Bat-haunted cave
In general, I would run a mile from anything bat-haunted - apparently random, erratic flight patterns bring out some primeval...
Roiling poetry
Written by a poet, this suggests that poems aren't written, but rather roil and form of their own volition. Having...
Imply vs express, whole vs part
Again, a wonderful, provocative and pithy comment by Thoreau. I'm now looking at poetry and asking how far it implies...
The last of your life…
Hart Crane died very young, making this comment all the more poignant. And if we ‘wrote each poem’ or letter,...
Hospitality protocol 101
Homer is awash with examples of great hospitality and generosity between hosts and guests, even uninvited ones washing up on...
The aim of aimlessness
This made me think - surrendering to aimlessness to write poetry (and other things? A good letter? A story?). Perhaps...
On poetry and human feeling
Apart from pointing me to some translations of Catullus that may propel to me a new level of human feeling,...
Language as anchor and mooring
Heaney uses several maritime metaphors in discussing a poem set in a sea-faring culture. Here he refers to speech that...
Being never wholly so
This line from a poem concerns being and being written or heard about. If it isn't written (and presumably, read)...
Of words, wording and eternity
Part of my blogophyte journey has been to learn about some of the technical workings of the online world, among...
On memorizing poetry
A few years ago I wrote this piece on memorising poetry. For World Poetry Day, I share it here in the hope it will...
Instinct with poetry
A fine and subtle way to depict a look which appears to express more than the person looking is capable...
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