Famous Poet: by Ted Hughes

I believe the first book of poems by Ted Hughes to be published was a small book titled The Hawk in the Rain. I picked up a copy of this at a book store a few weeks back and was reading through it this week and came upon a poem that I believe has to be one of my favorite Ted Hughes poems. It is titled Famous Poet.

I especially am fond of the third stanza:

First scrutinize those eyes / For the spark, the effulgence: nothing. Nothing there / But the haggard stony exhaustion of a near- / Finished variety artist. He slumps in his chair / Like a badly hurt man, half life-size. //

This poet, though famous it appears has seen better days. Effulgence is such great word here. We know a bit of what perhaps has been, but is now lost in this man who has sunken to something less by half of life-size.

The final stanza too is a powerful image:

And monstrous, so / As a Stegosaurus, a lumbering obsolete / Arsenal of gigantic horn and plate / From a time when half the world still burned, set / To blink behind bars at the zoo. //

So in the earlier verse Hughes uses the half life-size man - Shrinking the Famous poet down to something less then his once perceived stature. In the end, this same poet is the monstrous Stegosaurus - albeit beyond his better days - for public viewing behind the bars at the zoo. Both images work equally well.

The Hawk in the Rain was fist published by Faber and Faber in 1957. It won the New York Poetry Centre First Publication Award. The judges were W.H. Auden, Stephen Spender and Marianne Moore.

Park University Scribe

Just learned that I have four poems in the Park University Literary publication. Haven't seen them yet and it was quite a while ago that I submitted them - I'm stretching to remember which ones they were. If I was at home, I have it on my manuscript tracking system, but for now I'm too shocked. Actually this is the second time they have published my work.

Shark

Shark
Originally uploaded by stickpoet.

In the deep night waters/
Sleek silent watercraft / Self-reliant incessant predator / Swift to carve circles / Stalking in his own circuit

Pat Robertson Got that Right

Republican, Christian Evangelist and 700 Club icon Pat Robertson has lamented on his website the direction society is going. "Life has become more and more cheap in the society we live in. But God says you shall not murder." I would agree with Pat. There is plenty of evidence that supports the contention that many simply do not hold the value of life in particular high esteem. Palestinians blowing up Israelis. Terrorists beheading Americans. Israelis killing Palestinians. Iraqis killing other Iraqi citizens. Students shooting other students and teachers. You get the picture.

So imagine my dismay this morning when I learned that Pat Robertson called for a hit on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. This was not some sort of vague reference to Chavez simply turning up missing. It wasn't some off the cuff comment that we'd all be better off without him. Yesterday, on the 700 Club broadcast, Robertson said, "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability." "We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

Such incendiary remarks are hardly helpful to U.S. interest in South and Central America. Oil rich Venezuela is certainly a country that has felt itself a stepchild of American Imperialism in the past. Hugo Chaves is after all a democratically elected head of state. While his leftist views may not be popular with many in the U.S. government, such statements by someone as widely known as Pat Robertson only increase the tensions that exist between the Unites States, Chavez and his many allies throughout South and Central America.

One has to wonder what ever was even going through Pat Robertson's mind? His fascist remarks have no doubt hurt Robertson as a future spokesperson for the Christian community. It has increased Chaves's value and standing among anti-Americans. Put Robertson on the same page as a terrorist and made the Bush Administration which normally has enough trouble staying out of this kind of trouble on the defensive with Venezuela. It seems the only party that has gained here is Chaves and his allies. Remembering the phrase, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" - well Chaves just made a whole lot of friends.

pat robertson Hugo Chavez

Something Clicked

Over the weekend I was able to put a few words on the page that seemed to actually morph into something reasonably connected. I didn't sweat it... just plugged along.

Last night I ran out to the library to retrieve some books for my wife. Picked up something for myself as well, came home and read some pretty opinionated critical reviews of some of Robert Lowell's work. It was at this point I was thankful that my writing was not subjected to such clinical dissection in view of the world. For a moment anyway. Then of course I thought what the hell. When you reach the level that Lowell had achieved, you don't much care what some academic thinks thirty to forty years later.

Of course the reality is, I'm not a Robert Lowell. But putting down what I was reading, I again set in to write for a bit last night. First, just journaling. I was however able to begin a poetic response to another poet's work. Something I had been kicking around in my mind for a while but had not been able to synthesize. Well, alas, it was beginning to work. And I have a new level of excitement about what it is and the possibilities it presents once it is refined and rewritten (however many times it takes).

So this morning, I set here with the knowledge that I will one day, again in the future, hit that brick wall. But I am fresh with the feeling that one gets when they have just powered through one of those walls. These are the moments in writing that you live for.

Peer Group Reception

Yesterday afternoon I met with a group of other writers for the peer group reception at the Writers Place. The experience was interesting. There were about 15 people who showed and they had varying interests that could fit tidy into three genres. Poetry being one.

I would say from the introduction each gave, almost everyone had a clue and seemed to be in the mindset for something that could enrich there writing experience if they just knew what the right vehicle was. E-mail exchanges, face to face discussions, workshopping material in group or meeting individually or combinations of these. It was decided that we would meet in September as a group and brake into three smaller groups and see what people felt was the best fit for there own situation. It was a good start.

Experience level of those in attendance seemed to vary a bit but for the most part I'd say it was a group with real credibility to draw from.

Taking Some Family Time

Tuesday night after work, I had a KC Metro Verse meeting. We read a lot of Charles Bukowski material.

Tuesday was also the end of my work week. I've taken three vacation days and it has been wonderful. My wife has been off this week as well. Thursday we did a family trip to Omaha to visit the zoo. That coupled with taking my daughter fishing the day before, has given me a real taste of nature this week. It has opened up my senses to the whole view of cohabitation of man and nature on this planet. Something we (mankind) are not fairing very well at.

I can envision some impact on my future writing by this realization. It's not that I have been oblivious to this whole thing, but sometimes you see things which deepened your passion or resolve to certain things. An "Ah-ha!" experience.

I may post some pictures from the zoo visit over the weekend if I get them upload into flicker.

My wife and I were both amazed at the Armadillo. They had this tiny one that just ran around all over the place. I had to wonder what sort of food intake was necessary to sustain that amount of energy exertion. The Aardvark was another of my favorites.