Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 8 of 10 1 2 6 7 8 9 10
#5148 05/21/01 03:04 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
W
wow Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
More Poems!
Please.


#5149 05/21/01 05:05 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
B
veteran
Offline
veteran
B
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289
Yeats on Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard is one of my favorites. To see where Yeats was coming from, the following from the Sonnets pour Hélène:

Quand vous serez bien vielle, au soir, à la chandelle,
Assise auprès du feu, dévidant et filant,
Direz, chantant mes vers, en vous émerveillant:
«Ronsard me célébrait du temps que j'étais belle.»

Lors vous n'aurez servante oyant telle nouvelle,
Déjà sous le labeur à demi sommeillant,
Qui au bruit de Ronsard ne s'aille réveillant,
Bénissant votre nom de louange immortelle.

Je serai sous le terre, et fantôme sans os,
Par les ombres myrteux je prendrai mon repos;
Vous serez au foyer une vieille accroupie,

Regrettant mon amour et votre fier dédain.
Vivez, si m'en croyez, n'attendez à demain;
Cueillez dès aujourd'hui les roses de la vie.


When you are very old, by candle glow,
Beside the fire where you spin and skein,
You'll sing my songs, and murmur once again,
"I was admired by Ronsard long ago."

And then your servant, sleepy now and slow
With labour, when she hears that soft refrain,
Will wake to recognise my deathless strain
On praise of beauty that I used to know.

My body will be underground, and I
A boneless wraith; and this will be your fate,
A bent old crone, remembering with a sigh
My love and your contempt for it -- too late!

Then live, believe me, live without delay;
Gather the roses of your life today.

translation by Reine Errington

This was a common theme with poets of the time. Compare with Marvell's advice to the virgins, "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may".


Someone wanted more poems. One of my favorites, which includes two expressions which nearly everyone will recognise, is Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard which is too long to quote here, but you can see it at http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/gray4.html


#5150 05/21/01 07:09 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
W
wow Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Can anyone call from memory the poem from which came the lines :
"From dust thou art, to dust returneth was not written of the soul." ?



#5151 05/21/01 07:15 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
tsuwm Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Life is real! life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
A Psalm of Life -- Longfellow


#5152 05/21/01 07:20 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
W
wow Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Thank you Tsuwm! I'd corrupted it over time ... happy to have it, and have it right.
You're a gem.
wow


#5153 05/21/01 07:35 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
W
wow Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
High Flight
John Gillespie Magee Jr.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings,
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a bio of the author, just 19 when he died in WWII. Google --High Flight"+poem ---for several interesting sites some with photos.


#5154 05/22/01 12:51 AM
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724
Avy Offline
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724

Bobyoungbalt:

What do you think about this:
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/9282/sonnet.htm Do you think it works?

I have been brought up as a child listening to the poetic form of a Ghazal and the way this person has used it is not very effective at all (read "Murder!").

Also which in your opinion is the best form of the sonnet?




#5155 05/22/01 01:58 AM
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 275
W
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
W
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 275
Bobyoungbalt....
Yeats on Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard is one of my favorites. To see where Yeats was coming from, the following from the Sonnets pour Hélène


You are so considerate to provide the translation.
There is a dash of playfulness in the Ronsard that somehow tempers the aching regret.

chronist

#5156 05/22/01 05:15 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
In reply to:

Does anyone know when and why Islam adopted their opposition to "the grape?"


Some Muslims here in Indonesia interpret the prohibition as being against getting drunk rather than alcohol per se. Perhaps they're right and that was the original intent, and then just to make sure people didn't get drunk others tightened the prohibition up a bit.

Bingley



Bingley
#5157 05/22/01 07:49 AM
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724
Avy Offline
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 724
>Pierre de Ronsard is one of my favorites. To see where Yeats was coming from, the following from the
> Sonnets pour Hélène
>You are so considerate to provide the translation.
>There is a dash of playfulness in the Ronsard that somehow tempers the aching regret.
I have never known Ronsard. Okay .. off on the search to know another poet.
>"I was admired by Ronsard long ago."
He uses his signature - known as "Maqta" and very common in Arabic and Urdu poetry

Page 8 of 10 1 2 6 7 8 9 10

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,652
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 182 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,758
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,936
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5