Dear Colin, Thank you for entering into the poem. 'Before the Storm' refers
to the fact that the village was progressively invaded by the sea, and that
this storm was just the coup de grace.


'absorb' was used with the possibility of absorbing the sea. The old man
would if he could, but he can't, and he just sits there, rather a Jesus
figure, remembering that Jesus undertook to take all the sin of the world on
Himself.
The horse reared and then sank up to its middle, and so looked like a
hippocampus. Hope this is of help. Philip







>From: "Dewar Colin [FVPC]" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: new submission: Before the Storm
>Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 13:44:41 -0000
>
>Philip,
>
>I have not read much historical poetry and have written less. So maybe I'm
>not the best person to comment. I've read it a few times and I have an
>impression of that storm in my mind. So the poem works. The title is
>"Before
>The Storm" . Does that mean that what goes on in the poem is just a prequel
>to the main event? However the preceding explanation, which I needed and
>liked suggests that the storm occurs during the poem.
>
>The poem changes tense once or twice, but I don't mind that. It is not
>confusing as a result.
>
>The following is slightly enigmatic. "My grandfather sits and cannot
>absorb"
>. Presumably the unwritten continuation of that sentence is " ....cannot
>absorb what is going on." Normally that wouldn't matter. However all the
>talk of water before hand prepares my mind for watery metaphors and ways of
>thinking. So each time I read it I am momentarily sucked into imaging the
>possible absorption of water.
>
>Also I have difficulty imaging the demise of the horse. The kale wagon
>swings and sinks, taking the people and dogs with it, but the horse seems
>to
>survive that part as it breaks its traces and rears. It could have swum for
>a while. Don't want to sound morbid, but I am left wondering what happened
>next.
>
>Colin
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Philip Burton [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 7:17 PM
> > To:   [log in to unmask]
> > Subject:      new submission: Before the Storm
> >
> >             Before The Storm
> >
> >
> > a perfectly ordinary August 1588 storm sank a Spanish Armada whose
> > seafarers
> > were unversed in the rough ways of the North Atlantic. The same
> > equinoctial
> > tempest swept away all last traces of the Lancashire village of
>Singleton.
> >
> > The Nereids wept at Queen Mary's death
> > and the Rossall coast was weal
> > but they shook their spurs at Elizabeth
> > and saltmarsh took the field.
> >                              No more
> > the springing spikes of barley, rye, and oat.
> > Neptune wets the wattle, sucks the daub -
> > our cottage swims like a breached boat.
> > My grandfather sits and cannot absorb.
> >
> > Only Penny Stone Inn near Carlon -
> > the dozing megalith, her Colts Ring
> > and the hollow-eyed oaks of Singleton
> > stand proud.
> >                    I saw a kale wagon swing
> > like a galleass, sink under the mere,
> > drown father and son, and dogs beside.
> > And the good horse, breaking traces, reared
> > like a basking hippocampus, died.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online
> > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963


_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus