Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Spectacular late-spring in Wellington

A gorgeous sunny day in the Capital. The air trills with birdsong; flowers pose languid & immodest; warm breezes caress with a thousand whispery kisses. Am I on drugs? In love? Insane? No, I've been reading poetry, or rather, Camille Paglia interpretations in her choice new book Break, Blow, Burn. 43 poems from Shakespeare to Joni Mitchell are given la Paglia treatment. A very enlightening and inspired book, especially for us folk whose appreciation of lyricism extends only as far pop tunes.
But is it art? Believe it or not, this is a poem! (seriously!!)

'The Red Wheelbarrow'
by Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
It may, initially, seem like a pile of pathetic, minimalist, airy-fairy, arty-farty, head-up-backside, wankiness; like an ad jingle that doesn't even rhyme. But Paglia shows there's gold in them thar' piffle! Here's her very imaginative and inspired reading of it.

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