I think the one who was a-weary, a-weary was Mariana, wasn't she? The one
who was always having to wait for her bloke.
Was raised on 'Goblin Market', though, chiefly for the -- um, let's call it
the mouth-feel of the words, which my mother as a poet manque used to relish
reading to us. Also the moral ('there is no friend like a sister') if we'd
been squabbling. Was no end surprised to reach middle-age and discover that
the whole poem was supposed to be about sex. Must depend on who's reading
it.
best joanna
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alison Croggon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 3:46 AM
Subject: Re: The suckability of contemporary American poetry
> On 4/1/05 2:05 PM, "Stephen Vincent" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > I won't argue with you, nor would I anyway, other than those Victorian
etc.
> > poems kind of done "suckle" to death.
>
> Hi Stephen
>
> You can tell I'm avoiding writing today...
>
> Yes, agreed on the Victoriana, though I like Rossetti very much. I
remember
> thinking Tennyson's poem (I can't remember the details and am not going to
> look it up) about Come into the garden Maude was hilarious, though. Was
it
> Maude who was a-weary, a-weary, I would that I were dead? Not much
suckling
> there, but it's great fun to say out loud, and can be a very useful tool
for
> annoying people when you're 12.
>
> Perhaps rather alarmingly, one of my first associations when I think of
the
> word "suckle" is Lady MacBeth. I don't even think she says it, just that
> image of dashing the sucking babe from the breast. Hopefully not a
> reflection of my parenting style.
>
> Best
>
> A
>
>
> Alison Croggon
>
> Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
> Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
> Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
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