Friday 4 June 2010

Quick quotes and notes

So, I'm weaving my way back into poetry and all that and currently reading 'On English Poetry' by Robert Graves (1895-1985). It seems to be an original 1922 copy (from our local library's not-on-shelves-but-still-available collection) and it's very amusing and feisty. Take this:

"The mind of a poet is like an international conference composed of delegates of both sexes and every shade of political thought, which is trying to decide on a series of problems of which the chairman has himself little previous knowledge - yet this chairman, this central authority, will somehow contrive to sign a report embodying the specialized knowledge and reconciling the apparently hopeless disagreements of all factions concerned. These factions can be called, for convenience, the poet's sub-personalities."

Well, it made me smile.

Also, at present, Mark and I are watching 'The Wire' (like real addicts...at least a show a night, sometimes more) and we're now into series 3. It is excellent, no question about that, and it certainly takes my mind of the highs and lows of real life. Most of all it has some great roles for actors and some brilliant, sometimes shocking storylines. Who would be your favourite character...Omar? Bunk (pictured below...the best voice on the show)? Greggs? Daniels? I pretty much love all of them.




But back closer to home, I'll see you all soon for Weaver's Poetry Bus trip too. Nature, she says...yeh, I seen some of that stuff once...

x

11 comments:

Argent said...

I like Graves's take on poets' minds.

I keep hearing about the Wire but have never got around to it. Currently enjoying Luther.

Rachel Fox said...

Well, yes Idris Elba (from Luther) plays one of the central characters in the Wire...and he is gorgeous...but he's too obvious to be a favourite in it somehow (though very impressive...I never would have guessed he was a British actor!). In the Wire it is the less obvious characters that are fantastic. I'd really recommend it.

x

A Cuban In London said...

I'm being flippant and probably a bit of an airhead but I couldn't help noticing that the excerpt you quoted is made up of only two sentences with the first one being very similar to the way we build our sentences in Spanish. So, forget about the mind of a poet (always complicated and messy, but hey, we, the readers, gain from that mess! :-D) but how about Graves himself and that long, beautifully crafted sentence? Ahhh, it almost jumps off my tongue: '...yet this chairman, this central authority, will somehow contrive to sign a report embodying the specialized knowledge and reconciling the apparently hopeless disagreements of all factions concerned'. When you read it and I've press the 'original post' command now, it flows. Many thanks for sharing this gem.

Greetings from London.

PS: As for the 'Diving...', it's better than I described but it's painful to watch if, like me, you have a relative who is disabled.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Look forward to seeing you on Monday - smell the air - feel the breeze on your face - touch the wild flowers - be there.

hope said...

Yes, after what you've been through, you should be encouraged to get some fresh air. :)

I know it seems unbelievable that I've never seen "The Wire" but it came on opposite something else we watched. Now that summer re-runs are what we have to look forward to, I might have to check it out.

Rachel Fox said...

Don't worry I've been getting lots of fresh air - two long dog walks a day at the very least.

Mark likes the dvd box set option with these long TV series (no ads for a start that way) and it does mean you can watch in a very intense way (which matches the subject matter in most cases). 'The Wire' covers pretty much every subject matter you can think of in some way....I guess there's not much botany (well, not yet but then we're only in series 3...and there are 5). It's taken longer to win me round than 'Sopranos' did but in the end I can see how people think it's as good...it is more political, more a study of city life as a whole, less a tale of one bad guy and more about a whole of array of complicated good/bad scenarios.

x

Dominic Rivron said...

I keep meaning to read more Graves. Every now and again I come across poems of his and think this.

Dick said...

Love the Graves' declaration.

And I'm finally making my delighted way through Series 1 of 'The Wire'. So much to look forward to!

Rachel Fox said...

So much to read and watch...we should just stop sleeping.

We just finished series 3 of the Wire, Dick. Absolutely brilliant.
Now a few days off before starting series 4! Oh, plus we have some visitors coming.

x

Titus said...

I like Graves full stop!

Scared to start watching The Wire in case I fall into addiction. Sounds horribly likely from what you're saying...

Rachel Fox said...

You will love it, T!
x