What is poetry? A contrast to the war!

theinkbrain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fell in love at my first evening party.              
You were tall and fair, just seventeen perhaps
Talking to my two sisters. I kept silent
And never since have loved a tall fair girl,
Until last night in the small windy hours
When, floating up an unfamiliar staircase
And into someone’s bedroom, there I found her
Posted beside the window in half-light
Wearing that same white dress with lacy sleeves.
She beckoned. I came closer. We embraced
Inseparably until the dream faded.
Her eyes shone clear and blue…

Who was it, though, impersonated you?

 

 

 

Excerpt from The White Goddess by Robert Graves.

‘What is the use or function of poetry nowadays?’ is a question not the less poignant for being defiantly asked by so many stupid people or apologetically answered…

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http://www.cadenza.org/shackleton/

In an old blog of mine I quoted this paragraph where Robert Graves saved his life by an unconscious reaction. I am interested to know of other examples either in literature or people’s own experience.
Another similar situation was Shackleton’s voyage to South Georgia.

Spiritwrites's Blog

One day, walking along a trench at Cambrin, I suddenly dropped flat on my face; two seconds later a whizzbang struck the back of the trench exactly where my head had been The sergent who was with me walking a few steps ahead, turned round; ‘Are you killed, sir?’ The shell was fired from a battery near Les Brigues Farm, only a thousand yards away, so that I must have reacted simultaneously with the explosion of the gun. How did I know that the shell would be coming my way?

Robert Graves Goodbye to All That

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panoramic view from the top of mount everest-as high as you will ever get

//www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen2/full22.html”>http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen2/full22.html

Photo of mount Everest by Jeff Hall and a panoramic view taken from the summit in 2003 celebrating the 50 years since it was first climbed-magnificant.