The ancient Greek poet Sappho is one of the oldest poetic voices we have record of. Like the Greek epic poet Homer, her work likely predates written literature and was originally intended to be sung. How much more do we know about her? Almost nothing for sure — or even by likelihood. As with Homer … Continue reading Sappho’s Old Age (Rimbaud version)
For not the first time here, I need to travel in a roundabout way in time and place to get to today’s piece. Last post, I discussed how little survives of the work of the ancient Greek poet Sappho: only a small handful of more-or-less complete poems, the rest fragments (some as small as a … Continue reading Sappho LXXXII “Over the roofs the honey-coloured moon”
Let’s continue or count-down to the most listened to and liked Parlando Project piece over the last summer. Today we move to the half-way point, numbers 7 through 5. Wait, maybe you’re new here. Parlando Project — what’s that? Well, for a little over five years I’ve been presenting combinations of various words (mostly poetry) … Continue reading Summer 2021 Parlando Project Top Ten, numbers 7-5
Continuing our countdown of the most listened to and liked pieces here this past summer we move today to the numbers 4 through 2 on our list. I’ve mentioned that blog traffic and listens have dropped off a bit this summer, which from looking at past years stats follows a yearly trend. Things are picking … Continue reading Summer 2021 Parlando Project Top Ten, numbers 4-2
Let’s continue our countdown of the pieces you most listened to and liked this past spring. As we move up toward the most popular one, we start today with number 7. If you want to read my first thoughts when the piece was first published, the bold-faced headings are hyperlinks to that. How well will … Continue reading Spring 2021 Parlando Project Top Ten, numbers 7-5
A couple of posts back I suggested we do more than poetry prompts or poem a day writing challenges for National Poetry Month. Here’s a demonstration of an idea that’s half-way there. While still a poetry writing prompt, it also acknowledges the tradition we’re working in. Write a parody of a poem you like, you … Continue reading Stopping by a Woods with Bad Cellphone Service for National Poetry Month
I’ve mentioned I’m reading a couple of memoirs that cover the early 20th Century Modernist era in America this month. At some point there may come a post here directly about them — which this isn’t — but in one of these memoirs, Troubadour, its author Alfred Kreymborg is discussing the launch of his crucial … Continue reading Songs of a Girl II
I have to hand it to the Victorians — when it came to the names of some of their poets, they seemed to know how to roll right through the evocative, and tumble ass over teakettle into camp.* This project has touched on the Pre-Raphaelites, those 19th century hipsters with their love for the middle-parts … Continue reading Love and Sleep — or I re-examine Swinburne, with a little sex in it
Today, somewhere, someone probably asked this question for the first time, and yet I’ve been aware of this question for my entire adult life. So, before I try to address the question, let me ask first, how long have we been asking this? The ancients didn’t ask it. It seems clear that if one goes … Continue reading Are Song Lyrics Poetry? Part One
Last post I rapidly traced poetry from the era of Homer and Sappho and the Confucian Odes, jumped to English language poetry and finally ended with early 20th century Americans. I traveled fast, and simplified much, but it wouldn’t be out of line to say this is a progression from poetry that was expected to … Continue reading Are Song Lyrics Poetry? Part Two
Frank Hudson 