Poetry Thursday
Wandering Woman has been participating in "poetry Thursdays," and I find myself liking that idea. I have 28 minutes until Thursday here becomes Friday, so I'd better get on it. The theme for today apparently is blue, and for some reason tonight, it reminds me of a poem I studied in college: Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art."
The last two stanzas are my favorite:
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.
-- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) a disaster.
When I first read it, I thought it sounded like she is very brave in the face of loss, but to me, there is an underlying tone of desperation to her words. And I identify with the idea of losing a lovely city.
Anyway... I don't want to go all psuedointellectual on you all, so I'll leave it at that. With 19 minutes to spare.
UPDATE: Silly Blogger timestamp. I began writing at 11:32 and posted this at 11:41 p.m., I promise. My math is bad, but not that bad.
posted by Angie @ 11:34 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Lovely poem. Oddly enough, it reminded me of 'my' poet's novel titled 'Fugitive Pieces' (Anne Michaels)
Glad you stopped by :)
I recognize this poem, not from a class, but from a book I borrowed from you! This is the poem in Jennifer Weiner's "In Her Shoes".
The interesting thing to me is that in the beginning, she talks of losing small things: her keys, an hour of time. But then she moves on & it seems she can't bear to think of what it is she's really lost. Is it a sister, as the book suggests? Or a lover?
I think it is a friend.
Lovely poem, hit a chord.
CR
Post a Comment
<< Home