Since a Happy
this Day yours
is
Ali Always
yearly once -
remember next
your(e) this time
New
and many
once mores
still for
You
this Day yours
is
Ali Always
yearly once -
remember next
your(e) this time
New
and many
once mores
still for
You
Simon
Monday, October 18, 2010
William Carlos Williams - Sample SAC Response
Hi all,
Sorry this is late. Uni is a killer at the moment.
See you tomorrow.
Simon
****
Sorry this is late. Uni is a killer at the moment.
See you tomorrow.
Simon
****
In The Red Wheelbarrow, William Carlos Williams offers the reader the deceptively familiar image of the wheelbarrow of the title, ‘glazed with rain / water / beside the white / chickens’. On the surface, it appears to be a simple poem, evoking a farmyard scene recognised by many as typical of rural life or perhaps as an image from a childhood storybook. Upon closer inspection we can see certain techniques employed by the poet which lend an uneasy air of strangeness to the poem; defamiliarising an image that the reader may well feel is all too familiar. It is in the first two lines, ‘so much depends / upon’, that Williams creates this uneasiness. The picture of innocence has had a sudden, unexpected weight attached to it; robbing it of its benign nature and giving rise to a sense of impending consequence.
We are never told, nor is it suggested, just what the nature of this ‘so much’ might be. The deliberate ambiguity of the poem leads us to examine more closely the poet’s choice of words and the structure he has imposed upon the poem. The use of the colours ‘red’ and ‘white’ creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind. The word ‘glazed’ serves to somehow frame the wheelbarrow; the centrepiece of the scene. Williams has isolated certain words, separating ‘red wheel’ from ‘barrow’, ‘rain’ from ‘water’ and ‘white’ from ‘chickens’. The intention here may be to separate the images in the poet’s mind. Perhaps it is this formatting of the image and not necessarily the image itself upon which ‘so much depends’. In light of this reading, the air of unease now takes on particularity as content becomes bound to form.
The tone of the poem, This is Just to Say, is in stark contrast to the uncertainty that seems to hang over The Red Wheelbarrow. In this poem, Williams is lighter, almost jocular and teasing in his note-on-the-fridge style letter to someone, presumably his wife, a close friend or a lover, whose plums he has eaten from the icebox. The first stand-out element of the poem is Williams’ incorporation (or insinuation, rather) of the title into the main body of the poem. The line runs so smoothly, in conversational style, into the first line of the first stanza that one could well imagine it written thus: ‘This is just to say / I have eaten / the plums / that were in / the icebox’.
After the poet’s casual candour in the first two stanzas (evident both in the use of the word ‘just’ in the title and in Williams’ seemingly educated guess that the now plum-less recipient of the note was originally ‘probably / saving [the plums] / for breakfast’), the poem is punctuated suddenly by the first line of the third stanza, ‘Forgive me’. These words form either an imperative, a justification or a kind of plea (albeit half-hearted, given the succeeding lines). If we read it as an imperative, or directive, then we do so subscribing to the light-hearted tone of the poem, written perhaps in a moment of post-gluttonous guilt to a loved one whose breakfast has been stolen. As a justification, the effect is much the same; Williams asks forgiveness because the plums were ‘delicious’. Indeed, there is a kind of deliciousness to his audacity for saying so. However, if we look carefully at the last three lines of the third stanza, there is a sense of poignancy which is borne out in the repetition of the word ‘so’ and the ending of the poem with the words ‘so cold’
‘they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold’
Reading a sense of poignancy and, perhaps, regret into the end of the poem casts the rest of the poem is a very different light. As the line preceding this air of sadness, ‘Forgive me’ becomes more of a plea, as mentioned above. In light of this, the entire note may itself be read as merely a preamble to an apology for a sin far greater than the theft of plums from an icebox. It is a mark of Williams’ skill as a poet that he is able to take a sentiment like ‘This is just to say . . . Forgive me’ and cast it in terms of the playful relationship that may have been torn asunder by the act that warranted the plea for forgiveness. Much like in The Red Wheelbarrow, the longer one looks at the poem the more Williams achieves the effect of stripping away whatever initial impressions one may have and whatever constructions of meaning may be built on such impressions. Consequently we are left reading and contemplating a very different poem than that which we first encountered.
We are never told, nor is it suggested, just what the nature of this ‘so much’ might be. The deliberate ambiguity of the poem leads us to examine more closely the poet’s choice of words and the structure he has imposed upon the poem. The use of the colours ‘red’ and ‘white’ creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind. The word ‘glazed’ serves to somehow frame the wheelbarrow; the centrepiece of the scene. Williams has isolated certain words, separating ‘red wheel’ from ‘barrow’, ‘rain’ from ‘water’ and ‘white’ from ‘chickens’. The intention here may be to separate the images in the poet’s mind. Perhaps it is this formatting of the image and not necessarily the image itself upon which ‘so much depends’. In light of this reading, the air of unease now takes on particularity as content becomes bound to form.
The tone of the poem, This is Just to Say, is in stark contrast to the uncertainty that seems to hang over The Red Wheelbarrow. In this poem, Williams is lighter, almost jocular and teasing in his note-on-the-fridge style letter to someone, presumably his wife, a close friend or a lover, whose plums he has eaten from the icebox. The first stand-out element of the poem is Williams’ incorporation (or insinuation, rather) of the title into the main body of the poem. The line runs so smoothly, in conversational style, into the first line of the first stanza that one could well imagine it written thus: ‘This is just to say / I have eaten / the plums / that were in / the icebox’.
After the poet’s casual candour in the first two stanzas (evident both in the use of the word ‘just’ in the title and in Williams’ seemingly educated guess that the now plum-less recipient of the note was originally ‘probably / saving [the plums] / for breakfast’), the poem is punctuated suddenly by the first line of the third stanza, ‘Forgive me’. These words form either an imperative, a justification or a kind of plea (albeit half-hearted, given the succeeding lines). If we read it as an imperative, or directive, then we do so subscribing to the light-hearted tone of the poem, written perhaps in a moment of post-gluttonous guilt to a loved one whose breakfast has been stolen. As a justification, the effect is much the same; Williams asks forgiveness because the plums were ‘delicious’. Indeed, there is a kind of deliciousness to his audacity for saying so. However, if we look carefully at the last three lines of the third stanza, there is a sense of poignancy which is borne out in the repetition of the word ‘so’ and the ending of the poem with the words ‘so cold’
‘they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold’
Reading a sense of poignancy and, perhaps, regret into the end of the poem casts the rest of the poem is a very different light. As the line preceding this air of sadness, ‘Forgive me’ becomes more of a plea, as mentioned above. In light of this, the entire note may itself be read as merely a preamble to an apology for a sin far greater than the theft of plums from an icebox. It is a mark of Williams’ skill as a poet that he is able to take a sentiment like ‘This is just to say . . . Forgive me’ and cast it in terms of the playful relationship that may have been torn asunder by the act that warranted the plea for forgiveness. Much like in The Red Wheelbarrow, the longer one looks at the poem the more Williams achieves the effect of stripping away whatever initial impressions one may have and whatever constructions of meaning may be built on such impressions. Consequently we are left reading and contemplating a very different poem than that which we first encountered.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
What is this?
This Is Not Art!
That's right. I'm at the TiNA festival in Newcastle. This is the 11th TiNA and it's been a pretty fantastic festival so far. The festival includes The Crack Theatre Festival, Electrofringe, Sound Summit, Critical Animals and the National Young Writers' Festival. Bucketloads of artists have descended on Newcastle for the weekend. The weather has been getting progressively worse, but the events are exciting and dynamic and the people are lovely.
I thought I'd post a few of the events here so you guys can get an idea of the kind of issues being discussed by young artists in Australia.
Writers Centres: next evolution? - a roundtable discussion on the direction in which writers centres are headed.
Critiquing Criticism: I can't believe it's not better - a panel discussion on the role of the critic - nurturer or discerner - and the state of criticism.
Writing Outside Gender - panel discussion looking at the radical potential of sex/gender diverse narratives told by sex/gender diverse folk.
Fictional Apocalypses - creating fictional apocalypses using ideas and events from history.
What's 'Published'? - a panel discussion on what constitutes 'published' in this digital world..
Melbourne Trashthetics - a panel discussion on Melbourne's trash aesthetic: where did it come from and where will it lead?
Women of Letters - special panel event with Michaela McGuire, Marieke Hardy, Anna Krien, Anna Barnes, Karen Hitchcock and Krissy Kneen - celebrating the lost art of letter-writing.
Words that Sell - a workshop on making money from your words.
The Woolworths Application Form was too Complicated: How I got into theatre - a forum on why we keep struggling on.
Token Effnik: Where are all the non-whiteys on TV? - a panel discussion on the dearth of non-White talent on Australian TV.
'i'm a writer, but nothing's ever happened to me' - a panel discussion with the voiceworks crew. Does experience count for everything? Or is there enough extraordinary in the everyday?
Vampires, Detectives and Rocket Ships: Oh My? - a panel discussion on the rise of genre fiction. Are the literati just snobs? Is it possible to be both literary and mainstream?
Breaking the Rules - a workshop that mucks around with words and smashes structure.
DIY New Media: A Survival Guide for Student Publications
The Expat Elite - a panel discussion on the pros and cons of taking your art offshore.
I should have read that by now - artists 'fess up about the books they really should have read by now...but haven't.
Vices - are they a help or a hindrance when it comes to writing?
Famous Bullshit Stories - featuring yours truly :-)
-------------------
So there you have it. A snapshot of what kind of stuff is going on in the world of emerging Australian art. I've only scratched the surface. There's a whole lot more going on. Many of the people here are disgustingly prolific. It's a swift kick watching what other people are up to. So, I'm going to get back to work on this novel of mine. And if you're working on something, keep at it. If you're not and you'd like to be, BEGIN!
Exciting times.
Hope you're all well. See you soon.
Ciao!
Simon
Ps. Pictures soon. I'm shooting in colour this weekend.
That's right. I'm at the TiNA festival in Newcastle. This is the 11th TiNA and it's been a pretty fantastic festival so far. The festival includes The Crack Theatre Festival, Electrofringe, Sound Summit, Critical Animals and the National Young Writers' Festival. Bucketloads of artists have descended on Newcastle for the weekend. The weather has been getting progressively worse, but the events are exciting and dynamic and the people are lovely.
I thought I'd post a few of the events here so you guys can get an idea of the kind of issues being discussed by young artists in Australia.
Writers Centres: next evolution? - a roundtable discussion on the direction in which writers centres are headed.
Critiquing Criticism: I can't believe it's not better - a panel discussion on the role of the critic - nurturer or discerner - and the state of criticism.
Writing Outside Gender - panel discussion looking at the radical potential of sex/gender diverse narratives told by sex/gender diverse folk.
Fictional Apocalypses - creating fictional apocalypses using ideas and events from history.
What's 'Published'? - a panel discussion on what constitutes 'published' in this digital world..
Melbourne Trashthetics - a panel discussion on Melbourne's trash aesthetic: where did it come from and where will it lead?
Women of Letters - special panel event with Michaela McGuire, Marieke Hardy, Anna Krien, Anna Barnes, Karen Hitchcock and Krissy Kneen - celebrating the lost art of letter-writing.
Words that Sell - a workshop on making money from your words.
The Woolworths Application Form was too Complicated: How I got into theatre - a forum on why we keep struggling on.
Token Effnik: Where are all the non-whiteys on TV? - a panel discussion on the dearth of non-White talent on Australian TV.
'i'm a writer, but nothing's ever happened to me' - a panel discussion with the voiceworks crew. Does experience count for everything? Or is there enough extraordinary in the everyday?
Vampires, Detectives and Rocket Ships: Oh My? - a panel discussion on the rise of genre fiction. Are the literati just snobs? Is it possible to be both literary and mainstream?
Breaking the Rules - a workshop that mucks around with words and smashes structure.
DIY New Media: A Survival Guide for Student Publications
The Expat Elite - a panel discussion on the pros and cons of taking your art offshore.
I should have read that by now - artists 'fess up about the books they really should have read by now...but haven't.
Vices - are they a help or a hindrance when it comes to writing?
Famous Bullshit Stories - featuring yours truly :-)
-------------------
So there you have it. A snapshot of what kind of stuff is going on in the world of emerging Australian art. I've only scratched the surface. There's a whole lot more going on. Many of the people here are disgustingly prolific. It's a swift kick watching what other people are up to. So, I'm going to get back to work on this novel of mine. And if you're working on something, keep at it. If you're not and you'd like to be, BEGIN!
Exciting times.
Hope you're all well. See you soon.
Ciao!
Simon
Ps. Pictures soon. I'm shooting in colour this weekend.
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