I felt the last line "but truly monkey did you give a poet's" is a joke
John!! I mean juxtapose monkey and poet( and why not??) and you make a
comment but then you have already juxtaposed I think and the joke and point
is made. Do tell me Im right!
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Carley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: the heat from my head
> Hi Gary, Matsuo Basho suffered from deep depression, mainly about his own
> poetry. He wrote a number of poems in which he uses the monkey as a symbol
> for himself - gibbering, foolish and ugly - a parody of man.
>
> As it happens, when I reached this stanza position a sudden, very cold,
> cloud-burst soaked me through (I do not write at my desk). I was reminded
> of the poem
> --
> this winter flurry
> even the monkey could use a straw coat
>
> Basho, trans: Yachimoto and Carley
>
> The poem was allegedly written in a small town market place where there
> really was an itinerrant entertainer, plus monkey (and poet) all of them
> getting a good dose of sleet.
>
> The original draft was:
>
> but tell me poet did you give a monkey's
>
> The expression 'to not give a monkey's toss' is a vulgar British English
> expression. 'toss' is to masturbate - the allusion being to the frequency
> and indifference of this act amongst monkeys, hence to worthlessness.
>
> Cheerful. John
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gary B" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: 23 March 2002 18:46
> Subject: Re: the heat from my head
>
>
> but truly monkey did you give a poet's
>
> John, you own the form, but a poet's what
>
> Thanks.
>
> Gary
>
>
>
>
> Tina March guest and Gar tells tales at:
> http://gardawg.homestead.com/gardawg.html
>
> Poets for Peace. ˇPoemas sí, balas no!
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