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  #31  
Unread 10-16-2017, 11:47 AM
Susan McLean Susan McLean is offline
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I admire both the technique and the humanity of Wilbur's poems, though I will confess that I have other poets I would list above him in terms of being my personal favorites and the ones that I strive to imitate. On the other hand, I am totally in awe of his translations, at least the ones I am familiar with. I have not read them all.

Susan
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  #32  
Unread 10-16-2017, 11:57 AM
Brian Allgar Brian Allgar is offline
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I'm sorry to hear of his death, although ninety-six is a pretty good age.

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Whitworth View Post
May he rest in peace and I hoe to live so long.
John, that sounds an excellent plan. Gardening is a very healthy activity.
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  #33  
Unread 10-16-2017, 01:16 PM
Andrew Szilvasy Andrew Szilvasy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Mullin View Post
I always walked past his poetry as I would some huge historical painting by Jacques Louis David at the Met with a nod to its classical beauty and faultless execution, on my way to Rembrandt, Titian, or Pissarro.
What a perfect way of putting it.

I appreciate his poetry. I teach his poetry because it's excellently-made, and nothing helps students understand a poem like taking apart and examining the pieces of his clocks and then trying to get them to tick again. I like them in much the same way I like Alexander Pope's poems, or Lord Byron's, which is to say almost all his poems are much appreciated but not loved.

One could do much worse than Wilbur; almost all do.
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  #34  
Unread 10-16-2017, 01:36 PM
Vera Ignatowitsch Vera Ignatowitsch is offline
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Boy at the Window

Seeing the snowman standing all alone
In dusk and cold is more than he can bear.
The small boy weeps to hear the wind prepare
A night of gnashings and enormous moan.
His tearful sight can hardly reach to where
The pale-faced figure with bitumen eyes
Returns him such a God-forsaken stare
As outcast Adam gave to paradise.

The man of snow is, nonetheless, content,
Having no wish to go inside and die.
Still, he is moved to see the youngster cry.
Though frozen water is his element,
He melts enough to drop from one soft eye
A trickle of the purest rain, a tear
For the child at the bright pane surrounded by
Such warmth, such light, such love, and so much fear.
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  #35  
Unread 10-16-2017, 01:54 PM
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Allen Tice Allen Tice is offline
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Wilbur speaks differently to different people. Some of his efforts don't engage me too much (different "impedances," as it were: ratios of push to vibration), but when he and I are lined up right, those come in like 65,000 watts clear channel on a starry night.
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  #36  
Unread 10-16-2017, 02:06 PM
John Isbell John Isbell is offline
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I quite like being reminded that Wilbur is not universally loved as a poet. Would one wish it otherwise?
But then, David is also among my favorite painters. It's a big old world.

Cheers,
John
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  #37  
Unread 10-16-2017, 02:24 PM
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Rick Mullin Rick Mullin is offline
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I can imagine what his father's portraits were like. He lived in a very nice house, so he mush have had a career. But I didn't know about him until this morning.

Well, OK. So, here you go.

I had imagined something more John Campbell Phillips than Norman Rockwell, frankly.

Last edited by Rick Mullin; 10-16-2017 at 02:37 PM.
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  #38  
Unread 10-16-2017, 02:45 PM
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R. S. Gwynn R. S. Gwynn is offline
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Default Richard Wilbur cd

[Post deleted.]

Last edited by R. S. Gwynn; 10-16-2017 at 08:49 PM.
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  #39  
Unread 10-16-2017, 03:13 PM
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Ed Shacklee Ed Shacklee is offline
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I had that CD on while I was driving a few weeks ago, just by chance. Not to be missed.

Best,

Ed
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  #40  
Unread 10-16-2017, 03:30 PM
Alex Pepple Alex Pepple is offline
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It's a great loss. Happily, we have his wonderful work to remember him by. BTW, we were very lucky to have him right here at Eratosphere -- all those years back -- as Distinguished Guest for a Sonnet Bakeoff (you can find those threads with a simple search of the DG forum for posts by RW).

...Alex
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