Day Six

No, it’s no error – this blog starts on Day Six. I’m wishing I could have that classic first day captured on my blog because it’s always the day when hopes are boundless, the impossible seems possible. Everyone always has a “Day One” (and by everyone, I’m referring to every movie character who embarks on a new adventure and records their progress – I’m probably mostly referring to Bridget Jones). Anyways, Day One is history (unrecorded history), and so are days Two through Five. Day Six, however, is the lucky day that starts this blog.

Day Six:

Poetry Lecture 1: General Introduction by Carleton Noyes, formerly Instructor in English at Harvard University

We are learning about poetry! Poetry!!! Let me clarify: I don’t say this with overflowing excitement but with a deer-in-the-headlights look and a strained smile. Poetry? Boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. Time to be honest: I have never liked or understood poetry (with the exception of “roses are red” poems which I doubt the Harvard Classics will discuss). My experience with poetry was mostly in high school English where there was a right answer and a wrong answer for the interpretation of the poem. I rarely could give the right answer. Thus, I don’t like poetry. But I’m older now and probably a little smarter…so let’s review what we learned.

Noyes is a very eloquent writer. Here’s a dandy: “It is just because he sees farther and feels more intensely that he is a poet; and then because he is able to phrase his experience in words which have the power to create the vision and the meaning in us.” I like this interpretation of a poet because it explains the fundamental act of communication that a poet intends. After having such difficulty reading poetry, I assumed that poets were not in the business of communicating – I thought that they liked to be cryptic. But according to Noyes, they want to “create the vision and the meaning in us”. Well…I’m going to try to be more open-minded about these poets.

This lecture deals with the history of poetry. Noyes discusses the beginning of poetry as a means for telling a story. The earliest poetry reflected the culture of the time: a person did not exist unless he belonged to a tribe or a state or some collective. Poetry was written by a group of people, not one individual. The contents of the poetry (its characters, actions, plots) were all valued by the group. Example of poetry from this group includes The Iliad and Beowulf. This is very different from the period of individualism that followed.

Individualism in poetry developed parallel to a shift in culture were individuals began to grow specialized skills or trades that could not be matched by others in their group, thus giving them distinction and a sense of self-definition. The poetry of this period (which includes Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales) is derived from the individual poet expressing his feelings and perceptions. The characters are more human and ordinary in these narratives. Yet, the poetry still lacked the rhythmic flow that makes poetry so powerful.

The next period of poetry introduced lyricism. As Noyes writes, “Out of the fullness of his spirit, quickened by the beauty of the world and its inner meaning, wells a song. The lyric is born.” I quite enjoyed William Blake’s “Piping Down the Valleys Wild”. Perhaps what I liked most about this poem is the connection made between a child and a musician through a musical medium and the sharing of this music for other children. I believe music is one of the most beautiful things humans created and watching a children enjoy it sends me through the roof.
Side note: here is a clip of The Festival Singers of Florida performing a musical version of the poem. It’s lovely.