Erminia
I was talking about a line in a poem which expressed something for me
recently, not what Yeats "stood for", which symbolism seems to get in the
way of his very real contradictoriness, and is moreover a common means of
neutering artists.
As for knowing what is good, what is bad... it's easy if you believe the
symbols.
Best
A
>I am starting being worried about one think: do we remember what satire is?
>
>I also do not agree about categories like "the best " and "the worst" set by
>crypto-fascist Yeats or anyone else. As for this quoted aphorism, Alison,
>may I remember the list that if there was one suffering from " passionate
>intensity" that sadly was him...
>So, how one should interpret this quote? Could have it been the product of
>an epiphanic understanding of the unnecessary of all human passions
>among which we have to enlist his fanatic republicanism which to me
>coincides with fascism.? I doubt it.
>
>I do not want to think that Yeats stands as an example of enlightening
>doubtfulness. Who was he talking about , then, when he referred to the
>passionate ones? Please, let's not remember what in the real political
>lives of our disgraceful nations authors such as Yeats, Pirandello, Pound
>stood for, otherwise we should secure down a cellar our entire stocks of
>books....
>
>In these situations one must suspend judgement and pass a hand over ones'
>consciousness.
>
>Yeats, - do I need to remind you? - was a fanatic nationalist cultivating
>the idea of collectiveness culturally informed by one principle.
>It is not Yeats, sorry, who stands as an example of illuminating openness,
>or lack of passionate political intensity. Quite the opposite.
>
>I wish to congratulate those of you who in this tragic realities can
>establish what is good and what is bad, what is noble and what is mean, what
>is high and what is low, those of you who can discern and take sides, decide
>who is the victim and who is the persecutor.
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Alison Croggon <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 11:17 AM
>Subject: Re: R: Re: Afghanistan
>
>
>> Right now, I'm thinking a fair bit of Yeats' words that the "best lack all
>> conviction, while the worst / are fired with a passionate intensity"
>> (apologies if I've misquoted) which I never so poignantly saw the point of
>> - I used to think it was a cynical statement.
>>
>> Yes, life is symbolic of nothing, it is itself, and human beings seem very
>> eager to forget this. Perhaps it is too difficult to deal with. But I am
>> tired of symbols.
>>
>> A
>>
>> >Perhaps it is worth pointing out (on the subject of "symbolism") that the
>> >screams of children everywhere, now,(spoken of so pertinently by Dominic)
>> >express but are not for themselves >symbolic< of dreadful fear of
>mutilation
>> >& death: they are not yet (while they scream) "the ghosts of themselves"
>> >though perhaps "lifting distressful hands as if to bless"; but there _is_
>a
>> >lot of very symbolic gesticulation going on, some of it on this list. I
>> >think heartfelt response would be more appropriate than threatening to
>dig
>> >an SKK rifle out of the garden to "shoot back" at a few local extremists
>or
>> >than throwing terms like "crucifixion" around rather wildly, as Robin
>points
>> >out. Marx himself, of course, wasn't above (or below?) gesticulating
>> >symbolically & frothing at the mouth, poor misunderstood genius. The
>trouble
>> >is that the gestures, the blarings of the politicians and attendant
>"media"
>> >are an accompaniment to actual horrors: drums & cymbals,war music that
>> >paradoxically causes forgetting of what is & has been happening. I don't
>> >think that even hoping for a later more peaceful species to replace us,
>or
>> >reflection on the bad manners of the dinosaurs, should or (better) can
>> >distract us from the pain of living now, though I do understand the
>symbolic
>> >despair of your words, Erminia. But why do you so easily assume that
>nobody
>> >has ever achieved "something different" & speak only of failure? This is
>> >close to idolizing History, which "to the defeated/May say Alas but
>cannot
>> >help or pardon".
>> >best
>> >Martin
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Alison Croggon
>>
>> Home page
>> http://users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
>> Masthead
>> http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
>
>
>_________________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Alison Croggon
Home page
http://users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
Masthead
http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
|