've read I've liked. Haven't read whole lot of Plath either, but for some reason the two seem similar in my mind.

 

There are some poets I purposely read only with extreme moderation, reluctantly even. These poets are the ones that are too good. They're on some higher level, a level that I as an aspiring writer may never reach, and reading them depresses me a bit for that reason. Plath and Neruda are two of them. I've stayed away from Sexton, too. I wonder why?

 

Thanks for including the reference links with this one and with others in your series. I really loved the Merwin poems "December Night," "Dusk in Winter," and "It Is March."

 

Tony

Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

David W. Parsley

I haven't read a whole lot of Sexton, but what I've read I've liked. Haven't read whole lot of Plath either, but for some reason the two seem similar in my mind.

Interesting that you couple these two, Tony, since both committed suicide by inhaling a gas. Sexton in particular is a bit of a mixed bag for me, often using the medium to vent. Some folks like that and find a kind of catharsis in it. I suspect her of deliberately using shocking language and behaviors to get back at somebody out there. I find her pedophilic tendencies particularly distasteful (see for example "Hurry Up Please Its Time," memoirs of her oldest daughter, etc., if you are interested). I like her best when she is vulnerable and willing to give of her self (e.g. "Barefoot", "A Story for Rose on the Midnight Flight to Boston", "Elizabeth Gone").

 

Plath is another matter, since she has authored some of my favorite poems, such as "Suicide Off Egg Rock", "Grantchester Meadows", and others.

 

There are some poets I purposely read only with extreme moderation, reluctantly even. These poets are the ones that are too good. They're on some higher level, a level that I as an aspiring writer may never reach, and reading them depresses me a bit for that reason. Plath and Neruda are two of them. I've stayed away from Sexton, too. I wonder why?

 

Neruda is yet another matter, since I find a significant percentage of his poems to be of the very first caliber and he was enormously prolific. Have you seen "In My Sky at Twilight"? Awesome love poem. And then there are the odes...

Topic for another day(s).

 

Thanks for including the reference links with this one and with others in your series. I really loved the Merwin poems "December Night," "Dusk in Winter," and "It Is March."

 

Tony

I am delighted that you connected so well with the Merwin poems. Try the others I suggested when you get the chance. Let me know what you think.

 

Thanks

- Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Larsen M. Callirhoe

HEY DAVID I AM LEARNING SO MUCH FROM YOU. the breviety of these poems in this series as you progress in the series i see how clever and anept your pietry is. thank you sometimes in my poetry writies i accuss and i dont mean to. ii acccussed my ex wife in like 200 poems. i feel so bad now. back then when i wrote those set of poems i didn't realize this. someone pointed this pout to me. so i will be redoing over 500 poems i have written over the last dozen years and i am working on tthree new ones also and i find myself messing around with my poetry obssession. right now i need to be foccusing on school. have been blessed with full grant money for a prestegious university in ohio, i am going ti get a degree in art and web design as a mahor and a minor in literature and creative writing. my classes start this next monday,

 

 

 

victor

Larsen M. Callirhoe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.