Tag Archives: poetry

Something Memorable in the Way of Verse

Posted on January 30, 2023 by JMN

The Poets There he sat among them(his old friends) a walking ashthat knows how to smile.And he still dreamed of a styleso clear it could wash a faceor make a dry mouth sing.But they laughed, having foundthemselves more astonishing. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Reader Makes the Poem

Posted on January 27, 2023 by JMN

A turn of phrase can unsettle when the poet goads words beyond their commonly agreed boundaries. When the impertinence works, the reader experiences a shocked flash of assent. Ah yes! I see why you write that she “whirls” her hoe. … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Knaughty Knots

Posted on January 19, 2023 by JMN

If you’ve worked with lumber you know knots are harder than other parts of the wood. Their toughness can stymie a handsaw and defeat a nail. There was once a vogue in home-building circles for “knotty pine.” Prized for its … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What Are We Wading For?

Posted on January 13, 2023 by JMN

A poem by Richard Reeve introduced me to the accipiter. I Googled it to find it’s a cadillac of a hawk built for fast flight in woodlands. Love the word. I listened to the online pronunciator for good measure. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Paean to Noma

Posted on January 9, 2023 by JMN

All these words are Pete Wells’s words. I’ve merely culled them selectively from his essay on Noma into a poem-like structure. I’m darned if there’s not a Whitmanesque vibe to it. It was here in the reindeer lichen and puffed … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Way Too Much Confession

Posted on January 7, 2023 by JMN

I’m aware that I read poetry in too forensic a way, particularly poetry of the moment. Is it because I identify as a translator? I broach a new poem in English with a cocked snoot, I’m afraid. It’s recognizable as … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Bluebonnet Kool-aid: Funky Word Doodles

Posted on January 4, 2023 by JMN

Fly me to the moonand let me play among the stars.Let me see what life is likeon Jupiter and Mars.In other words,hold my hand,in other words,darling, kiss me. Bart Howard’s old song makes no sense! There’s no oxygen to breathe … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Quotations | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Constrained to Endure Despite?

Posted on January 4, 2023 by JMN

For studying Arabic, Congruent (1) translations can be invaluable for working out particulars of the language’s behavior. Freewheeling translations are more pleasing to read, but can be “noisy” in a such a way as to create their own problems. Does … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘Mystique of Belatedness’: Mything the Point

Posted on December 31, 2022 by JMN

Thank you for your visits to this blog and for indulging its mischief in 2022. More joy and less loss be ahead for each and all! (JMN) “I’m convinced. Eliot finished poetry off.” (Matthew Walther) The problem is not that … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Res Ipsa Loquitur’: The Thing Speaks for Itself

Posted on December 23, 2022 by JMN

“Zelensky is basically an ungrateful, international welfare queen.” (Donald Trump Jr., quoted at https://www.washingtonpost.com/doonesbury/, 12-22-22) Billingsgate of this sort pervades the lowest rungs of public discourse in America. What’s notable for the student of rhetoric is how, even though the … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment