The Poet's Pardon

[James Albert Barr]

Would there be an I to scold

Upon this earth as days are cold

Below the skies who know it not

Above the seas where I will rot

I should think this hate too old.

 

Men have come and gone to death

Without the peace blew from their breath

Withheld from love that could not save

Within their dark and barren cave

They had no joy to bequeath.

 

Once a life has spent its course

There is no time that you could force

Here unto a grief of sorrow

Where another chance could borrow

What was lost in the first source.

[badger11]

Interesting exploration of release, and not, especially liked L7.

[James Albert Barr]

Thanks, badger11. This is actually one of my more straight forward poems in terms of theme and intent. It's about the notion of not being too hard on yourself and being more open to others, even if you disagree with them. Because if you don't you'll foster no love nor joy and waste your life when it's too late to change by the time death rolls around. 

[badger11]

The warning of the barren cave came across in the poem, though I don't judge poems in terms of accessibility. Of course, an aspect of communication is intent, layered to whatever depth, but poems will resonate with a reader beyond 'ownership'. I particularly liked the phrase 'no joy to bequeath'. 

[James Albert Barr]

While I certainly don't disagree that a poem "will resonate with a reader beyond 'ownership'", badger11, it's pretty much unavoidable for sure, I also feel that a reader should be patiently open to getting to the intended "meaning" of a poet's poem, especially an ambitious work that is attempting to express something profound about life, existence, society, culture, history, etc. In keeping with your point, though, I know, for me, some of the best poems I've ever read took me some time to "get to the heart" of their ultimate meaning by reading them over and over; but the journey to that focal point included some interesting "initial interpretations" that reflected more about me than the poem itself, fascinatingly enough. I'm reminded of a great quote from Anais Nin: "We don't see things as they are, we see them as WE are". In other words, of course, we can't escape from our own "subjectivity". Though true enough, I still feel that "objectivity" and "non-bias" is worth pursuing and establishing as best as one can achieve, both as a writer AND a reader. 

Thanks again, regarding the "no joy to bequeath" line. I had to settle for a partial "concrete rhyme" in that stanza with an "Ee" vowel sound as opposed to the first two "Eh" sounds that preceded the uniform "Th" for all three finished lines. I'm usually a stickler for perfect rhymes, but sometimes I DO have to be necessarily flexible.  😄  

Cheers!

[badger11]

I agree James. The communication of intent is interesting, for reader and writer, while respecting 'intentional fallacy' and acknowledging the bias baggage of gender/age/class/race/education/society/history/politics/morality/religion etc. The academic interpretation of historical texts, the changing fashions of literary criticisms, illustrate the fluidity and validity of meanings. At worse a playground!

The relationship of writer/poem/reader - the weight of meaning through the prism of that triangular relationship - is an interesting topic. I like to trust the poem, whether it conveys the conscious intent or an unconscious intent, but recognise 'ownership' of meaning is a motivation for the poet.

I have no particular template preference for types of rhyme. Sometimes I notice lines seem to march towards that end rhyme, leave the beginning of the line insignificant, but there are worse effects.