Continuing last month’s theme, we had four poems related to John Forster’s enthusiasms: First and foremost, Leeds United, represented by Matt Abbott’s ‘The future is ours for the taking’, commissioned for the Leeds United centenary and an anonymous poem ‘She Saiz it’s all I talk about’ containing the names of Leeds United footballers. Secondly tennis; Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’, a quotation from which players pass as they enter Wimbledon’s Centre Court. Thirdly Thomas Hardy, from whom we had ‘Tess’s lament’, obliquely telling a tragic story.
Our challenge to be ‘Poet Laureate for the day’ elicited four contributions, three of which will be found on this site. Bill Rigby read his excellent polemic ‘Reflections on watching the Parliament channel’ inspired by spotting a mouse in the House, Chris read two limericks appended to his effort ‘Duty’ and Ken Gambles read his riotous dialect poem ‘Poet Noralot’ in which our own Bard of Barnsley is offered the job by mistake.
For the rest, it was an evening of free choices, starting with the very germane song lyric ‘Free will’ by Neil Peart of the prog rock band Rush, while AE Housman wants to be free of ‘The laws of God, the laws of man’.
Three poems from an uplifting Oxfam collection were John Kitching’s ’Is there somewhere?’, John Foster’s ‘I dream of the time’ and ‘Some ways to destroy the earth’ by Raymond Wilson.
In Billy Collin’s ‘Introduction to poetry’, his rueful reflections on teaching are nevertheless hilarious.
Matthew Sweeney’s ‘Tube ride to Martha’ personalises the tragedy of the 1987 Kings Cross Underground fire. The same poet’s ‘In the garden’, in memory of his father, features a joyous tale of a swimming cow.
George Mackay Brown’s ‘Hamnavoe’ is also a tribute to his father, and saltily evocative of Orkney. The imagery – such as the kirk being swept up to heaven by a gale of psalms – reminds me of Under Milk Wood.
In Simon Armitage’s ‘Poem’, the mood turns on a sixpence from pleasant to sinister.
Similarly, WH Davies’ ‘The two children’ leads playfully to a chilling ending.
Shelley’s sonnet ‘Ozymandias’ – is another reminder that all things pass, and in ‘Piano’, DH Lawrence weeps for his lost childhood.
Seamus Heaney’s ‘Mint’ also deals with pleasant childhood memories but ends with disturbing suggestions of sectarian oppression, with a scheme of slant rhymes. His ‘Whatever you say, say nothing (iii)’ is a more direct reference to the Troubles. The same poet’s ‘Post script’ is a celebration of the beauty and mystery of the Irish landscape.*
In Norman McCaig’s ‘So many summers’ a small thing is beautifully observed in the Highlands.
Another small thing, but perfectly formed, is John Cooper Clarke’s ‘Haiku’.
Somewhat longer – we heard only the first half – is Wallace Stevens’ ‘Sea surface full of clouds’, a sequence of formally similar verses in which the sea off Mexico is described in increasingly fanciful and surrealist ways.
WH Auden’s lilting ‘Lullaby’ does not expect the lovers’ bliss to last, whether ended by faithlessness or external forces. Carpe diem; enjoy the moment.
In contrast, Clive James’ moving pair of sonnets ‘Double and quits’ celebrates a long-lasting love.
Our session was brought to an uproarious conclusion by Roger McGough’s ‘Morning after’, when the poet recalls with horror the night before.
* The website Connecting with Seamus Heaney is an interesting resource, as is Heaney’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech.
We were introduced to the term ‘ekphrasis’ which means approximately ‘picturing in writing’; a description in writing of a scene, or of a work of art. Auden’s ‘Musee des Beaux Arts’ and Keats ‘Ode on a Grecian urn’ are examples. This could be the basis of a future Challenge.
Coincidentally there’s an article in the latest (6 Oct) London Review of Books by art critic T J Clark about ekphrasis – with many examples – and also painting about poetry, though that may be simply illustration.
Further to Bill Rigby’s polemical ‘Reflections..‘, Brian Bilston’s Dec 2021 topical reworking of ‘If’ is well worth revisiting. Another furious polemic is Shelley’s ‘The Masque of Anarchy’ which in turn inspired ‘The Masque of Anarchy 2020‘.
A most enjoyable session. Nine attendees seems just the right number to give a good spread of choices and comment.
NB ‘The Bard of Barnsley’ is Ian McMillan’s copyright !!!!
Certainly Ian is The Bard of Barnsley, but you are Our Bard of Barnsley.