Tag Archives: criticism

Jersey Girls Find Poetic Justification: On Sylvia Plath’s “Fever 103″

Fever 103 Sylvia Plath (copied from the NEA’s Poetry Out Loud site) Pure? What does it mean? The tongues of hell Are dull, dull as the triple Tongues of dull, fat Cerberus Who wheezes at the gate. Incapable Of licking clean The aguey tendon, the sin, the sin. The tinder cries. The indelible smell Of …

October 11, 2008 – 6:56 pm | By ashok | Posted in poetry | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Does Memory Necessitate Pain? On Dickinson’s “Such is the Force of Happiness” (787)

“Such is the Force of Happiness…” (787) Emily Dickinson Such is the Force of Happiness – The Least – can lift a Ton Assisted by its stimulus – Who Misery – sustain – No Sinew can afford – The Cargo of Themselves – Too infinite for Consciousness’ Slow capabilities. Comment: “Consciousness” does not occur in …

October 6, 2008 – 11:36 am | By ashok | Posted in dickinson, poetry | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

In America: On Katia Kapovich’s “Apartment 75″

Apartment 75 Katia Kapovich (thank you to Ario; poem originally from here) The obese woman who used to wake up our whole house by starting her Subaru at 6 a.m. has committed suicide. Snow hangs like a set of unlaundered sheets in the windows. When I walked into her seventh floor studio, the standard lamp …

October 1, 2008 – 6:57 am | By ashok | Posted in poetry | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Entry 600: Love Letters

1. There’s a strange feeling I get when looking over old love letters. The strangeness is precisely the lack of feeling. I’m not regretful or saddened when reading them, despite the prayers then mumbled to myself, the agonizing over every word, the attempt to influence a heart with some scribblings. The intensity is gone completely. …

September 22, 2008 – 4:30 am | By ashok | Posted in personal, politics | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

The Greatest Pain: On Dickinson’s “I sometimes drop it, for a Quick” (708)

“I sometimes drop it, for a Quick…” (708) Emily Dickinson I sometimes drop it, for a Quick – The Thought to be alive – Anonymous Delight to know – And Madder – to conceive – Consoles a Woe so monstrous That did it tear all Day, Without an instant’s Respite – ‘Twould look too far …

September 22, 2008 – 1:08 am | By ashok | Posted in dickinson, poetry | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Is Love Possible? On Dickinson’s “I could suffice for Him, I knew…” (643)

“I could suffice for Him, I knew…” (643) Emily Dickinson I could suffice for Him, I knew – He – could suffice for Me – Yet Hesitating Fractions – Both Surveyed Infinity – “Would I be Whole” He sudden broached – My syllable rebelled – ‘Twas face to face with Nature – forced – ‘Twas …

August 26, 2008 – 8:31 pm | By ashok | Posted in dickinson, poetry | Tagged , , | Comments (33)

Christianity and Modernity: Reflections on Blake’s “The Human Abstract”

for Kristine Lowe, because she asked The Human Abstract William Blake Pity would be no more If we did not make somebody Poor; And Mercy no more could be If all were as happy as we. And mutual fear brings peace, Till the selfish loves increase: Then Cruelty knits a snare, And spreads his baits …

August 3, 2008 – 8:17 pm | By ashok | Posted in Blake, poetry | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Materialism and Nihilism’s Consequential Union: Notes on Kay Ryan’s "Nothing Ventured"

for Ario Farin Nothing Ventured (from poets.org) Kay Ryan Nothing exists as a block and cannot be parceled up. So if nothing’s ventured it’s not just talk; it’s the big wager. Don’t you wonder how people think the banks of space and time don’t matter? How they’ll drain the big tanks down to slime and …

July 17, 2008 – 7:52 am | By ashok | Posted in poetry | Tagged , , , | Comments (4)

The Formation of the Soul: On Dickinson’s "The Soul selects her own Society…" (303)

“The Soul selects her own Society…” (303) Emily Dickinson The Soul selects her own Society – Then – shuts the Door – To her divine Majority – Present no more – Unmoved – she notes the Chariots – pausing – At her low Gate – Unmoved – an Emperor be kneeling Upon her Mat – …

July 13, 2008 – 7:30 pm | By ashok | Posted in dickinson, poetry | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

An Oblique Place

“War feels to me an oblique place” – Emily Dickinson “only if you’re losing” – Joshua Rocks 1. Maurice S. Lee’s “Writing through the War: Melville and Dickinson after the Renaissance” in the Oct. 2000 PMLA contains a solid discussion of “oblique” on page 1126: Oblique here can mean not only obscure or devious. Grammatically …

June 12, 2008 – 7:51 am | By ashok | Posted in dickinson, poetry | Tagged , , | Comments (2)