Hi Colin,
Thanks for this information! I've been searching for the Plath poem -- but I
can't find it! (I've searched the title pages of my old Plath books and
haven't seen it and, I guess, if I saw something titled The Great Carbunkle
I might have immediately thought of Prince Charles talking about an Art
Gallery!). Could you give me (even) more details?
Bob
>From: Colin dewar <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: This is the only moment (Mike)/Bob
>Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 14:10:44 -0000
>
>There is a Sylvia Plath poem, "The Great Carbuncle" which explores the
>effects of crepuscular light and then in a helpful note at the back of the
>book it says, "On an odd phenomenon sometimes observed on high moorland for
>half an hour or so at evening, when the hands and faces of people seem to
>become luminous."
>
>A day or two ago I was walking on high snow-covered ground with a full moon
>before me and the sun setting behind me and for a moment the light provided
>by each was equal - with similar effect.
>
>Hope this is relevant.
>
>Colin
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Cooper"
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, December 27, 2004 12:03 PM
>Subject: Re: This is the only moment (Mike)
>
>
>Hi - Challenged Mike Of Finland ("and Welcome to The Show...")
>
>A quick answer to your queries (but tell me if I'm wrong, if I'm missing
>your points!)
>
>"luminescent dark" - sometimes there's a brief gleam to the sky when it's
>twilight. There's probably scientific explanations that include all kinds
>of
>words like refractions, and it probably lasts longer at different
>latitudes,
>and it might be more noticable when the moon is shedding less light -
>which,
>in one instance, is what I noticed and mentioned in the poem... I dunno. I
>just know that in my eyes there's a brief kind of gleam to the sky in what
>we call twilight...
>
>The mention of the word "so" twice!
>A-ha! (sounds of some Seagoon shouting, "Curses, curses!) I'll try and get
>rid of one! It's often the smallest words that cause the biggest headaches
>for a poem - and you've seen one of the blighters! ("Wait a minute, Min."
>Squelch. "Aaah, Neddy, now it's gone!" etc. etc)
>
>The title - and the way things are repeated (or are similar) is part of
>what, at some level, I hope is going on here -
>And so there's all sorts of issues that arrive because of the poem. And I
>think you're getting to them, Dear Challenged Of Finland, and perhaps they
>include:
>
>Is anything repeatable (ask Stephen Hawkings? But the answer changes!)
>
>And, more to the point here, can we ever share such brief, fleeting,
>perceptions with anyone? In the end I feel the poem's leaning to the side
>of
>saying "possibly not..." But it's offering the question not the answer! (I
>wouldn't mind if someone said "Oh, yes we can!" instead of "Possibly
>not..."
>I might even feel relieved that I haven't wasted a lot of my life trying!)
>
>But perhaps I'm asking too much. I dunno (yet)
>
>Bob
>
>
>
>>From: Mike Horwood <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: This is the only moment
>>Date: Sun, 26 Dec 2004 11:53:22 +0200
>>
>> > Hello Bob,
>> I have a bit of a problem with `luminescent dark´ and the
>>repetition of `so´ in the middle of the poem. And I´m a bit lost with the
>>ending question. The recipient of the letter won´t know of this unless the
>>writer of the poem tells them, or gives the poem to read. But either way,
>>I can´t grasp the significance of their knowing or not. Have I missed
>>something? I often do. My last difficulty; what is the ´revealing of
>>grace´?
>>p.s. I don´t quite get the idea of the title either. I´m beginning to
>>think I don´t get much. I was going to sign myself `poetically challenged´
>>but perhaps I´ll just say `challenged´ as a kind of catch-all.
>>
>>
>>Best wishes, `challenged of Finland´ (aka Mike)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >
>> > Hi! Hope you're starting to have the kind of Christmas you want and
>>like
>>--
>> > and if you've got any space over the next few days and want to give a
>>poem
>> > some C & C, a good looking over and talking to, then here's your
>>chance!
>> >
>> >
>> > This is the only moment
>> >
>> > yet it appeared last night when I'd met Chris outside Kwiksave
>> > and we chatted and laughed for ages, the light hesitating moment
>> > when the sickle moon just hung there in the luminescent dark
>> > and a van's headlights dazzled so a blackness lasted in my eyes
>> > even as I stared in my bag in the kitchen, not seeing my milk or cans,
>> > and tonight, when the waning moon has thinned a little more,
>> > so, when Venus suddenly appears so bright alongside it,
>> > the lilac blossom by the post-box holds the light so close to itself
>> > as I slip in my letter to you, like a tongue into a mouth, so
>>confident,
>> > the only moment, as when clothes fall so slowly again, gently
>> > as my envelope onto the layers of post, and just now, like me,
>> > the blackbird on the gatepost, such a loud claim on what matters
>> > for such a small bird. But how will you know of all this,
>> > all that's as secret and trusting as the briefest revealing of grace?
>> >
>> > Bob Cooper
>> >
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