Issue 2
Poetry Splash! - http://members.rediff.com/poetrysplash
---------------------------------------------- 'Poetry Splash! E-zine' Issue **002** Date : 30 October 1999. Frequency : Once every 15 days.Arvind, Sangita, & Pushkin Passey http://members.rediff.com/poetrysplash ---------------------------------------------- Hello!!
What is a poet? An unhappy person who conceals profound anguish in his heart but whose lips are so formed that as sighs and cries pass over them they sound like beautiful music. (Søren Kierkegaard) We are free to agree or disagree with Kierkegaard's concept, but one thing is true: Poetry IS beautiful music. Poetry is a music that has the power to blend its notes into any aspect of our lives and change it...give it the right direction. When I say 'blend its notes into any aspect of our lives' I mean it could be anything from salesmanship to brinksmanship, from management to anarchy, from politics to religion, from A to Z... Poetry has the power to enter the micropores of structured and unstructured thoughts and entities, with its focus on just one thing: to show them that only poetry can lead them out of their unending traps to a site near that ultimate site, where they can begin their search again! Thats it! As simple as that. Poetry doesn't kick the ball into the goal-post for you. Poetry lets you do it. Poetry fetches you from the deeps to the 'D'. We are sure some of our readers would love to share their creative output with others who subscribe this e-zine. Send them to us. We would also welcome any new perspective on poetry...maybe someone would like to write of some perceived connection between poetry and salesmanship, so to say. We shall wait for your e-mails!
Have a nice time going through this issue.--asp********************************************** CONTENTS -------- 1. Forms Of Poetry (Lyric-II) 2. ...The Delectable, Memorable Poem... (A 'fusion' poem by John Updike) 3. Poetry In/From India (Prayer -- a poem by *thats a surprise*) 4. Your Requests! (A Motivational Poem!) 5. Let Us Connect With Poetry (Poetry and the Art of Living Well.) 6. A Poem For You All -- From Me ('The loss is on both sides of the border.') 7. Comments/Ideas/Contributions from Readers (Menon writes + Kalika's ASCII!) **********************************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --* Forms Of Poetry *-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::LYRICS - II:: Poetry can exist in many forms. We had identified some forms in which lyrics can exist to entertain us. Lyrics are songs. Just as poetry has many forms, lyrics too have their own classification. In this issue we shall try to identify and define some more of them... === Any simple lyric meant to be sung can be called a DITTY. === A serious lyric meditation , often on the subject of death would be an ELEGY. Other more intense lyrics of lamentation are the CORONACH, DIRGE, MONODY, and TRENODY. === A marital elegy or a wedding song is an EPITHALAMINM. Originally it was written in three movements or strophes. The first part was to be sung at the chamber door of the newly-wed and urged them to get on with 'it'...the words and the way it was sung were designed to muffle any sound of this meeting (or should I call it 'mating'?). The second strophe was intended as a fresh invitation after a well-deserved break! The third movement, sung in the morning, congratulated the couple on their performances and asked them to have restraint until evening. A meditative lyric on the same subject is called a PROTHALAMIUM. === The LAMENT is a song of complaint. === A modern form of complaint is defined by the word: BLUES. === The LAY is a short narrative song-- not to be confused with the French LAI, which is a set form. === A lyric concerning love and meant to be sung is called a MADRIGAL. This form has two separate sub-types. The MADSONG and the NONSENSE VERSE. === MOCK BALLAD is a lyric form of which 'Jabberwocky' by Lewis Carroll is a fair example. === A song of praise to the gods is a PAEAN. === A PANEGYRIC or ENCOMINM praises men. === The ROMANCE is a verse tale whose subject matter concerns chivalry or honour. === A ROUNDELAY is any simple lyric that utilizes a refrain. A set form was invented by John Dryden. === A RUNE is an Anglo-Saxon incantation. === Lastly, the SERENADE is like the aubade, except that its setting is the evening. "She Walks In Beauty Like The Night" by Lord George Gordon Byron is a standard example....That brings us to an end to the types of lyrics.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --* ...The Delectable, Memorable Poem... *-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In the introductory/editorial note above I have talked about 'fusion' being an essential part of the creative process. What better than illustrating the concept with a lovely poem. This poem is on atomic particles and is written by John Updike.COSMIC GALL. (Every second hundreds of billions of these neutrinos pass through each square inch of our bodies, coming from above during the day and from below at night, when the sun is shining on the other side of the earth! -- From 'An Explanatory Statement of Elementary Particle Physics', by M A Ruderman and A H Rosenfeld, in 'American Scientist'.)Neutrinos, they are very small. They have no charge and have no mass And do not interact at all. The earth is just a silly ball To them, through which they simply pass, Like dustmaids down a dusty hall Or photons through a sheet of glass. They snub the most exquisite gas, Ignore the most substantial wall Cold-shoulder steel and sounding brass, Insult the stallion in his stall And, scorning barriers of class, Infiltrate you and me! Like tall And painless guillotines, they fall Down through our heads into the grass. At night, they enter at Nepal And pierce the lover and his lass >From underneath the bed -- you call It was wonderful; I call it crass.(From 'The Faber Book of Science' edited by John Carey)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --* Poetry In/From India *-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This poem is written by TASLIMA NASREEN long before she became known to the Western world. She is from Bangladesh...and this country was a part of India before partition in 1947. :-)PRAYERI'm also getting covered with snow-flakes, Like grass, trees and houses Come to my rescue, warmth!I'm also getting covered with inky darkness Like the birds, the sky and the ocean Come to my rescue, light!It is my heart only Filled with fire That rescues me.(Translated from Bangla by Tapati Chowdhurie)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --* Your Requests! *-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This little poem was sent by my friend Sameer Advani
(s_advani@hotmail.com)with a request that this e-zine should take care of motivation of the self too through poetry. Well said! ...and thanks for your concern, Sameer. This, in fact, is what I have been saying throughout this issue -- fusion of all areas of life with poetry! Sameer found this poem somewhere on the net and retrieved it for us.WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKINGWhen you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one.When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew that little things are special things.When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.Unknown~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --* Let Us Connect With Poetry *-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~POETRY AND THE ART OF LIVING WELL.As I mentioned in the editorial note, poetry has the power to connect with just about anything and cause a movement, whatever be its speed at the start, towards a positive, productive and a proactive evolution. To back this little concept, I have a few quotations for you in this issue. The keywords are: Poetry. Connect. Fusion. Positive. Evolution. Proactive. Satisfaction. Catharsis. Soothing....>>>"The system of healing and feeling good has been practised in India from time immemorial in our temples by reciting bhajans, in our bathrooms by singing while bathing, or during mushairas and get-togethers, in urban, rural and tribal settings. Upgrading one's moral and psychological profile thus has been a part of the Indian culture. The West has after due research begun to treat reading poetry as a method of self-healing." -- H K Kaul.>>>"Poetry evokes, involves and provokes. It opens up vistas of feeling and heals through catharsis." -- Arthur Lerner.>>>"I feel bad, I am afraid etc are negative thoughts and self-suggestions that can be countered by the use of poetry. The rhythm and pattern of a poem, whether it rhymes or not has a soothing emotional effect -- like rocking a baby." -- Dr Cynthia Whissel.>>>"Sometimes even one word is enough to open a window on a new view of the world, to start the mind on an inner journey." -- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.Note: All readers are requested to send in comments, quotes, or whatever that would speak of the way poetry connects with our lives.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --* A Poem For You All -- From Me *-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Note: This poem is on the futility of war...and is obviously connecting itself with what happened at Kargil. What is more important is that the poem talks of not just the relationship between two countries but the words and thoughts within this poem would be true for any relationship.THE LOSS IS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER.They are no more And yet they are. They are with us. They are because they were There where the bullets flew.They've added all Their days to be -- We have them now! They took the test, we passed. Their maths now rhymes our mimes.They stood as shields On tops and fields. They fell to clutch Just one more inch of land. Their feet that inched to getAll that was ours. All that is ours. They've lost their hours Of being with those they love. Our hours are saved, not gained.So many smiles, Romantic words, Worlds where eyes met -- All that is lost from here And there across the line!--Arvind Passey ______________________________________________ Comments, Ideas, Contributions from Readers ______________________________________________(Menon from bgkmenon@angelfire.com sent this comment & poem for us that we share this fortnight... "...just saw your website... pretty cool I must say So check this one out too, my friend with words...")Travelling through space and time I saw your site Sitting with poise and matterBrowsing into your mind eye's I realize with a smile That you and IShare this love For words draped like fragrance Around the aroma of the mind's horizonReminding you of the summer When winters' here And that all things are soAs I buzz out of your world And remember to write you Another traveller in time.>>>Lovely words Menon. Thanks!===(There is poetry in ASCII too!) On 07 November is the Indian Festival of Lights -- Deepavali. We have for you a 'poetic representation in ASCII' of this festival that was sent to us by Kalika Bali ( Bali_k@usp.ac.fj )in an e-mail on 19-10-1998! Poetry Lasts A Long Time! =====================================================================S H U B H A D E E P A V A L IS H U B H A D E E P A V A L I=====================================================================o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o oooooooooooooooooooooo oo o oP oO o oE oTooooooooooooooooooo oR oo oY oo oo oo ooooooooooooooo* * * * * * \-------/ \ / `---' * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * \-------/\-------/\-------/ \ / \ / \ / `---' `---' `---' * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * \-------/\-------/\-------/\-------/\-------/ \ P / \ O / \ E / \ M / \ S / `---' `---' `---' `---' `---''||''|. '|| || || || .... .... ... ... .... .... ... .... || ... || || .|...|| .|...|| ||' || '' .|| '|. | '' .|| || || || || || || || | .|' || '|.| .|' || || || || || .|...|| .|...|| ||' || '' .|| '|. | '' .|| || || || || || || || | .|' || '|.| .|' || || || .||...|' '|...' '|...' ||...' '|..'|' '| '|..'|' .||. .||. || ''''''''' ''''''' ''''''' '''' ''''''' '''''''' ''''''' '''' ''''(Send your contribution! Let them sail on e-mail to me, my work-station!) ...Arvind Passey.<--------------------------------------------->'Poetry Splash! E-zine' is circulated by: **********************************************\ \|/ / ( o,o ) ----oOO--------OOo---- @xxx{:::::::::::::> Arvind, Sangita, Pushkin Passey :-) 2/15 Aryabhat Enclave Ashok Vihar III Delhi 110 052 India @xxx{:::::::::::::> :-) Phone: 0091-11-7124287 @xxx{:::::::::::::> Homepage URLs: http://members.rediff.com/asp3 http://www.angelfire.com/ab/asp3 :-) Our poetry website: http://members.rediff.com/poetrysplash @xxx{:::::::::::::> Pushkin's site on Ruskin Bond, the writer: http://members.rediff.com/ruskinbond :-) Our homage site remembering the Kargil conflict: http://members.rediff.com/kargilvijay @xxx{:::::::::::::> \/ \/ >==< >==< \ \||/ / || || ||||||| ( o,o) ( o,o ) ( 0,0 ) -----oOO------OOo---HELLO---oOO-----OOo---- ******************************************** __________________________________________________Please send us any thoughts, ideas, comments, suggestions, stories, quotes, jokes or anything you feel that could help make this a better E-zine. They should, of-course, be linked to poetry. Please send comments to: passey@vsnl.com __________________________________________________All materials used in this E-zine are, what we believe to be, of public domain or copyrighted articles that we have been given permission to publish. If we are infringing on anyone's copyright, please contact us at: passey@vsnl.com We will give credit to the deserving party. __________________________________________________Until The Next Issue Rhyme away your time!______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to poetrysplash-unsubscribe@listbot.com Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/