Sarah's Anthology #1-5

Theme: "Past regrets and Future prayers and wishes"


"Triolet"
By: Robert Bridges(1876)     

When first we met, we did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master;
Of more than common friendliness
When first we met we did not guess.
Who could foretell the sore distress,
This irretrievable disaster,
When first we met?—We did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master.



  I see this poem by Bridges as being about a relationship that turned out to be an "irretrievable disaster" and "love as being hard to master" so she wishes to take back the day these two had met resulting in a miserable relationship. The relationship only left distress and bad memories, so she regrets the day they had met which is why I included it as part of my anthology. Bridges or the speaker must have had a very bad experience in the past that she wants to take back. I for one know that some relationships are hard to deal with and can go wrong, but I never want to have to have one that causes heart broken people or hate in the end. I'd prefer ending on good terms and still be able to be friends, but sometimes one discovers more about a person in this case the other in their relationship that was not known before and is a deal breaker or both can drift apart which hopefully can be tried to work on, but does not tend to open and change a lot. Life is unexpected and surprising in some ways. Bridge's "Triolet" being part of my anthology because I like the type of poem format being a triolet poem which is different and can be compared to the other poems I chose to edit in whether I like this poem structure better and reasons for this.  


"Variation on Belloc's "Fatigue"
Wendy Cope (1992)  

I hardly ever tire of love or rhyme --
That's why I'm poor and have a rotten time.


Cope's poem is only two lines long being a couplet, but I like how it is a variation of another poem in which makes it a funny short poem with a sharp turn of comedic wit and meaning. Cope's poem "Fatigue" is a variation of "Fatigue" by Hilaire Belloc that is also a couplet poem but her lines are:  

I'm tired of Love: I'm still more tired of Rhyme.
But Money gives me pleasure all the time.  

These poems both support the same idea of choosing between "Money" and career versus "Love" and family that is difficult to pick and prioritize at times, but usually has to be done and so one is paid more attention to while the other is set aside a bit and sometimes completely depending on the person. Cope's poem has a witty turn in the end, which I like about it since it is like a comedic poem that many poems being more serious makes for a twist for including in my anthology. The poem is short, so it does make it harder to compare with word choice and figurative language, but I think is important to see differences in all forms of poem's and their structure's so this being why I chose an epigram to try and edit for my anthology. Plus the idea I think can fit into my theme since the speaker sounds like they may have regret and know the consequences of their decisions and so he/she is less fortunate and has a "rotten time," not "tiring of love or rhyme," so Cope agrees with Belloc's main point's and yet doesn't learn or quite get why she chooses love over money. Many times people may hope to have one thing like "money and having pleasure" but still having their heart set on putting more time and effort into "finding love" so this not allowing the the other to come true. I know I have always thought love is more important to me than money and that may also be why I am not very fortunate in money although now having the chance to try and accomplish goals to make more money is one of my priorities at this point in time, but I try to keep close with those who I have relationships with since I don't want to lose those knowing that it can happen quite easily, so maybe Cope is thinking over her priorities and whether or not she should create more options in which she won't be "poor" or "have a rotten time." The contemplating over what was chosen and what one wants is a different idea and so is another reason for liking this poem and admitting it in my anthology.


"Easter wings"
By: George Herbert


Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
Though foolishly he lost the same,
Decaying more and more
Till he became
Most poore;
With thee
Oh, let me rise
As larks, harmoniously,
And sing this day thy victories;
Then shall the fall further the flight in me.

My tender age in sorrow did begin;
And still with sicknesses and shame
Thou didst so punish sin,
That I became
Most thin.
With thee
Let me combine,
And feel this day thy victorie;
For, if I imp my wing on thine,
Affliction shall advance the flight in me.


~Herbert, George. "Easter Wings." from Kennedy; Gloia, Dana's.An Introduction to Poetry Thirteenth Edition. pg.216. Textbook.


Many see that Herbert's poem is about God from the lines about repairing our wings by grafting them to God's such as to afflict pain will allow closer communication with the Lord. I also interpret it in this way but also get that the poet writes that the speaker wants or wishes to try to get closer to God and their maker, possibly trying to see what it would have been like in his place or how that could have felt to be in his position saving others by giving up much and having died for a cause that may be considered quite "victorious." In this interpretation I include it into my anthology being a wish for the future in meeting God someday.

This poem is different than others in form being a visual poem and a verbal silhouette poem that is both unique in it's entertaining the ears but also the eyes as someone reads it. The visual image is that the poem's structure is set up to look like wings and is a conventional symbol of the title "Easter Wings" in which wings are symbols of saints and angels and metaphor comparison of these to birds that are archetype creatures seen in mythical times and so these tying together the idea of the "Lord". The times also link the language during the biblical times using "thee" and "thine" so understanding the speaker more including the background knowledge would help for interpreting as to relate with the speaker even if the reader's beliefs are different, it is good to be open- minded and try to relate no matter the topic. In differences the poet can be influenced by their ethnicity, gender, and beliefs and this poem can be seen as having an religious distinction by Herbert that makes it even stronger in religious stance in emotions for some readers and this makes it more fascinating and different this way. I personally really like this free verse/open form poem type, and when the poet can pull it off well it makes it even more appealing to read, I think.



"LITTLE LESSONS"
An anonymous poem

THE love I bear you, dearest,
Would make the sweetest tale,
We'd sail upon a sea of bliss,
And I would lift the sail.
Our happiness would be sublime,
Surpassing tongue or pen.
You may as well learn things from me,
As to learn from other men.

"Oh! you have touched me--deeply--"
The young thing whispered low.
He pleaded: "Come! oh! come with me."
She could not answer: "No."
She said: "I'll be your pupil."
And softly added then:
"I may as well learn things from you
As to learn from other men."

They dined alone that evening,
And the young man got his wish.
They even broke the unwritten law
Of: "Nevaire before zee feesh."
At half-past three, next morning,
He staggered home again.
She had taught him tricks he never knew,
That she'd learned from other men.


*Anonymous. "Little Lessons" is reprinted from Poetica Erotica. Ed. T.R. Smith. New York: Crown Publishers, 1921. Poetry Archive Poems. 2002.
~http://www.poetry-archive.com/a/little_lessons.html. Website.

“Little Lessons” is a poem that I think has the component of being ironic and not too difficult to understand. It seems to be based on or intended to be thought of as written in the past time with the language of the characters being of the past spoken form. It seems to be about two people meeting and trying to hook up in a sense or a guy hitting on a girl who may have been somewhat of a pervert or in it for physical relations and so the girl goes along with it and fibs or acts in a way she thinks will impress him or get him to think he can take advantage fulfilling his wish, but in the end she is more advanced in her knowledge than he is learning from her and maybe being better off before being with her or the same afterward if she had ditched him, but it doesn’t necessarily say that she left, but he seems to be drunk and alone, so that is why I’m thinking so.

I chose this piece of poetry to be included in my anthology since it goes along with the theme of his wish or more of short-term want in this case that he wishes for something to be more just for himself in interests and I think a bit greedy in doing so. It is a twist to the poem’s story that I tend to like most and another reason why I chose it. It is a good poem for my anthology being about fulfilling his wish or fantasy and this ending up possibly being a regret later since the girl did not tell him but made it seem like this man was her first learning from and like she was inexperienced in life, but in the end it seems that she has all along had been with other men in which she then ended up teaching him a thing or so. This poem not being more of a wish from making mistakes beforehand but wishing first for something that turned around on the person and I liked that idea in the poem.
 


"THE WISH"
by: Anacreon (c.572-488 BC)

NIOBE on Phrygian sands
Turn'd a weeping statue stands,
And the Pandionian Maid
In a swallow's wings array'd;
But a mirror I would be,
To be look'd on still by thee;
Or the gown wherein thou'rt drest,
That I might thy limbs invest;
Or a crystal spring, wherein
Thou might'st bathe thy purer skin;
Or sweet unguents, to anoint
And make supple every joint;
Or a knot, thy breast to deck;
Or a chain, to clasp thy neck;
Or thy shoe I wish to be,
That thou might'st but tread on me.

Anacreon. "The Wish" TRANSLATED BY THOMAS STANLEY, 1651. from 2002-2010. Poetry Archive Poems. http://www.poetry-archive.com/a/the_wish.html. Website.
VOCAB:
· unguents= ointment or salve for healing
· tread= walk on like tire tracks


  Anacreon is very late poet from BC times and I like to see the difference and how over time and the years poetry has changed but yet all can have great meaning. This poem I find to be about a guy that is longing or hoping just to be acknowledged in the woman’s life or even an inanimate object that touches the woman and it seems like he is desperate and would do anything for her, since would want to be a necklace, bathe water, an ointment for her wound, a shoe, or the ground that she walks on. It is pretty well written with rhyming words and still making his point very clear and seems romantic in a sense, but may come off as creepy depending on her and his situation, which sounds like she won’t give him a chance. If this being so then this is his wish in hopes of any of these things happening is why this is a good poem for my collection.